Introduction to reverberation chambers and their growing demand in automotive compliance testing

This work describes an alternative way of EMC measurements, namely the Reverberation Chamber (RC) method. The principle of operation of RCs is presented as well as their strengths and weaknesses compared to Anechoic Chambers (ACs) are discussed. Multiple ways of achieving Field Uniformity (FU) using different stirring methods are provided followed by the promising/potential usage of RCs in various EMC tests and applications. A brief overview of currently published EMC standards supporting the RC method as well as their forthcoming changes in the automotive industry is also exhibited. Moreover, the characterization and FU validation procedure of RCs, according to the aforementioned standards, is addressed in a nutshell. Finally, the limitations and design criteria for an accredited automotive component RC are discussed leading to a well-parameterized & compliance RC for automotive components.