MESAF: innovative intermediate level EMC system design software

This paper describes the development of an intermediate level software for the analysis of EMC problems. The code MESAF (multilevel EMC system analysis framework) is a general and flexible code that can be used on a PC by EMC design engineers throughout the product design cycle. It shows the worst case path for field ingress to a unit in a system, and flags up non-compliance. MESAF is based on an electromagnetic topology and the code contains three main components. First, a window where the user defines the system electromagnetic topology; secondly, the window with the ISD (interaction sequence diagram - a network showing the system interconnection); and finally, the MESAF database window. These components and the code operation are described in the paper. Two case studies on the application of MESAF and methods of modelling statistical variations in products are discussed. The advantages of using MESAF and areas where future developments takes place are highlighted.