×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

EMC noise in instrumentation amplifier.

EMC noise in instrumentation amplifier.

EMC noise in instrumentation amplifier.

(OP)
Hello,

First thread on this forum! Thank you for giving me you're opinion about a question that I have.

I am using a data acquisition system (ADInstruments Powerlab 16/30) to record muscular activity from electrodes. So far, everything is working properly.

I recently got an approval to move my setup into a new lab. However, it's situated right next to the main electrical room of the hospital I am working for.

My question is: Do I have to worry about the EMC noise? Is there a danger for my data's integrity?

Thank you very much!
Jonathan

RE: EMC noise in instrumentation amplifier.

Do I have to worry about the EMC noise? Is there a danger for my data's integrity?


Yes, always.

Maybe, depending on how well you shielded everything, and depending on what the environment in the new lab looks like.  Until you do something, it's unknown territory.  There may be other things completely unrelated to your concerns that will actually bite you.

TTFN

FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies

RE: EMC noise in instrumentation amplifier.

(OP)
Hello,

Thank you for your quick answer.

Other than check if everything is properly shielded, is there anything I can do before to make the big move? Is there anything in particular I have to look at? (in the electrical room for example)

Jonathan

RE: EMC noise in instrumentation amplifier.

If you are concerned, you may want to look at the surroundings (within few feet of the new equipment location) for presence of possible EMI sources such as transformers, large electrical conduits/cable, HID light fixture etc. Especially look above the ceiling or behind walls, etc.

You could also take some electromagnetic field measurements.

Rafiq Bulsara
http://www.srengineersct.com

RE: EMC noise in instrumentation amplifier.

If there are frequency inverters, I would be very careful. Even if you filter their mains connections and motor cables. And use all precautions. You will have lots of interference from them. I have seen ultrasound devices producing "snowy" pictures when inverter driven fans were started in a room down the corridor. I imagine that your signals from muscular activity are a lot weaker and also less shielded from the environment than the signals internal to a piezoelectric transducer (used for ultrasound examination) are. I would not move my equipment permanently before I had made a few test runs in the new location.

One thing you could do is to have measurements of conducted and emitted EMI carried out. If the levels are above accepted in your country, then demand that something is done about it.

Gunnar Englund
www.gke.org
--------------------------------------
100 % recycled posting: Electrons, ideas, finger-tips have been used over and over again...

RE: EMC noise in instrumentation amplifier.

You can certainly rent an RF sniffer, and try to compare the RF environment.

You should also compare the mains and grounding in the new lab, relative to the old lab.

TTFN

FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources