Susceptibility analysis of wiring in a complex system combining a 3-D solver and a transmission-line network simulation

This paper deals with the application of electromagnetic field-to-transmission-line coupling models for large cable systems analysis. It emphasizes the use of Agrawal´s (1980) model applied here in a numerical simulation of an electromagnetic susceptibility problem up to 500 MHz. Based on the concepts of EM topology, the proposed methodology consists in calculating the incident fields with a three-dimensional (3-D) computer code and the coupling on cables with a multiconductor transmission-line network computer code. In order to validate the efficiency of this methodology in an industrial context, an experiment has been performed on a prototype wiring installed in a Renault Laguna car, stressed by an EM plane wave. Numerous validation configurations have been carried out. First, the prototype cable network under study has been tested on a ground plane to validate the coupling model but also, to validate the cable-network topology itself. Second, EM fields have been measured onto the structure and inside the structure. Then, they have been compared to 3-D calculations, performed with an FDTD code. Third, comparisons between measurements and calculations of bulk currents and voltages on 50 Ω loads on the wiring have been achieved