In today’s fast-growing Indian electronics and PCB manufacturing ecosystem, EMI (Electromagnetic Interference) and EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility) compliance is no longer optional — it’s essential. Whether you're designing high-speed PCBs, embedded systems, or consumer electronics, understanding how to minimize EMI and pass EMC regulations is crucial for ensuring product reliability, safety, and BIS/TEC certification readiness. From PCB layer stack-up and controlled impedance routing to grounding, shielding, and EMI simulation tools, this guide breaks down practical, India-specific strategies to reduce electromagnetic emissions and noise coupling. Designed for hardware engineers, PCB designers, and electronics startups, this blog will help you master EMI/EMC design principles, avoid costly pre-compliance failures, and meet mandatory Indian standards like IS 13252, IS 14700, and IS 16333. Let’s get your designs EMI-quiet and market-ready.

What is EMI and EMC? (And Why You Should Care)

  • EMI, or Electromagnetic Interference, is basically electrical noise. It’s like when one device starts yelling and messes with another one.Think of a speaker buzzing when your phone rings nearby. That’s EMI.
  • EMC, or Electromagnetic Compatibility, means your device can do its job without messing with others or getting messed up itself. It’s about being a good neighbor in the electronics world.

Why EMI/EMC Compliance Actually Matters in India:

  • India’s electronics industry is growing fast.
  • Regulatory bodies like BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards), TEC (Telecommunication Engineering Centre), and MeitY (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology) strictly enforce EMI/EMC standards.
  • Failing EMI/EMC tests = wasted money, lost time, unhappy clients.
                                 Fig1. Sources of EMI in a PCB Layout

Keep in mind: A well-designed board with EMI/EMC in mind usually runs cooler and lasts longer.

Indian EMI/EMC Standards Cheat Sheet:

  • IS 13252 (Part 1): ITequipment.
  • IS 16333: Telecom EMCcompliance.
  • IS 14700 Series: Immunity &emission based on IEC 61000.

EMI/EMCPCB Design Best Practices (The Essentials):

1. Layer Stack-Up:

  • Sandwich signal layers between ground and power planes.
  • Keeps return paths short and noise contained.
                                         Fig2. PCB LayerStack-Up

2. Controlled Impedance = Controlled Chaos:

  • Consistent trace width & geometry matters.
  • It’s Important for high-speed designs.

‍

3. Smarter Component Placement:

  • Keep digital, analog, power sections separate.
  • Noisy power circuits stay away from sensitive parts.
Fig3. PCB Section Layout: Power, Digital, and Analog Zones

4. Trace Routing Tricks:

  • Avoid 90° bends.
  • Keep traces short, straight, and inside the board layers.

‍

5. Never forget to add- Decoupling Capacitors:

  • Place within 2 mm of IC power pins.‍
  • Not optional at all!

Grounding and Shielding: Your EMI Defense System:

Let’s be honest, most EMI headaches come from poor grounding and shielding. But with a few solid habits, you can lock that noise down.

  • Go Solid with Your Ground Plane:
    Treat your ground plane like the foundation of a house solid, unbroken, and covering as much area as possible. It gives signals a clean path home and keeps interference at bay.
  • Stick to One Grounding Point:
    Imagine running extension cords from every corner of your house into a single socket. Chaos, right? That’s what multiple ground points can do. Stick to single-point grounding to avoid nasty ground loops
  • Via Stitching? Yes, please:
    Add multiple ground vias close together to keep signals clean and reduce EMI.‍
  • Shield Noisy Zones:
    Wrap those chatterbox components (like oscillators or switching regulators) in board-level shield like little metal canopies that trap their noise inside.
  • Enclose It All:
    If you’re using an enclosure, make it conductive and close-fitting with EMI gaskets. And do not forget your cable. shield them and ground those shields properly (at one end!).

How to Kill Radiated and Conducted Emissions:

Ever seen your PCB behaving weirdly and wondered why? That’s often because high-speed signals are sneaking out as uninvited radio waves.

How to Keep It in Check:

  • Move those sensitive traces to inner layers: - hide them.
  • Leave some breathing room at least 6mm from the PCB.
  • Keep loops small: - tight paths mean less noise.
  • Run a quick EMI simulation before sending your design to the manufacturing.

Pre-Compliance Testing: Don’t Skip It:

What You’ll Need:

  • A  Spectrum Analyzer with an Antenna to check for signal leaks.
  • LISN(Line Impedance Stabilization Network) to test power line noise.
  • Signal Generators to simulate real-world interference.

Common Mistakes PCB Designers Make (And How to Dodge Them)

Even pros miss these sometimes. Here’s what usually goes wrong and how to handle it:

  • Split Ground Planes: Always use one solid ground plane: -no gaps.
  • Messy Layout: Keep analog, digital, and power zones separate.
  • Forgetting EMI Early: Plan for EMI from the first step, not as an afterthought.
  • No Cable Shielding: Use shielded cables where needed to avoid unwanted noise.

Quick EMI/EMC Compliance Checklist

Before you send your design off to manufacturing, quickly check these essentials:

  • Continuous ground/power planes?
  • No 90° bends?
  • Decoupling capacitors close to ICs?
  • Shields for cables and enclosures?
  • Pre-compliance testing complete?
  • Indian BIS/TEC rules checked?

When in doubt:
Achieve EMI/EMC compliance effortlessly with expert PCB design support from LionCircuits.

References:

  1. Bureau of Indian Standards. “IS 13252 (Part 1): Safety of Information Technology Equipment.” BIS, 2010
  2. Ministry of Electronics & IT. “EMI/EMC Testing Guidelines.” MeitY, 2024.STQC Directorate. “EMI/EMC Testing Capabilities.” Government of India, 2025
  3. Texas Instruments. “PCB Design Guidelines for Reduced EMI.” Application Report SLVA631, 2014.
  4. Altium Resources. “PCB Noise Reduction Through Signal Isolation.”Altium, 2023.

‍