The Value of Pre-Selection in EMC Measurements

Pre-Selection is an often misunderstood concept, especially with both spectrum analyzers and EMC receivers using the term in different contexts. This presentation reviews how the standards reference pre-selection, both CISPR and MIL-STD461. The differences in the pre-selection architectures of spectrum analyzers and EMC receivers will be covered with an emphasis on why they are different. To drive home the value of pre-selection, videos showing different measurement results with and without pre-selection are shown and discussed.