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Questions On Cables For EMC Mitigation

Kenneth Wyatt answered several questions regarding cables and cable shields for EMC mitigation. For digital signals above 10-100kHz, the cable shield should be connected at both ends to provide a return path for high frequency currents. Pigtails should be avoided if possible but if used, kept very short with multiple pigtails. For audio/power frequencies, connecting one end of the shield or adding capacitors may avoid ground loops, but for higher frequencies both ends need connection. Common mode chokes should be used on both signal and power lines to block noise currents, and ferrite chokes can help with unshielded cables penetrating an enclosure. For plastic enclosures, the cable shield connects to digital or power ground on

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54 views

Questions On Cables For EMC Mitigation

Kenneth Wyatt answered several questions regarding cables and cable shields for EMC mitigation. For digital signals above 10-100kHz, the cable shield should be connected at both ends to provide a return path for high frequency currents. Pigtails should be avoided if possible but if used, kept very short with multiple pigtails. For audio/power frequencies, connecting one end of the shield or adding capacitors may avoid ground loops, but for higher frequencies both ends need connection. Common mode chokes should be used on both signal and power lines to block noise currents, and ferrite chokes can help with unshielded cables penetrating an enclosure. For plastic enclosures, the cable shield connects to digital or power ground on

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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Questions on cables for EMC mitigation

Kenneth Wyatt - June 30, 2013

Thanks for all the great questions presented following my recent EMC webinar, sponsored by Rohde
& Schwarz and hosted by UBM TechOnline. If you missed the webinar, you may go here to download
a copy of the slides and listen to the webinar "on-demand". I've grouped them by topic and will be
answering them all the best I can. Be advised that for many questions pertaining to EMC, the best
answer is, "it depends", so there may not be one answer for all cases. I'll try to include my
assumptions in the answers. The questions have been edited for clarity.

This posting will address questions on cables and cable shields.

Q: When using a braided shielded cable with digital signals (i.e. communication signal), which end
do you connect the shield to? Both ends? Only one end? Which end?

A: This is an easy question, but one that continues to cause confusion. For high-frequency signals
(that is, for frequencies above 10 to 100 kHz, or so) proper magnetic field shielding requires a
connection at both ends of the cable shield. This provides a return path for the high-frequency
currents to flow back along the signal path. Remember that for frequencies greater than 10 to 100
kHz, the return current wants to travel the path of least impedance - that is back through the cable
shield - due to mutual impedance coupling. If you're only concerned with electric fields, then
connecting one side of the shield works and it should be connected at the noise source (or sensitive
analog) end.

Q: From your presentation a six-inch pigtail is worse than no pigtail. Can you please talk further
about best ways to terminate a pigtail?

A: First, I'd do everything possible to avoid pigtail connections to connectors. Some connectors offer
clamping arrangements for the cable shield and this would provide a nice "360-degree" bond to the
cable shield. If pigtail connections must be used, they should be as short as possible, with multiple
(at least two) pigtails for even better shielding performance.

Q: If connecting the shield of a cable at both ends, do you connect the cable completely to both
chassis (and risk ground loops) or connect only to a capacitor at one end (to avoid a DC connection)?

A: This is one of those "it depends" questions. If you're working with audio or power line
frequencies, then ground loops (a noise current sharing a common return impedance with a signal
current, typically), then sometimes grounding one end of the shield or blocking the low-frequency
(or DC) component with a capacitor might work best. I've also seen isolation transformers used for
both line and audio applications. However, if you're working with signal currents greater than 10 to
100 kHz, you'll want a solid ground bond at each end of the cable shield for the reason stated above.
Ground loops just don't tend to occur above 10 to 100 kHz.
Q: NASA spec says ground at one end for low frequencies and both ends for high RF frequencies.

A: This is to do with the reasons stated above. However, I would first try grounding both ends of the
cable at first and if that didn't work, try other arrangements. Again, it depends on whether there is a
ground loop issue (ground one end or use some form of isolation to break the loop) or whether
you're trying to shield against external high-frequency fields (ground both ends).

Q: What's the best way to prevent penetrating the EUT shield when using unshielded cables?

A: OK, this becomes a lot more involved and there are several things you should try. If using an
unshielded cable with a shielded enclosure you need to minimize the common mode (noise) current
loop through either diversion (back to the noise source) or blocking with some impedance. The best
way to do this is to break (or block) the loop with common-mode chokes at the I/O connector signal
lines. You may also need to insert a common-mode ferrite choke in the power and it's return.
Another thing that can help is to ensure each signal and signal return wire pair within the cable is
twisted. This will achieve several dB of shielding effectiveness by itself. If you're using a ribbon
cable, make sure there are adjacent signal (and power) return wires for each corresponding signal
(or power) wire. If running a clock signal, make sure there are clock return wires on each side of the
clock wire. If all else fails, use a clamp-on ferrite choke around the cable, positioned right at the I/O
connector.

Q; Do we need to use CM chokes for I/O signals or do we also need them power lines?

A: It's always good EMC practice to design in common-mode chokes in both the signal and power
lines. I would also recommend adding transient protection devices to guard I/O connections against
ESD and other pulse-type signals.

Q: What if my product uses a plastic enclosure? Where do I connect the shield of the I/O cable?

A: Using shielded cables with unshielded enclosures can lead to design and performance issue for
EMC. Many low cost consumer products can not afford a shielded enclosure, so how do we resolve
this? The important thing to keep in mind is that there will inevitably be common-mode noise
sources on the PC board. To keep these noise currents off our I/O and power cables, we can either
block the currents from getting to the cables with a ferrite choke or divert the noise currents back to
their source. Often, a combination of blocking and diversion is the best method. Many higher-end
handheld consumer products use a diversion plate under the PC board. This method was described
in another blog posting on The Connecting Edge and is merely a metallic plate or metalized film with
one end bonded or clamped well to the I/O and power connector ground shells. This offers a low
impedance path for the common-mode currents to flow back to the source through distributed
capacitance. It also protects sensitive circuitry from external ESD currents injected at the I/O
connectors. In addition, it serves as an image plane which helps reduce radiated emissions. To
answer the question more directly, the cable shield must be bonded in some way to the digital
ground (if a signal or I/O cable) and power ground (if a power cable). Ideally, all I/O connectors and
power connectors should be grouped together on one side of the board. If they are spread all around
the perimeter, that's often bad news, as any noise sources on the PC board are now potentially
driving the midpoint of a dipole antenna!

Feel free to add additional questions related to cables and cable terminations. I'll be posting
additional questions asked during this webinar in later blogs.

If you missed the webinar, you may go here to download a copy of the slides and listen to the
webinar "on-demand".

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