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Standard Overview

MIL-STD-461 is the military test standard that establishes requirements for the electromagnetic characteristics of equipment and systems designed for the US Department of Defense (DoD) activities and applicated by DoD personnel. In the pages of MIL-STD-461, a comprehensive set of test procedures are defined to fulfill the DoD’s electromagnetic emissions and susceptibility regulations. The procedures are divided into four families: conducted emissions (CE), radiated emissions (RE), conducted susceptibility (CS) and radiated susceptibility (RS). Each test procedure is named with an abbreviation followed by a code; for example, MIL-STD-461 CS116, which details conducted susceptibility tests necessary for damped sinusoidal transients, cables and power leads.

Detecting rogue signals and electromagnetic interference is crucial to the military, as everything from a cellphone to a navigation component on a stealth jet produces an electromagnetic field and can potentially threaten safety, efficiency or secret communications. In 1960, the DoD created an Electromagnetic Compatibility Program to respond to the growing trend of electromagnetic interference. The goal of the program was to integrate electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) into defense R&D. MIL-STD-461 was then jointly enacted by EMC personnel of the army, navy and air force, who addressed the interference reduction needs for the entire DoD in 1966 and produced the first version of MIL-STD-461 in 1967.

Ever since, the three branches of the military have collaborated to produce updated and expanded versions, cumulating in the most recent edition of the standard: MIL-STD-461G. The key differences between MIL-STD-461G and the previous version, MIL-STD-461F, can be seen in the chart below. Major changes in MIL-STD-461G include the removal of CS106 and the addition of CS117 and CS118.
 

Differences between MIL-STD-461F and MIL-STD-461G

461F 461G Description Frequency Changes
CE101 CE101 Conducted Emissions,
Audio Frequency Currents,
Power Leads
30Hz - 10kHz  
CE102 CE102 Conducted Emissions,
Radio Frequency Potentials,
Power Leads
10kHz - 10MHz  
CE106 CE106 Conducted Emissions,
Antenna Port
10kHz - 40GHz  
CS101 CS101 Conducted Susceptibility,
Power Leads
30Hz - 150kHz  
CS103 CS103 Conducted Susceptibility,
Antenna Port, Intermodulation
Intermodulation,
15kHz - 10GHz
 
CS104 CS104 Conducted Susceptibility,
Antenna Port,
Rejection of Undesired Signals
Signal Rejection,
30Hz - 20GHz
 
CS105 CS105 Conducted Susceptibility,
Antenna Port,
Cross-Modulation
Cross-modulation,
30Hz - 20GHz
 
CS106   Conducted Susceptibility,
Transients,
Power Leads
  Removed - because CS115
already fulfills its intended purpose,
to safeguard against equipment
performance degradation from
voltage transients on ships
CS109 CS109 Conducted Susceptibility,
Structure Current
60Hz - 100kHz  
CS114 CS114 Conducted Susceptibility,
Bulk Cable Injection
10kHz to 200MHz Clarification added that monitor
probe is placed around a second
fixture and terminated with 50Ω
CS115 CS115 Conducted Susceptibility,
Bulk Cable Injection,
Impulse Excitation
   
CS116 CS116 Conducted Susceptibility,
Damped Sinusoidal Transients,
Cables and Power Leads
10kHz to 100MHz  
  CS117 Conducted Susceptibility,
Lightning Induced Transients,
Cables and Power Leads
  New - derived from RTCA DO-160
Section 22 Lightning Induced
Transient Susceptibility for
aerospace technology
  CS118 Conducted Susceptibility,
Personnel Borne
Electrostatic Discharge
  New - draws elements from
RTCA DO-160 section 25 and
IEC 61000-4-2
RE101 RE101 Radiated Emissions,
Magnetic Field
30 Hz to 100 kHz  
RE102 RE102 Radiated Emissions,
Electric Field
10 kHz to 18 GHz Restricting upper frequency
range of test based on highest
intentionally generated frequency
within the EUT is removed
(tests performed up to 18 GHz)
RE103 RE103 Radiated Emissions,
Antenna Spurious and
Harmonic Outputs
10 kHz to 40 GHz “Width” changed to “area,”
resulting in additional test
positions for all EUTs with
a height greater than the
smallest part of the antenna
beam width curve
RS101 RS101 Radiated Susceptibility,
Magnetic Field
30 Hz to 100 kHz  
RS103 RS103 Radiated Susceptibility,
Electric Field
2 MHz to 40 GHz  
RS105 RS105 Radiated Susceptibility,
Transient Electromagnetic Field
   

Read more about testing requirements of MIL-STD-461G and MIL-STD-461F

Download Latest Version of MIL-STD-461

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