Investigation of Hardening Measures for IT Equipment against Radiated and Conducted IEMI

Intentional electromagnetic interferences are a serious threat for electronic systems (e.g., IT communication systems) in military or civilian applications and structures. In this paper, different hardening measures for susceptible coupling paths of an IT system are developed and investigated under different high-power electromagnetic conditions. The behavior of adapted nonlinear protection circuits and linear filters, which are integrated into the test system, as well as modifications on an enclosure is investigated by measurements and simulations with radiated and conducted disturbance signals using ultrawideband, high-power microwave, and damped sinusoidal sources. The influence of the protection measures on the data transmission error rates during disturbance is additionally investigated. The results lead to statements about future protection concepts for IT equipment and other vulnerable electronic systems.