RF Desensitization in Wireless Devices

Abstract

The Internet of Things (IoT), where data are exchanged via wireless connection between devices, is rapidly becoming inextricable from our daily lives. A variety of IoT devices ranging from smart homes to autonomous vehicles and health care have grown explo- sively. While wireless communication makes the devices conveniently connected, it also makes them inherently vulnerable to electromagnetic interference (EMI). Any radio fre- quency (RF) antenna used as a radio receiver can easily pick up the unintended electromagnetic noise from integrated circuits (ICs) populated within the same device. The radio range is limited by interference, called RF desensitization, which in turn often limits the usefulness of IoT devices. While the amount of EMI can be estimated using numeri- cal simulations tools like HFSS and CST, engineering issues such as where to place the IC or setting the radiation specification of the IC cannot be so easily addressed. In this chapter, an insightful and efficient RF desensitization model necessary to estimate EMI levels on RF antennas will be addressed. The approach will be focused on two represen- tative areas: noise radiation source modeling and coupling estimation associated with an embedded RF antenna.