What is this standard about?
Part 1 of the BS EN 61326 series outlines the general requirements behind electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) emissions and immunity requirements for electrical measurement and test equipment.
It specifies requirements for immunity and emissions regarding EMC that are generally applicable to electrical measurement and test equipment, electrical control equipment and electrical laboratory equipment intended for professional, industrial-process, industrial-manufacturing and educational use.
Who is this standard for?
- Manufacturers selling scientific, test and measurement equipment in Europe
- EMC testing and certification bodies
Why should you use this standard?
BS EN 61326-1 defines immunity environments for different locations: Basic, Industrial, Controlled Electromagnetic (EM) and Portable Test and Measurement (in Annex A).
Depending on the electromagnetic environments the equipment is operated in, different emission and immunity test requirements apply.
Instruments and equipment within the scope of this standard may often be geographically widespread and therefore operate under a wide range of environmental conditions. By limiting undesired electromagnetic emissions, users can ensure that no other equipment, installed nearby, is unduly influenced by the equipment under consideration.
Complex electric and electronic systems should require EMC planning in all phases of their design and installation, taking into consideration the electromagnetic environment, any special requirements and the severity of failures.
What’s changed since the last update?
This is a technical revision of the 2006 edition which was withdrawn on 14 August 2015. After this date, the 2013 version must be used to meet the essential requirements of the EMC Directive.
NB: The 2013 version is identical to IEC 61326-1, Ed. 2.0 (2012-07). This version updates the 2006 standard in the following ways:
- For immunity in ‘Basic’ environments, the main changes are:
- 61000-4-2 – The ESD requirement for air discharge is now +/- 8kV, up from +/- 4kV
- 61000-4-8 – A power frequency H-field requirement of 3 A/m for both 50 & 60 Hz has been added. This only applies to “magnetically sensitive equipment.”
- No changes were made to the Emissions section other than referencing the latest version of CISPR 11:2009 & A1:2010.
- For ‘Controlled EM’ environments, the “Measurement I/O” port category was eliminated.
- For ‘Portable Test and Measurement Equipment,’ as in Basic environments, there is a new power frequency H-field requirement of 3 A/m specified in 61000-4-8.
- In addition to performance criteria for the immunity testing, there is a new section 9 with requirements for EMC information in the user manual.
- Performance Criterion C remains essentially the same: User intervention is still allowed to regain product functionality. As long as the function of a product can be recovered by the user and the product is not permanently damaged by testing, it complies with this criterion.