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Case windows and EMI

P

PlaidJello

n00b
Joined
Jun 27, 2004
Messages
56
I was reading Chenbro's forums dealing with their soon to be release Gaming Bomb 2 and the topic of EMI came up. Apparently, laws outside of the US require that they indicate the see-through window is optional.

I started googling EMI and interference, safety, etc and came up with this . (count to 10 before posting).

Is there any merit to EMI causing data loss or the more dramatic accusation that it can cause cancer?
 
well i am a amature radio operator (ham licence) and i keep a 200 watt radio next to my windowed computer. i talk on it sevral times a day, and ive never had a problem with data loss or OS instablity. most cell phones never exceed 1 watt of total transmition power, acutaly by law in the US you cant transmit over 850mw. so this guy is a total tard.

i have heard of problems with the folks operating on the microwave band with their computers, but it is usaly only when the microwave antenna is pointed right over or next to the computer.

EDIT: as to cancer - - you can get cancer if your stupid and you like to play with HF. basicly its like your standing in a microwave oven. but lower freqencys can pass right thruhg you (like 2m). people that work in transformer stations can get cancer... or if you sit 6" from you 22" CRT, i wouldent sell you insurance... but its a lot harder then people make it out to be. smoking is 1000 times more likly to cause cancer the EMR (EMI stands for Electro Magnetic Interference, its the Radiation that actualy causes tissue dammage).
 
transformer stations?

You mean substations?...most if not all of them are unmanned and the data is collected via a SCADA network connection.

MD
 
no like for electric trains and such... big big HV --> DC transformers like the Metro (in DC) uses
 
Can EMI cause data loss? Yes.
Can EMI cause cancer? Yes.

The thing about EMI protection for computers is that it's a two-way street. There are many high-frequency ASICs inside of a computer that can and do interfere with internal and external devices. Analog sections on soundcards and videocards are particularly affected. However, computer-generated EMI doesn't typically bother the outside environment, with exceptions being sensitive audio/video and scientific devices. As for EMI coming into the case, it's a potential risk, but depends heavily upon the strength of said interference. I would be somewhat worried about a ham radio in close proximity, for instance. With regards to data loss, finding an EMI-related case is rare, simply because mechanical failures usually happen first, or power surges/spikes.
 
Short answer: it depends.

Long answer: without a window, and a properly grounded case, you've got at least a decent Faraday cage. The moment you add a window, you've got a Faraday cage with a big gap in it.
This gap will allow EMI to enter and leave the case. If you've got a strong EMI source inside the case, it may affect external equipment. If you've got a strong EMI source outside the case (microwave, fluorescent lighting, unshielded sub, etc.), it may affect the system.

So, what is required for malfunctions/errors due to EMI is the opportunity (lack of proper shielding) and a source of EMI (like the aforementioned). This means that only in certain situations will EMI be a problem.
 
CQ CQ

theshadow27 said:
well i am a amature radio operator (ham licence) and i keep a 200 watt radio next to my windowed computer. i talk on it sevral times a day, and ive never had a problem with data loss or OS instablity. most cell phones never exceed 1 watt of total transmition power, acutaly by law in the US you cant transmit over 850mw. so this guy is a total tard.

i have heard of problems with the folks operating on the microwave band with their computers, but it is usaly only when the microwave antenna is pointed right over or next to the computer.

EDIT: as to cancer - - you can get cancer if your stupid and you like to play with HF. basicly its like your standing in a microwave oven. but lower freqencys can pass right thruhg you (like 2m). people that work in transformer stations can get cancer... or if you sit 6" from you 22" CRT, i wouldent sell you insurance... but its a lot harder then people make it out to be. smoking is 1000 times more likly to cause cancer the EMR (EMI stands for Electro Magnetic Interference, its the Radiation that actualy causes tissue dammage).
Click to expand...

I agree

QRT
 
this has been asked 1000 times at least and every time just about everyone finally comes to the conclusion that its a load of crap, and if there is enough EMI coming in/going out to be an issue, you have bigger issues
 
It's not a load of crap. That's why there are FCC/CE regulations for this kind of thing. Audio/videophiles should care, too. And among amateur radio operators, many are geeks. So I find this issue to be of some salience, and it shouldn't be swept under the rug just because no one here apparently has the expertise to make judgments on this--myself included.
 
shall we capture the writer of the article and place a window in his skull so that we can let some common sense in. he is a fool!
 
FLECOM said:
this has been asked 1000 times at least ...
Click to expand...

I apologize, I didn't mean to resurrect a dead horse. I did a search but didn't really see anything that pertained to my questions.

As for what I'll do, I dunno. Alot of the cases I like come with windows, so I can err on the side of safety or wear a tinfoil hat. :p
 
All that stuff it's probably.. i'm no expert

but the guy comes off as a total dick face.. i hope he dies. Like seriously, what right does he have calling people morons?... many people aren't even aware of this.. does that make them idiots? that's it

just saying he could have worded taht in a much nicer way, rather than ranting and calling poeple idiots...
 
PlaidJello said:
I apologize, I didn't mean to resurrect a dead horse. I did a search but didn't really see anything that pertained to my questions.

As for what I'll do, I dunno. Alot of the cases I like come with windows, so I can err on the side of safety or wear a tinfoil hat. :p
Click to expand...

no im not trying to be an ass, anyway the threads may even be purged

my point is that if you have noticeable issues, you have bigger problems than a window usually...

and as for audiophiles and ham rigs, things like dirty power, ground loops and DC-offset are much bigger things than EMI coming out of your pc window...

hell my pc hasnt had a side cover at all for years now becuase im lazy ;)
 
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