Control of Chaos Statistics for the Generation of Timing Signals with Improved EMC

Increasing attention has recently been focused on efficient means to reduce electromagnetic interference due to timing signals, such as the clock signals widely employed in digital circuits, or the control pulse-trains used in switching power converters. We here focus on the methodologies where electromagnetic compatibility is enhanced by means of signal processing techniques rather than relying on shields and filtered cables and connectors. More specifically, the introduction of a suitably defined modulation in the timing-signal generation process allows to disrupt its periodicity or quasi-periodicity and to spread the signal energy, thus reducing its power density spectrum (PDS) peak and the interference. Here we show that the ability to design chaotic circuits with prescribed statistical features can profitably be exploited to achieve a reduction of at least to 6dB in the peak power spectral density with respect to all other published and patented method.