Engineers face numerous challenges
with magnetics and EMC. Handling large
transients requires good common-mode
and differential-mode filter designs in
products, but this usually takes significant
PCB space to implement. Also, modern
products getting faster in smaller
packages makes the EMC issue more
prominent than in the past."
Henry Fang
Electrical Hardware Engineer, HORIBA Scientific
C h a p t e r 1
Magnetic passives –
A fundamental component
Magnetic passives are components that marry
electric fields and magnetic fields. These components
—which include inductors, transformers, chokes, and
filters—are used to store and transfer energy, and
they play a critical role in all electronics, especially in
power, radio-frequency (RF), and filter applications.
The many categories of magnetics
Magnetic passives fall under various categories,
including power, signal, electromagnetic compatibility
(EMC), and radio frequencies (RF). They can be
used as transformers, chokes, filters, or inductors,
each of which has a unique function. Inductors, for
example, are two-pin devices, often having an air or
ferrite core, with windings that wrap around the core.
In SMD chip inductors, multiple layers of circular
patterns are sandwiched together to create an
incredibly compact core winding.
MAGNETICS
6
Passives and Their Emerging Applications
