These “forbidden highlighters” can make electronics behave in ways they definitely weren’t designed to. Essentially pocket-sized Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) generators, the handheld burst field generators shown in this video are capable of intentionally disturbing electronic devices by injecting localized electric and magnetic fields directly into circuits.
The generators used are part of the Langer EMV-Technik P1 mini burst generator set. Unlike conventional compliance testing setups, these tools are designed for close-range debugging, making it possible to identify electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) weak points directly at the developer’s workspace.
While they are primarily intended for serious EMC troubleshooting, such as locating susceptibility issues or validating design robustness, they are also powerful enough to trigger resets, glitches, or other unexpected behavior when brought close to sensitive electronics. Not quite strong enough for world domination, but definitely strong enough to reveal hidden vulnerabilities and demonstrate how easily electronic systems can be influenced by localized electromagnetic disturbances.
Sometimes, it is simply hard to resist testing what happens when they are held near random devices in the lab. Pretty cool, right?
#arduino #circuits #diyprojects #electrical #electricalengineering #electronics #engineeringlife #hamradio #makers #physics #sciencefacts #diyelectronics