EMI/EMC Academy 10 Modules Interactive

Master Surge Immunity
From a Lightning Strike to IEC 61000-4-5 Compliance

Surge is the highest-energy transient any electronic product will ever see -- microsecond-scale pulses that can carry tens of joules and thousands of amps, driven by everything from a distant lightning strike to a motor relay opening down the hall. This course covers the full path from physics to compliance: how surge is generated and coupled, the IEC 61000-4-5 test method and generator circuits, every major protection component and how to select one, interface-by- interface design examples, PCB layout, and ten real-world engineering failures with their fixes.

10
Core Modules
7h+
Learning Time
4
Interactive Calculators
10
Case Studies

Core Modules

Complete these 10 modules in order. Each builds on the previous.

01
Introduction to Surge Immunity
What surge is, how it differs from ESD/EFT/spikes/noise, and why its energy content is uniquely destructive.
Lesson40-55 min
02
What Causes Surge
Natural sources (lightning, ground potential rise) and man-made sources (switching, VFDs, EV chargers, UPS transfer).
Lesson45-60 min
03
How Surge Travels & Standard Waveforms
Propagation across power/signal interfaces and the interactive 1.2/50us and 8/20us reference waveforms.
Lesson50-65 min
04
IEC 61000-4-5, Test Levels & Classes
Standard scope, applicable product families, and the Class 1-4 / Class X severity table.
Lesson40-50 min
05
Test Setup, CDN & Coupling Methods
Generator, coupling/decoupling network, ground plane, and common-mode vs. differential-mode coupling.
Lesson45-60 min
06
Test Procedure & Pass/Fail Criteria
Step-by-step test procedure and Performance Criteria A-D with worked examples.
Lesson40-50 min
07
Surge Protection Components
MOV, TVS, GDT, TBU, thyristor protectors, ferrites, and CMCs -- principles, ratings, and a full comparison matrix.
Lesson60-80 min
08
Design Flow & Interface-Wise Protection
A 12-step design decision tree plus schematics for AC mains, DC power, Ethernet, USB, RS-485, CAN, and PCB layout rules.
Lesson65-85 min
09
Engineering Case Studies
Ten real-world-style surge failures across medical, industrial, solar, EV, telecom, and railway products.
Lesson50-65 min
10
Wizard, Calculators & Final Design Project
A guided component-selection wizard, four interactive calculators, and a capstone product design review.
Capstone70-90 min

Prerequisites

Comfort with basic circuit theory (R, L, C, Ohm's law) and PCB layout fundamentals is assumed. Familiarity with the ESD Immunity and Conducted Emissions courses on this site is helpful but not required -- Modules 01-03 build the physics from first principles.