RF EMI Shielded Room Design Considerations Part 2

Anechoic Foam, and Ventilation Enhance Shielding Performance When Properly Specified

As budgets continue to be scrutinized, design engineers and managers are looking into semi-permanent, temporary or mobile EMI shielded enclosure options including hard-wall relocation and soft-sided tent enclosures. In the previous article "5 EMI RF Shielded Room Design Considerations"  five initial design considerations were mentioned: existing space, design cycle, shielding effectiveness, controlling entry and exit, and size requirements. Here are three more considerations to keep in mind:

I/O plates and filters: The method of I/O plate installation and the selection of interface connectors are two key factors that determine the shielding performance of the entire system.

Ventilation: of course everyone needs to breathe; creating an EMI shielded intake and exhaust system also keeps electronics cool, allows vehicles of all sizes to be tested, and when well designed, yields the shielding effectiveness that meets requirements.

Anechoic Foam: Large, semi-permanent enclosures may need to minimize internal RF reflections during EMC pre-compliance testing. Anechoic foam panels can be incorporated into the design to improve the reflective attenuation performance of the structures.