An algorithm to reduce automated emission measurement data

When performing automated measurement of electromagnetic interference (EMI) emission characteristics of an equipment, the resulting data sets can contain hundreds or thousands of data points. From the standpoint of an engineer trying to assess the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) of the equipment in a particular platform, the envelope of the emission spectrum is typically of greatest importance. It is desirable to have an automated method of reducing the large data set into a compact set that contains only those points which represent a close approximation to the spectrum envelope. An algorithm has been developed which performs automated reduction of emission data. The degree of reduction can be varied by the user through the choice of two parameters. Trial results show that the algorithm performs very well in approximating the envelope of typical emission curves