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MIL-STD-461 EMC Testing FAQs for Military and Marketing Requirements
MIL-STD-461 is the standard that defines the test limits, test levels, and test procedure for various electromagnetic phenomena for electronic equipment used by the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force on all platforms (ground, sea, and air). MIL-STD-461F is the latest version. Following are answers to common questions about this often-utilized military EMC standard. Where... Read More
IEC 60601-1 3rd Edition for Medical Electrical Equipment Continues to Gain Adoption in Global Markets
The 3rd edition of IEC 60601, issued in 2005, is in various states of adoption by regulatory bodies around the world. IEC 60601-1 is the harmonized standard for medical electrical equipment recognized by public health authorities in most countries. Unlike 2nd edition, the 3rd edition requires a risk management file and process conforming to ISO... Read More
EMI/EMC Testing Best Practices – Before & During Your Lab Visit
Most electrical/electronic designs today are subject to electromagnetic interference/electromagnetic compatibility (EMI/EMC) testing. Preparation before entering the test laboratory is vital. Before Testing The first step is to write a test plan. If you are working in the defense industry, a military test plan is usually a contract requirement. If not, you’ll still want one. If... Read More
OSHA Close to Authorizing NRTL Certification to ANSI/AAMI ES60601-1 for Medical Equipment
After a long wait, medical electrical equipment manufacturers are looking forward to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration’s (OSHA) expected near-term recognition of one or more labs – including MET Labs – for product safety certifying medical devices to ANSI/AAMI ES60601-1:2005/(R)2012 under the U.S. Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) Program. In March 2014, OSHA announced... Read More
FCC Part 15 DFS Testing Requirements Change for U-NII Devices
To accommodate changes in the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) Docket 13-49, the Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) test procedure document KDB 905462 D02 UNII DFS Compliance Procedures New Rules has been issued. The document describes the compliance measurement procedures for performing DFS tests under FCC Part 15 Subpart E Rules required for U-NII (Unlicensed –National Information... Read More
ENERGY STAR Certification of Set-Top Boxes Now to Version 4.1
As of August 1, 2014, EPA ENERGY STAR Certification Bodies – including MET Labs – are only certifying set-top boxes (STBs) and cable boxes to the new Version 4.1 specification. No new certifications to Version 3.0 are allowable, although existing Version 3.0 certifications will remain valid for the purposes of ENERGY STAR qualification until December... Read More
FCC Issues Guidance on New E-Labeling
On July 11, 2014, the FCC’s Office of Engineering & Technology (OET) released new guidance giving some consumer electronics manufacturers more flexibility in digitally labeling (e-labeling) their products. The guidance advises that all devices with an integral (non-removable) screen can now display that label digitally on that screen, and up to three steps deep into... Read More
Some Electronic Devices Are Exempt from FCC EMC Testing
Most electronic devices destined for sale in the U.S. fall under Part 15 (CFR 47) of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules for limits to the unintentional and intentional emission of radiation. However, there are some exemptions that you may be able to take advantage of, depending on the nature of your product. You can... Read More
MIL-STD-810G Change Notice 1 Incorporates Many Climatic & Dynamic Updates
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) recently issued Change Notice 1 to MIL-STD-810G, Environmental Engineering Considerations and Laboratory Tests. This change notice incorporates more changes – climatic and dynamic – than any previous revision of -810. A PDF of Notice 1 is available here. It’s a bulging 1,058 pages, over 280 pages more than the... Read More
European Commission Considering eCompliance System
The European Commission is contemplating developing an “eCompliance System” and has published a “Preliminary Reflections on eCompliance” paper on how it would work. Following is a summary of this report that was distributed at the May 2014 meeting of the Group of Notified Bodies under the EMC Directive (EUANB) in Amsterdam. As products become more... Read More
