Space is becoming ever more cluttered with defunct satellites, spent rocket boosters and sundry stray pieces after the first satellite was launched almost 60 years ago.

With a history of providing the aerospace and defence sector with HEMP and IEMI filters, MPE was well placed to introduce what the company claims to be the world’s first range of HEMP protection filters designed and developed specifically for the commercial marketplace - launched at the EuroEM 2016 event which ran at Imperial College, South Kensington, London SW7, from July 11th-14th. Image left shows a burnt out PCB following a HEMP attack...

The battlefield broadband, ground-based communications system from BAE Systems (used on the Falcon mobile shelter programme), is protected by EMC, EMP and TEMPEST specification filters from MPE.

Nowhere is the progress of technology more evident than in the defence sector. In this article Electronic Specifier Design Editor Joe Bush talks to Paul Currie, Sales and Marketing Director of MPE, a manufacturer of EMC filters and capacitors, about the current dangers in the industry and the role his company plays in mitigating these risks.

With the increasing use of electronics to control every aspect of modern life, from smart grids to driverless cars, Intentional ElectroMagnetic Interference (IEMI) is a growing threat. Various initiatives have been set-up to address the needs of specific market areas, and new standards are being worked on. William Turner, Senior Design Engineer, MPE, explains.

As acknowledged by the Shield Act in the US and the recent Electric Infrastructure Security Summits, the intense electromagnetic pulse (EMP) from a single nuclear weapon detonated between 25 and 500 miles above the Earth, possibly delivered by rogue nuclear states, could disable civil and commercial infrastructures as well as defence computer and communications networks. 

MPE, a manufacturer of EMC/EMP filters and capacitors, has supplied many thousands of EMC filters for the multi-national European military Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft. The Typhoon was introduced into operational service in 2003. Currently, the type has entered service with the Royal Air Force as well as the Austrian, German, Italian, Royal Saudi and Spanish Air Forces. 

Fixed and mobile tactical shelters in war zones enhance a military commander’s ability to mobilise, deploy, manoeuvre and sustain forces. Fixed means housed in a permanent structure, whereas mobile denotes a unit that is transportable and deliverable.

Fixed and mobile tactical shelters in war zones enhance a military commander’s ability to mobilise, deploy, manoeuvre and sustain forces. Fixed means housed in a permanent structure, whereas mobile denotes a unit that is transportable and deliverable.    

The catastrophically destructive phenomenon of High-altitude ElectroMagnetic Pulse or HEMP can be caused either by the detonation of a nuclear missile high in the atmosphere or by space weather (solar flares and geomagnetic storms). MPE Ltd of Liverpool has pioneered electrical powerline filters for the protection of critical defence and national infrastructure assets from the effect of Nuclear ElectroMagnetic Pulse (NEMP) since the mid-1980s, wh...

Commercial-off-the-shelf or COTS filters from MPE Ltd for EMI/RFI suppression assist the compliance of equipment on military vehicles with DEF STAN 59-411 and MIL-STD-461. Although solutions vary in current rating (3A to 300A) or number of lines (standard 2-line or 1-8 multi-line configurations) to suit the precise application, the type of filter circuit configuration will often be very similar.

The fact that electronic equipment such as computers and peripherals gives off electromagnetic emanations has long been a concern of the military, governments and commerce. Aimed at information security, filters for TEMPEST, often referred to as Transient ElectroMagnetic Pulse Emanation Standard, prevent eavesdropping on data radiated as signals from computers and peripherals via conducting lines (such as power, telephone or control line cables).

Despite EMC issues now usually being considered at an early stage during the product design process, unexpected problems still occur. In some cases, a simple approach to EMC and filtering is found to work but, more often than not, a more in-depth analysis is required to address the relevant EMC design considerations and subsequently identify the EMC solution. Misunderstandings are prevalent when selecting EMI filters in the course of equipment de...

From its 40,000 sq ft dedicated engineering facility at Knowsley, Liverpool, MPE Ltd has specialised for most of its 85 years in the design and manufacture of EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility) filter and capacitor solutions for the world’s fighting vehicles, navies, weapon systems, tactical shelters, power supplies, radar, computing and communications facilities, including acoustic booths and screened rooms for Britain’s MOD.

For general commercial use, the performance of ElectroMagnetic Pulse (EMP) filters has traditionally been accepted as 60dB at 10kHz rising to 80dB from 100kHz to 1GHz. All lines in these multi-line systems feature high-energy transient suppressors, such as varistors, spark gaps or silicon avalanche diodes, at the input end.