EMI Shielding Effectiveness Calculator
Calculation Results:
Shielding Effectiveness (SE): 0 dB
Power Reduction: 0%
Understanding EMI Shielding Effectiveness
Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) Shielding Effectiveness (SE) is a critical metric used in electronics and telecommunications to measure the ability of a material or enclosure to block electromagnetic fields. Unlike financial calculations, EMI math focuses on signal attenuation and power ratios.
How to Calculate EMI Attenuation
The shielding effectiveness is typically expressed in decibels (dB). It represents the ratio between the power of the electromagnetic wave before it hits the shield (Incident Power) and the power that passes through the shield (Transmitted Power).
Formula: SE (dB) = 10 × log10(Pincident / Ptransmitted)
Realistic Example Calculation
If an electronic device is placed inside a protective casing, and we measure the external signal at 50 Watts (Incident) but only 0.05 Watts (Transmitted) reaches the interior, the calculation would be:
- Ratio: 50 / 0.05 = 1,000
- Log10(1000): 3
- SE: 10 × 3 = 30 dB
A 30 dB result indicates that the power has been reduced by 99.9%. In high-precision aerospace or military applications, shielding goals often exceed 80 dB to ensure total signal isolation.
Factors Affecting Shielding Results
Several physical properties determine how effectively a material blocks EMI:
- Material Conductivity: Metals like copper and aluminum provide high reflection loss.
- Permeability: Magnetic materials help in absorbing low-frequency magnetic fields.
- Thickness: While it affects absorption loss, the "Skin Effect" often means that very thin coatings are sufficient for high frequencies.
- Frequency: EMI shielding performance varies significantly depending on whether you are blocking GHz-range cellular signals or low-frequency hum.