Keith G. Richens Cranage EMC & Safety Oakley, Shropshire, UK Introduction Electromagnetic fields (EMF) are universally present in the everyday environment, including workplaces and public areas. Measurements are made to identify and characterise them to ensure that people are not exposed to fields that could potentially cause injury or adversely affect … [Read more...]
Standards
The FCC Dynamic Frequency Selection Test Procedure
David A. Case NCE, NCT On February 3rd 2006, after three years of work the US ITAC-R group addressing the development of the proposed US DFS test procedure to be used to certify products under FCC Part 15 was completed. This test procedure is milestone in verifying the sharing of the 5GHz band with Radiolocation systems. The work group consisted of Industry experts as well as … [Read more...]
Accuracy of Flickermeters – Round Robin Results
Have the new standards improved measurement accuracy? Ken Hall Hewlett Packard, Roseville, CA, USA This article presents the results of an inter-laboratory comparison of a flicker measurement system. In the process of evaluating replacement equipment that met the new international requirements of IEC 61000-3-2,1 harmonics, and IEC 61000-3-3,2 voltage fluctuations commonly … [Read more...]
Options for North American Product Compliance
Jack Black D.L.S. Electronic Systems, Inc. Wheeling, IL Manufacturers and distributors of electronic and electrical devices are required to meet various product safety and EMC standards established by the United States and Canada. They may be asked to show proof of compliance for these products by residential and workplace end-users. Today, there are multiple options for … [Read more...]
Initial Evaluation of Proposed >1-GHz Site Validation Standards
All methods for validating a test site must provide the same unambiguous result indicating that the site meets or does not meet requirements. Ken Hall Hewlett Packard, Roseville, Calif., USA Site validation above 1 GHz has traditionally been done by extending the ANSI C63.4 Normalized Site Attenuation (NSA) requirements to the upper frequency a customer might request for … [Read more...]
Developments in Lightning Testing Standards for Aircraft Avionics
Test standards are running behind the fast pace of technological change. Nicholas Wright EMC-Partner, Laufen, Switzerland INTRODUCTION Escalating costs and increasing complexity in modern aircraft has ensured that aircraft design and assembly is now a global phenomena. Today, subsystems can be designed, manufactured, and tested at any location around the world, then … [Read more...]
ISO/IEC 17025: General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories – A Comparison of the First and Second Editions
Use of the new international laboratory standard should assure greater consistency between laboratories, testing and calibration. Daniel D. Hoolihan Hoolihan EMC Consulting, Lindstrom, MN, USA The First Edition of ISO/IEC 17025 was released in 1999 and the Second Edition was released in 2005. Both editions of 17025 rely heavily on an earlier version of a similar international … [Read more...]
ISO/IEC 17025: General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories—a comparison of the First and Second editions
Use of the new international laboratory standard should assure greater consistency between laboratories, testing and calibration DANIEL D. HOOLIHAN THE FIRST EDITION of ISO/IEC 17025 was released in 1999 and the Second Edition was released in 2005. Both editions of 17025 rely heavily on an earlier version of a similar international document; ISO/IEC Guide 25:1990 – General … [Read more...]
The New EU Automotive EMC Directive
The essential information about which tests apply to automotive product types is now contained within the one directive. Martin O’Hara, Trafficmaster, Cranfield, Beds, UK INTRODUCTION This article discusses the changes implemented in the new European Automotive EMC directive 2004/104/EC1. The new directive, released in November 2004, effectively replaces the existing … [Read more...]
First Amendment to the International Standard for EMC on Medical Devices
Amendment 1 to IEC 60601-1-2 is worth a careful reading by anyone involved in the design, manufacturing and/or testing of electrical medical equipment. Daniel D. Hoolihan Hoolihan EMC Consulting, Lindstrom, MN In September of 2004, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) released Amendment 1 to the Second Edition of IEC 60601-1-2. This Amendment was prepared by … [Read more...]
