BCI Probe Emulator Using a Microstrip Coupler

Abstract

Bulk Current Injection(BCI) test is a method of injecting current into Integrated Circuit(IC) using a current injection probe to qualify the standards of Electromagnetic Compatibility(EMC). This paper, we propose a microstrip coupler structure that can replace the BCI current injection probe that is used to inject a RF noise in standard IEC 62132-part 3 documented by International Electrotechnical Commission. Conventional high cost BCI probe has mostly been used in testing automotive ICs that use high supply voltage. We propose a compact microstrip coupler which is suitable for immunity testing of low power ICs. We tested its validity to replace the BCI injection probe from 100 MHz to 1,000 MHz. We compared the power [dBm] that is needed to generate the same level of noise between current injection probe and microstrip coupler by sweeping the frequency. Results show that microstrip coupler can inject the same level of noise into ICs for immunity test with less power.