Characterizing a Device´s susceptibility to broadband signals: A case study

Electronic devices are commonly tested for their susceptibility to radiated signals which they may be exposed to during normal operation. A reverberation chamber is well suited to perform this type of testing because it can expose the device under test to a radiated signal from all polarization and incidence angles. Testing devices by exposing them to a narrow-band or CW signal has been well documented. However, with the increase in broadband communication signals, device manufacturers and users are becoming more interested in the device´s performance when exposed to a broadband signal. In this case study, measurements of cable television/telecommunications equipment (i.e., set-top boxes, modems) are used to examine the potential for interference from 4G/LTE signals. We show that several difficulties arise when testing with broadband signals, particularly when measuring the incident electric field. We also examine how different device configurations (i.e., cabling and/or the use of splitters) can significantly change device performance.