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Standard Overview Products Used in Testing Related Compliance Standards

Standard Overview

Pulsed Magnetic Field Background

According to IEC 61000-4-9, pulse magnetic fields are generated by lightning strikes on buildings and metal structures including aerial masts, earth conductors and earth networks and by initial fault transients in low voltage, medium voltage, and high voltage systems. This test is mainly applicable to products to be installed in electrical power plants (e.g. telecontrol centers close to switchgear). It is not relevant for distribution network equipment. The test is performed by applying 6.4/16 µs magnetic field pulses of defined strength to the equipment to be tested.

Electronic products in accordance with IEC 61000-4-9 are tested for immunity pulsed magnetic fields to ensure their continued reliable operation when placed in service in a very harsh environment. Although most electrical and electronic products will not have to be tested for pulse magnetic field immunity, the European Union’s EMC Directive may mandate this testing as a condition for obtaining the CE mark under special circumstances and for specific products before shipping to a member state of the European Union.
 

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Applicable Standards

Although not currently required by generic immunity, product-specific, or product family standards, future standards may require pulse magnetic field tests be performed in accordance with Basic EMC Standards: IEC 61000-4-9 and EN 61000-4-9. Thermo KeyTek's application note, "EMC Standards Overview," provides an overview of European Standards for electromagnetic compatibility, describes how the Standards relate to one another, and lists sources for procuring copyrighted documents. IEC 61000-4-9 and EN 61000-4-9 are virtually identical standards.
 

Basic EMC Standard

The Basic EMC Standard for pulsed magnetic field defines methods of generating consistently reproducible current impulses for test purposes. Field amplitudes required by these standards range from 100 - 1000 Amps per meter. Although applicable only to apparatus containing devices susceptible to magnetic fields, testing may be required to make that determination.
 

Test Levels

Installation Environment IEC 61000-4-9 Level Field Strength A/m
An environment where sensitive devices using electron beams can be used 1 N/A
Residential, office and hospital areas far away from earth conductors of lightning protection systems 2 N/A
Commercial areas, control building, a field of industrial plants with lightning protection system or metallic structures nearby 3 100
Heavy industrial and power plants and H.V. substation control rooms 4 300
Switchyard areas of heavy industrial plants 5 1000
Higher or lower environmental levels than those described above X X
Generator Antenna
Advanced Test Equipment Rentals provides a variety of equipment for performing electromagnetic compatibility tests. Check out all of the EMC test equipment we carry for rent or read more about EMC testing.
 

Related IEC Standards

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IEC 62233: Electromagnetic Fields of Household Appliances and Similar Apparatus with Regard to Human
IEC 62233 describes measurement methods for determining electric field strength and magnetic flux density for household and other electrical appliances. The standard covers electromagnetic fields from 0 to 300 GHz.  Along with test methods, IEC 62233 describes ideal testing conditions as well as recommended measuring distances and positioning. Methods specified in this standard are valid over a frequency range of 10 Hz to 400 kHz; frequencies below 10 Hz and above 400 kHz are regarded as complaint without testing, unless called out in IEC 60335.   IEC 62233:2005 is the latest version of the standard.     Applies To: Household Electrical Appliances Electric Tools Electric Toys Does Not Apply To: Heavy Industrial Apparatus Vehicle-Specific Apparatus Cables, Fuses, Switches, Circuit Breakers Medical Appliances Personal Computers TV, Radio, Audio, Video Equipment Electronic Musical Instruments Radio Transmitters Differences Between IEC and EN Versions EN 62233 is the European standard for household appliances and is nearly identical to IEC 62233. The few differences between the two standards can be found in the exposure limit values listed in Annex B of both standards. EN 62233 limit values are identical to ICNIRP limit values, whereas its IEC counterpart offers both IEEE and ICNIRP values.   Choosing a Test Method When testing to IEC 62233, choosing the correct test method is essential to ensure your setup is right for the appliance being tested. Your device may require a time domain evaluation, a line spectrum evaluation or alternative test methods depending on its specifications. The following diagram will help you to choose how you test:   Time Domain Evaluation Regardless of the signal type, testers can perform time domain measurements of the value of the magnetic flux density. A transfer function "a" can be implemented to take into account the dependency on the frequency
IEC 60050-444 International Electrotechnical Vocabulary Part 444: Elementary Relays
In the past, IEC 60050-446 (Part 446 of the IEV) listed the terminology for all types of electrical relays. In order to improve the precision of terms and definitions as well as the general visibility of relay terminology, it had been decided to split that part of the IEV into three separate parts optimised for the specific relay types covered.   Therefore, this part of IEC 60050 gives terms and definitions for elementary relays (nonspecified time all-or-nothing relays) superseding the terminology of IEC 60050-446 for such relays. The terminology for time relays is contained in IEC 60050-445 established in parallel with this part. A new part for measuring relays and protection equipment (IEC 60050-447) is also under preparation. When all these three parts are published, IEC 60050-446 shall be withdrawn from the IEV.   IEC 60050-444 Specifications:   The first edition of IEC 60050-444 was published in 1973. It includes physical and electrical specifications for a PI that approximates the purely resistive equivalent circuit of Figure 1 (the capacitance Cp is ignored). The construction technique described uses disk and rod type resistors. Two trimmers per Figure 2 are recommended for adjusting the phase response that is introduced by the network (which is largest when the network is short circuited) to be flat within +/-0.5 degrees over a frequency range of 1 to 125MHz. The PI is used to measure Zero-Phase frequency and resistance of crystals.   The second edition of IEC 60050-444 was split into several parts, each referring to different aspects of crystal measurement. Only Part 1 addresses the electrical specifications of the PI, while the remaining parts cover application and adaptation of the PI to various crystal measurements (see Reference 1). Part 1 of the second edition was published in 1980. One major difference compared to the original specifications is an extended frequency range to 200 MHz. The rod and disk construction and the
IEC 60255: Electrical Relays
IEC 60255 specifies common requirements and rules applicable to measuring relays and protection equipment. This includes any combination of devices to form schemes for power system protection such as control, monitoring and process interface equipment in order to obtain uniformity of requirements and tests. The IEC 60255 specifies measuring relays and protection equipment used for protection within the power system environment covered by this standard. Other standards in this series may define their own requirements which in such cases shall take precedence. For special applications (marine, aerospace, explosive atmospheres, computers, etc.), the general requirements within this standard may need to be enhanced by additional special requirements. The requirements are applicable only to relays in new condition. All tests in this standard are considered type tests, unless otherwise declared. The object of IEC 60255 is to specify limits and test methods, for measuring relays and protection equipment, taking into account cominbations of devices to form schemes for power system protection including the control, monitoring, communication, and process interface equipment within those systems. This standard specifies the requirements for electromagnetic compatibility for measuring relays and protection equiment. The requirements are applicable to measuring relays and protection equipment in a new condition and all tests specified are type tests only. This IRC 60255 standard is retrieved from IEC 10-31-2013. 
IEC 60270: Partial Discharge Measurements
IEC 60270 – partial discharge measurements (previously high voltage test techniques) – is applicable to the measurement of partial discharge which occurs in electrical apparatus, systems, and components when tested with DC voltage or AC voltage up to 400 Hz. Related Standards: IEC 60060-1, High-voltage test techniques – Part 1: General definitions and test requirements IEC 60060-2, High-voltage test techniques – Part 2: Measuring Systems CISPR 16-1:1993, Specification for radio disturbance and immunity measuring apparatus and methods – Part 1: Radio disturbance and immunity measuring apparatus Introduction to Partial Discharge Testing Partial discharge is a major factor in insulation failure and the failure of electrical equipment like power transformers, HV cables, switchgear, motors and generators. PD measurement allowsoperators to perform effective and reliable insulation testing of these high voltage devices in applications like factory acceptance testing, on-site commissioning and routine electrical maintenance. PD analysis techniques must adhere to IEC 60270, the international standard for the measurement of electrical discharges in insulation. Partial discharge testing, or PD testing, detects the presence of partial discharges in high voltage equipment. A partial discharge (PD) is a small spark within electrical insulation caused by insulation breakdown. PDs occur when an electrical insulation system experiences HV stress; a dielectric breakdown of a small portion of the insulation generates electrical discharges, which bridge the gap between two conducting electrodes. These dielectric breakdowns manifest across the surface of insulation material, in pockets found in solid insulation, within gas bubbles in liquid forms of insulation and proximal to electrodes in gases. As aging HV equipment continues to operate at high levels all around us, PD testing is more critical than ever to diagnose insulation