Whitepaper
Damping Factor (Q) computation for MIL-STD-461 CS116 signal with new TEMA3000 formulae function
This EMC Partner application note explains how to use the formulae function introduced in TEMA3000 software version 4.9.0 to automatically compute the damping factor (Q) required for MIL-STD-461 CS116 conducted susceptibility testing. The CS116 requirement specifies a damping sinusoidal transient waveform with a Q value of 15 ± 5, calculated from the ratio of the first current peak to a later peak near 50% decay. The note describes how TEMA3000's "Do advanced measurements" DSO trigger action allows operators to define custom formulae using oscilloscope measurement variables, mapping the first current peak and the fourth peak to the standard Q equation and expressing it directly in TEMA3000 syntax. Step-by-step configuration is covered for three components: the MIL-MG3 generator with MIL3-10K10M plugin and CN-BT6 coupler, the oscilloscope channel and gating settings needed to isolate the correct peaks, and the TEMA3000 Single Test definition including trigger setup and limit bounds of 10 to 20. The resulting Q factor is computed automatically for every impulse and included directly in the test report alongside frequency, amplitude, and oscilloscope screenshots, eliminating manual post-processing and reducing the risk of calculation errors.