G 0.12 Electromagnetic interference radiation

Information technology today consists largely of electronic components. While optical transmission technology is increasingly being used, computers, network coupling elements and storage systems typically contain many electronic components. Electromagnetic interference radiation acting on such components can impair the function of electronic devices or even damage them. As a result, outages, disruptions, incorrect processing results or communication failures can occur among other things.

Wireless communication can also be impaired by electromagnetic interference radiation. In some cases, sufficiently strong interference with the frequency bands used is sufficient.

Furthermore, information stored on certain types of data carriers can be erased or corrupted by electromagnetic interference radiation. This particularly affects magnetizable data carriers (hard drives, magnetic tapes etc.) and semiconductor storage. Damage to such data carriers by electromagnetic interference radiation is also possible.

There are many different sources of electromagnetic fields or radiation, for example wireless networks such as WLAN, Bluetooth, GSM, UMTS etc., permanent magnets and cosmic radiation. Additionally, every electrical device emits more or less strong electromagnetic waves that can propagate through the air and along metallic conductors (e.g. cables, air conditioning ducts, heating pipes etc.).

In Germany, the Electromagnetic Compatibility Act (EMVG) contains regulations on this topic.