MESAF: software for assessing the electromagnetic compatibility of complex systems

The authors describe the development of software for the computation of electromagnetic field strengths in complex systems. The code MESAF (multilevel EMC system analysis framework) offers a different way to approach the analysis of EMC problems, particularly susceptibility. It occupies the intermediate level between ´back of the envelope´ calculations for simple geometries and the complexity of a full computational electromagnetics solution. It can also encompass the statistical variations found in real product geometries and layouts. Users are expected to be electromagnetic compatibility design engineers working in industry. The software is based on the concept of electromagnetic topology. The user defines the system electromagnetic topology, so precise geometrical details are not required, and the code then automatically generates the network of field ingress paths to a given unit in the system. A link to a transfer function database enables signal levels along these paths to be computed, so the susceptibility of the unit can be assessed. With MESAF it is possible to model the effect of design changes on the system susceptibility and to model products throughout the design cycle, with increasing accuracy as the design evolves.