# An Interview with Henry Ott - Forced FCC Filtering

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2013-10-02
- Length: 1h 31m
- Episode: 165
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-10-02-an-interview-with-henry-ott-forced-fcc-filtering
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/165-an-interview-with-henry-ott-forced-fcc-filtering/

## Summary

Henry Ott, founder of Henry Ott Consultants, discusses his 60-year career in EMC, tracing his path from Bell Labs to independent consulting. He details the evolution of his seminal books, including 'Noise Reduction Techniques' and 'Electromagnetic Compatibility Engineering,' and offers practical advice on shielding, grounding, and pre-compliance testing. Ott emphasizes the importance of understanding return currents, proper filter mounting, and the shift from discrete components to system-level integration in modern electronics design.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-10-02-an-interview-with-henry-ott-forced-fcc-filtering#t=0) Introduction: Henry Ott and Henry Ott Consultants
- [1:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-10-02-an-interview-with-henry-ott-forced-fcc-filtering#t=70) Career History: Bell Labs, Solid State, and the Idea Factory
- [15:48](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-10-02-an-interview-with-henry-ott-forced-fcc-filtering#t=948) Writing the Books: From Handwritten Notes to Electromagnetic Compatibility Engineering
- [30:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-10-02-an-interview-with-henry-ott-forced-fcc-filtering#t=1810) Recommended EMC Library: Ott, Johnson/Graham, and Hall/McCall
- [37:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-10-02-an-interview-with-henry-ott-forced-fcc-filtering#t=2264) Shielding Cans, Resonant Cavities, and Grounding Compromises
- [45:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-10-02-an-interview-with-henry-ott-forced-fcc-filtering#t=2724) Pre-Compliance Testing: Spectrum Analyzers and Common Probes
- [48:54](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-10-02-an-interview-with-henry-ott-forced-fcc-filtering#t=2934) Top 10 EMC Mistakes: Interrupted Return Paths and Pigtails
- [56:57](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-10-02-an-interview-with-henry-ott-forced-fcc-filtering#t=3417) Automotive EMC: EV Motor Drives and Radio Interference
- [1:02:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-10-02-an-interview-with-henry-ott-forced-fcc-filtering#t=3721) Shielded Enclosures and Power Line Filter Implementation
- [1:13:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-10-02-an-interview-with-henry-ott-forced-fcc-filtering#t=4426) IEEE History, Future Innovation, and Simplified Texts

## Topics

- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Certification & compliance](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/certification-and-compliance)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)

## Most relevant to

established companies

## Mentioned

- Henry Ott Consultants (company)
- Bell Labs (company)
- Noise Reduction Techniques, Electronic Systems (product)
- Electromagnetic Compatibility Engineering (product)
- High Speed Digital Design (product)
- High-Speed Digital System Design (product)
- Rigol (company)
- Rigol 815 (product)
- Apple (company)
- SpaceX (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [379: Monstrous Cable Corporation](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2021-07-08-379-monstrous-cable-corporation) (Embedded.fm)
- [398: Clocks Get Into Everything](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2022-01-14-398-clocks-get-into-everything) (Embedded.fm)
- [151: Captain Stochastic](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2016-05-11-151-captain-stochastic) (Embedded.fm)
- [EMI Pitfalls, Tips and Careers with Joost Brilman](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2024-07-25-emi-pitfalls-tips-and-careers-with-joost-brilman) (OnTrack)
- [PCB Grounding Mistakes Your Datasheet Taught You](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2026-09-23-pcb-grounding-mistakes-your-datasheet-taught-you) (OnTrack)

## Citing this page

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