Description

Electronic controls and sensing in industrial applications enables or greatly improves many aspects of manufacturing, machining and production. However, electronics must survive within the harsh environments used to produce materials such as steel, petroleum products and chemicals, or in mines where the environment is extremely hot, dirty and humid. Careful considerations must be taken when designing any system that must endure these conditions that can include extremely strong electric and magnetic fields. Keeping these conditions in mind and designing for worst-case conditions will ensure that these systems continue to operate, regardless of the environment where they are installed. This article examines some of the key design obstacles and includes worst-case design techniques to achieve survivable solutions for industrial applications.