At first glance, building an electromagnetically shielded room seems to be just another construction project. It is far from that. Shielded rooms involve a unique combination of construction and electronic assembly skills that only a few firms possess. Without some background in this unique technology, purchasers can find themselves with shielded rooms which, while they may have a good appearance, also have many electromagnetic leaks. Finding and fixing those leaks can be a slow and expensive proposition.

OBJECTIVE
The objective of this course is to help participants avoid the most common technical and contractual pitfalls that are involved in the acquisition, use, maintenance, and life-cycle management of electromagnetically shielded rooms. This course will help buyers obtain well designed, long lasting shielded rooms quickly and economically. All participants will gain the knowledge necessary to make rational and intelligent management decisions regarding the design, contracting, construction, testing and maintenance of these unique structures.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND
This course is technical in nature, but no extensive engineering education or experience is required. Those in government or industry whose responsibilities involve the acquisition, installation or management of shielded rooms will find that this course will save them many times its modest cost.

COURSE OUTLINE: Shielded Enclosures

Introduction

• Shielded Rooms: A Unique Combination of Construction Technology and Electronic Assembly Technology.

Why Do You Need a Shielded Room?

• Testing Laboratories
• Protection Against Eavesdropping
• Protection Against HEMP, High Energy RF Guns, etc.
• Hospitals

How Much Shielding Do You Need?

• What Is "Attenuation"?
• What Is a Decibel?
• Electric Fields, Magnetic Fields, and Plane Waves
• Defining Your Requirements
• Margins of Error
• The Price of Overkill
• Controlling Magnetic Fields

Current Shielding Effectiveness Standards: Which One to Pick for Your Application

• Customized (Modified) Standards
• Writing Your Own Standard
• Shielded Enclosure Leak Detection Systems

Selecting The Shielding Technique

• Bolt-Together
• Welded
• Foil
• Conductive Wallpaper
• Conductive Paint
• Conductive Fabrics

Designing the Room

• Necessary Openings
• Complying With Local Building Codes
• Keeping it Simple
• Good and Bad Design Features
  

How to Pick a Contractor

• Overview of the State of the Industry
• Training and Certification Programs
• The Role of the Project Engineer
• The Dun and Bradstreet Rating
• References
• Training & Experience of the Construction Personnel

How To Get a Good Price

• Selecting the Type of Room
• Reducing Your Contractor's Risk
• Controlling Testing Costs
• Advantages and Drawbacks of Used Rooms

Testing the Room: Ensuring that You Obtained What You Require

• Conflicts of Interest
• How to Select a Tester
• When You Test it Yourself
• When the Tester Works for You
• When the Tester Works for the Builder
• Witnessing the Test
• Errors that Shielding Effectiveness Tests Often Overlook

Preventive Maintenance: Preserving the Shielding You Purchased

• Simple Tests that Anyone Can Do
• Maintaining the Doors
• Effects of Temperature Changes
• Effects of Moisture
• Effects of Foods and Fire Sprinklers
• Scheduled Maintenance and Re-Testing

Technological Trends

• Anechoic Chambers
• Shielded Windows
• Shielded Buildings
• Lightweight Rooms
• Shielded Tents (Conductive Fabrics)
• Odd Requirements: The Shielded Fireplace
  

COURSE COORDINATOR AND LECTURER
The Lecturer for this course is the president of TEMPEST INC., and the author of The Shielded Enclosure Handbook: The definitive guide for the buyer, builder, tester and user of electromagnetically shielded rooms. He has a Master of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering, he is a Certified Electromagnetic Compatibility Engineer, and a Certified TEMPEST Professional Level II with more than twenty-five years of technical experience in TEMPEST and Electromagnetic Compatibility. He has served as a buyer, user, manager, provider (prime
contractor) and certification tester of shielded rooms. He has personally tested more than 35 shielded rooms,
ranging in size from 8 ft. x 8 ft. x 8 ft. to a 60 ft. x 40 ft. x 40 ft. high satellite testing chamber.

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PLEASE NOTE THIS COURSE IS NOT AT AFCEA HEADQUARTERS

DIRECTIONS:  please call TEMPEST INC.  703.836.7378  

CLASS HOURS:   8:30 AM – 4:00 PM

DRESS CODE:  Business Casual

MEALS:  No meals are supplied by AFCEA or TEMPEST INC..  For a listing of local restaurants please see restaurants near TEMPEST INC.

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AIRPORT & HOTELS:  Dulles is the closest airport.  Please see  local hotels for information on hotels near the course location.