EMC Network (SW) Ltd - An EMC testing facility for the West Country

With the announcement that new EMC regulations were to be imposed on electronic and electrical products sold inside the EEC, a group of forward thinking manufacturers in the South West, including Dartcom, worked with Exeter University to form themselves into a network to provide a brand new EMC test facility. The Caddsdown EMC Centre represents a new approach to the demanding and costly task of ensuring product compliance with current and future European standards. This centre of excellence takes an integrated approach to compliance by providing full R&D, testing and training facilities. A growing number of companies in the South West, including Dartcom, already take advantage of the unique benefits offered at Caddsdown, where quality and customer satisfaction are paramount in the delivery of cost effective product compliance. Located near Bideford on the A39 Devon link road, the Caddsdown EMC Centre serves the whole of the West Country, from Bristol to Land's End. It provides a special and individual service to anyone requiring test and development facilities within easy reach of their manufacturing location.

What the facility provides

• Anechoic test chamber

The anechoic screened test chamber with internal dimensions of 7.3m(L) x 4.6m(W) x 3.6m(H) allows measurement of both radiated emissions and immunity, to the latest standards. Chamber field uniformity and attenuation are traceable to national standards, giving confidence in the compliance and pre-compliance stages of the test programmes.



• Bench testing

The latest test systems enable automated testing of transient, bursts, surge and electrostatic discharge immunity, to current and future standards. Individual benches are also provided for RF conducted immunity and emissions, with a complete range of ancillary items, such as coupling/decoupling networks, single phase and 3 phase Line Impedance Stabilisation Networks and the necessary calibration clamps to facilitate measurements with total confidence in the results.



• Open area test site

The open area test site is calibrated at 10m and 3m, and uses the latest measuring receivers under computer control to minimise the time normally taken to carry out full compliance testing. The site has been constructed to CISPR standards and calibrated to ensure repeatable and reliable measurements to be taken, with results which can be viewed, evaluated and discussed during data collection.



• Pre-compliance (confidence) testing

Any manufacturer needs to be certain that their equipment is likely to meet essential standards, so pre-compliance testing is a wise precaution. This can be carried out at Caddsdown using the full facilities of the centre, and development adjustments made whilst monitoring the results, saving enormous amounts of valuable time.

If you would like more information or would to book time at the centre, please contact John Wilson:

• Telephone: 01237 423388
• Fax: 01237 423434
• E-mail: info@etcal.co.uk
• Web site: www.etcal.co.uk