Operating an electronic circuit gives rise to potential issues of ElectroMagnetic Compatibility (EMC), meaning the ability of electronic systems to co-exist with their neighbours. Systems must not be susceptible to interference from adjacent equipment, or interfere with other systems. Electronic systems are ubiquitous in domestic and industrial systems, and in virtually all means of personal, commercial and military transportation, arising in communication systems to and from vehicles and in any on-board apparatus. Interference might be radiated, or conducted via power lines or cables connecting the systems. There are EMC standards defining emission and susceptibility limits, applicable nationally and internationally to civil and defence equipment; sometimes EMC compliance is a safety-critical issue and conformance must be proven before equipment is approved.

There is great interest in prediction methods that enable specific designs to be analysed and the probability of EMC compliance assessed, and this was the major motivation of this Faraday Partnership project. Its aim was to model the frequency response of electrical system components to EM radiation at a range of excitation frequencies, thereby reducing costs in the design and test phases of the development of electrical components that must be EM compatible.