Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) means that all electronic and electromechanical devices and machines run in their intended environment beside each other without interfering. In other words: each device must not be interfered by other devices and vice versa.

What is EMC?

EMC stands for Electromagnetic Compatibility. Every electronic device/machine on the market must be EMC compliant, meaning it must fulfill the EMC regulations and standards for the intended use of the product. Which EMC regulations and standards are applicable for which product is defined by the country where the product is sold (e.g. EU or USA etc.).

The expressions and definitions involved in EMC are explained in the picture below:

Depending on the regulatory requirements, an EMC-compliant product must fulfill one or several of these points:

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1. Not interfere with other devices/machines in its environment (emission).
2. Not be upset by other devices/machines in its environment (immunity).
3. Not be upset or destroyed by an Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) event. Examples are:
   • Human body generated ESD pulses (personnel-borne ESD).
   • Aircraft charging due to precipitation static resulting from atmospheric conditions (p-static).
   • Electrostatic discharge during vertical replenishment by hovering aircraft (helicopter-borne ESD).
4. Not be upset or destroyed by an Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP). EMP is a special topic e.g. for defense and military devices and infrastructure apparatuses. EMP is the umbrella term for:
   • Nuclear Electromagnetic Pulses (NEMP) are generated by the detonation of a nuclear weapon.
   • High-altitude Electromagnetic Pulses (HEMP) are generated by the detonation of a nuclear weapon at high altitudes (30km – 400km).
   • Non-Nuclear Electromagnetic Pulses (NNEMP) are generated by the payload of bombs, cruise missiles, or drones, without the use of nuclear technology.
   • Lightning Electromagnetic Pulses (LEMP) are caused by natural lightning strikes.

Source: https://www.academyofemc.com/emc-in-a-nutshell