How does an E-bomb couple energy into its target?
Low frequency or broadband E-bombs will produce `spikes’ or electrical surges in electrical grid wiring and telephone or communications wiring. These propagate until they encounter an attached piece of equipment like a computer, which is exposed to an electrical overload and damaged. Microwave or HPM E-bombs produce electrical standing waves in electrical grid wiring and telephone or communications wiring – the microwave energy then couples into the target device via the cable connector and may cause internal damage. This is termed `backdoor coupling’. Another way in which microwave weapons can effect `backdoor coupling’ is via cooling and ventilation grilles, which might act as a `slot antenna’ permitting energy to penetrate into an otherwise shielded case. Radio frequency equipment can also be damaged via `frontdoor coupling’ effects where the microwave energy penetrates through the victim equipment’s antenna.
