Shielding Effectiveness of a Filled Cabinet

One major electromagnetic compatibility technique is shielding. It is the basic technique to create a barrier between different electromagnetic (EM) zones. The EM shielding of a cabinet determines the radiated emission (RE) at the outside of the cabinet due to the filling at the inside of the cabinet. This article evaluates the shielding effectiveness (SE) of a commercial of the shelf (COTS) 19-inch cabinet which is filled with representative COTS equipment. RE measurements and SE determinations based on these RE results have been performed on a representative COTS-filled 19-inch cabinet. The different RE results of an open (side panels and door removed) and closed cabinet have been used to determine the SE of the cabinet. These RE results are presented in this document together with the determined SE values which have been compared to the SE results of an empty 19-inch cabinet. This RE and SE evaluation could also be relevant for other Faraday cage-like enclosures like e.g. cars, buses, airplanes, ships, satellites and TEMPEST cabinets or shielded rooms.