Calibration and test labs both stand to save time and money when calibrating/verifying chambers, due to an update to CISPR 16-1-4.

CISPR 16-1-4 Amd.1 Ed. 3.1 (2012) has replaced Ed. 2.0 (2007) for radio disturbance and immunity measuring apparatus – antennas and test sites for radiated disturbance measurements.  The publish date was July 11, 2012.

The major addition that this amendment introduces is an alternative site validation method to Normalized Site Attenuation (NSA) called Reference Site Method (RSM). Here is how it works:

1. Perform a site validation using a pair of transmitting/receiving broadband antennas (biconical and log periodic to cover 30MHz-1GHz) at a reference test site – this site represents an ideal test location
2. Using the same pair of antennas, perform a site validation at the chamber that is being verified
3. Compare the site validation readings between the two locations, with deviation not to exceed +/- 4dB

Since the same antennas have consistency between validations, antenna factors and uncertainties do not need to be taken into account.  This is in contrast to the NSA method where the validation measurement of the site is being compared to a setup that does not use the same antenna pairs, so those additional factors need to be accounted for to equate the two different setups.

Otherwise, there were only minor definition updates and edits in this edition.

Background: CISPR is an international special committee on radio interference within the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).  CISPR prepares standards that offer protection of radio reception from interference sources such as the electricity supply system, industrial, scientific and electro-medical RF, broadcasting receivers, and IT equipment (ITE).

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