Development of electromagnetically shielded environments

Abstract

LACE believes in a connected world, so we research and develop solutions to help engineers and scientists create ways to connect us. Through research and study, we apply electromagnetic shielding techniques to provide a test radio frequency environment suitable and financially viable. Electromagnetic shielding prevents signals from the external environment from interfering with the tests and signals within the shielded environment from interfering with the external environment.This research proposal encompasses the industrial and commercial development of shielded environments. That had its viability proven during the PIPE PHASE 1 project number 2017/11836-3. The proposed solution aims to reduce the cost of shielded environments through the industrialization of the product, thus reducing the investment of electronics developers and testing laboratories. With the advancement of IoT technology and the arrival of the 5G network, exponential growth in connectivity use in household appliances, industrial equipment, electro-medical equipment, autonomous vehicles (V2V), and many other uses, is expected. Such devices, during the development phase, need to undergo to test performance and functionality. It must comply with the telecommunications standards imposed by regulatory agencies (ANATEL and FCC). The shielded rooms, boxes, and chambers aim to assist the development of electronic devices like smart devices and IoT's, allowing to carry out performance and functionality tests with appropriate instrumentation. There are shielding solutions in the market for testing electrical and electronic devices, however, such solutions have a pretty high cost and there is no production in Brazil. During the research of PHASE 1, the mechanical design and prototype of a shielded box were developed, to achieve 60dB attenuation in a frequency range from 100 MHz to 8 GHz, allowing tests in new IoT technologies. Currently, with support from FAPESP through the funding of the PIPE PHASE 2 project 2019/07044-0, LACE is developing an OTA (Over-The-Air) chamber with an automized system for testing IoT devices. PHASE 2 is focused on the development of an automated test system for performing functional and parametric testing. The PHASE 1 results show that the project can be developed commercially and industrially. Since we reach a fully functional prototype in a relevant environment, that is, between TRL 6 and TRL 7. The PHASE 2 project has other challenges and aims to add value to the shielded environment, within the development and application of hardware and software, to obtain a complete test system. LACE's capacity to develop a shielded environment stands out, with three prototypes in development in projects PHASE 1 and PHASE 2. PHASE 3 has the proposal for the industrial and commercial development of electromagnetically shielded environments. With industrial development, we pursue to apply new technologies and knowledge, enabling a production system in series that allows a reduction in product costs. In addition, industrial development aims at training the team involved in the project, both for manufacturing and the development of shielded environments. In this way, ensure the standardization and quality of the product, as well as continuous improvement. The commercial development of shielded environments seeks to enable the product launch on the market. Feasibility is reached by obtaining relevant certificates and qualifications. Training the sales team to understand product applications for an assertive customer prospection is also necessary. (AU)