ESD and EMI hazards in mobile phones--Solutions for the audio system connector

By Richard Renard, STMicroelectronics
(06/15/08, 12:35:00 PM EDT)

Modern materials and technology produce electro-static discharge (ESD) and electro-magnetic interference (EMI) as ever-present hazards. What we wear and what we touch create potential for ESD. Digital technology has added to the EMI hazard always present in any electrical device. ESD can destroy electronic components in mobile phones. The mobile phone can be easily replaced but the disruption to the user can be significant. Circuit designers need to ensure that they employ measures to suppress the potentially damaging effect of ESD.

EMI presents itself in audio circuits as hisses, crackles, buzzes and generally poor sound quality. Users will not tolerate such disturbances in what they expect to be a quality communications device. So, EMI disturbances must be filtered out of the audio circuits.

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