Rationale for reverberation chamber testing

Abstract

Summary form only given. Several test facility options for conducting electromagnetic compatibility testing including immunity, emissions, and shielding effectiveness are available. Generally each facility provides a different test electromagnetic environment. A reverberation chamber is a cavity enclosed by conducting surfaces with a method of exciting modal structure changes within the cavity. The test electromagnetic environment, a superposition of plane waves with random phase, results from repeated reflections from the conducting surfaces. The statistical isotropy, random polarization, and uniform electromagnetic environment of a reverberation chamber permit a robust, all aspect angle test without the requirement for rotation or translation of the equipment-under-test. The reverberation chamber electromagnetic environment provides the correct emulation of the equipment-under-test performance when it operates in a cavity. Many standards permit the use of reverberation chambers as an alternate method for certification. As with every electromagnetic compatibility test technique, reverberation chambers are not a panacea and have disadvantages as well as advantages.