Electrical equipment for measurement, control and laboratory use – EMC requirements – Part 1: General requirements

EN IEC 61326 specifies requirements for immunity and emissions regarding electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) for electrical equipment, operating from a supply or battery of less than 1000 V a.c. or 1500 V d.c. or from the circuit being measured. Equipment intended for professional, industrial-process, industrial-manufacturing and educational use is covered by this part. It includes equipment and computing devices for:

– Measurement and test

– Control

– Laboratory use

– Accessories intended for use with the above (such as sample handling equipment)

– Intended to be used in industrial and non-industrial locations

It is generally considered that this product standard takes precedence over the corresponding generic EMC standards. The following equipment is covered by this standard:

a) Electrical measurement and test equipment

This is equipment which, by electrical means, measures, indicates or records one or more electrical or non-electrical quantities, also non-measuring equipment such as signal generators, measurement standards, power supplies and transducers.

b) Electrical control equipment

This is equipment which controls one or more output quantities to specific values, with each value determined by manual settings, by local or remote programming, or by one or more input variables. This includes Industrial Process Measurement and Control (IPMC) equipment, which consists of devices such as:

– Process controllers and regulators;

– Programmable controllers;

– Power supply units for equipment and systems (centralized or dedicated);

– Analogue/Digital indicators and recorders;

– Process instrumentation;

– Transducers, positioners, intelligent actuators, etc.

c) Electrical laboratory equipment

This is equipment which measures, indicates monitors or analyses substances, or is used to prepare materials, and includes In Vitro Diagnostic (IVD) equipment. This equipment may also be used in areas other than laboratories, for example self-test IVD equipment may be used in the home.

Equipment within the scope of EN IEC 61326-1 might be operated in different electromagnetic environments; depending on the electromagnetic environment different emission and immunity test requirements are applicable.

This standard considers three types of electromagnetic environments:

– Basic electromagnetic environment

– Industrial electromagnetic environment

– Controlled electromagnetic environment

Corresponding immunity test requirements are described in EN IEC 61326-1, based on the electromagnetic environment deemed to be applicable.

Included in this standard are terms of emission requirements, as equipment shall be classified in Class A or Class B equipment, as per the requirements and procedure of CISPR 11.

Contact D.L.S. today at 847-537-6400 to determine the specific requirements for your device based on its intended use, accessories supplied with the device, and the electromagnetic environment.