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  • Welcome to gainspeed Ltd,

    CE Marking Specialists


    A South Wales based Product  Certification and training company, specialising in supporting small to medium enterprises in meeting their CE Marking obligations


  • Specialists in EMC and Low Voltage

    (Safety) Directives


    We specialise in European and Worldwide approvals.

  • Flexible, Professional, and Affordable Service


    We are a small organisation employing only

    highly experienced associates.

Category: EMC Directive

Requirements for placing equipment on the market

List of Harmonised Standards for the new EMC Directive (2014/30/EU) published in the OJ

A list of Harmonised Standards for the new EMC Directive (2014/30/EU) was published in the Official Journal on 13th May 2016.

Compared to the last list published for the old EMC Directive (2004/108/EC) there are:

Some observations

It appears some standards have been removed for two reasons:

  1. They have expired, or
  2.  They will be moved to the Radio Equipment Directive, including..
  • EN 55013:2013 – Sound and television broadcast receivers and associated equipment – Radio disturbance characteristics – Limits and methods of measurement
  • EN 55020:2007 – (and amendments) Sound and television broadcast receivers and associated equipment – Immunity characteristics – Limits and methods of measurement
  • EN 55022:2010 – Information technology equipment – Radio disturbance characteristics – Limits and methods of measurement
  • EN 55032:2012 – Electromagnetic compatibility of multimedia equipment – Emission requirements
  • EN 55103-1:2009 (and amendments) Electromagnetic compatibility – Product family standard for audio, video, audio-visual and entertainment lighting control apparatus for professional use – Part 1: Emissions

We are now in a one year transition for the Radio Equipment Directive.

This means that for Products within OLD/NEW LVD/EMCD that will be within the RED, there is a choice of which Directive(s) to apply when considering products placed on the market and applicable Directive(s)

between 20 April 2016 and 12 June 2016

  • new LVD/EMCD

between 13 June 2016 and 12 June 2017

  • RED or new LVD/EMCD

after 12 June 2017

  • RED

However, there are now no harmonised standards under the new EMC Directive (2014/30/EU) for:

  • Sound and television broadcast receivers and associated equipment

Also there are no harmonised emission standards under the new EMC Directive (2014/30/EU) for:

  • Information technology equipment
  • multimedia equipment
  • Audio, video, audio-visual and entertainment lighting control apparatus for professional use

So its unclear if there is a transition period at this time.

EMC. A beginners guide to EMC testing from Gainspeed

EMC – The black Art, but it doesn’t have to be!

EMC hurdleHere at Gainspeed we get a lot of new customers with little experience in EMC testing and occasionally they fall at the first hurdle, when it comes to testing their products.

So, we prepared a simple guide on what to expect and how to best prepare for testing new products for EMC:

 

Step 1: Initial inquiry

After speaking with us and answering a few basic questions about the EUT (Equipment Under Test) we will help you identify what standards and tests are applicable to your product.

 

Step 2: Pre-Compliance tests

If your product has not been previously assessed for EMC or has been significantly modified since its last assessment, we always recommend a one day (or half a day for simple products) pre-compliance testing. At this stage, we will identify obvious failures and could save you allot of time and money!

 

Step 3 – Compliance Assessment

Assuming all goes well with pre-compliance and if you wish to proceed to Compliance assessment. We can create a test plan for you that will detail which tests are required, including levels and limits. Once the test plan is agreed we can schedule a test date for you or your team to attend the lab and begin the tests. We may not need to repeat tests carried out during the pre-compliance stage if the data can be used for the final report.

 

Now the details:

 

Preparation – Part 1

EMC testing can be destructive and if you have concerns that some of the tests may affect your EUT please contact us beforehand and discuss them with us. Often EMC is an afterthought in the design process and this can make solving problems during testing very time consuming and even costly.

As mentioned above, we highly recommend you request some Pre-EMC investigation testing before booking the full tests. Basically, a quick check of radiated emissions, conducted emissions and ESD (Possibly some transients and surges). This can save a lot of time in the long run as making changes half way through the test plan will mean you may need to retest previous measurements. This is common mistake made by clients that can increase overall test times considerably.

Consider that any changes of significance made to the EUT to fix EMC problems may need to be retested for other tests to confirm it has no detrimental effects.
You also need to consider modes of operation, we can advise you on this, but to test correctly it needs to be operated in the worst case. To identify worst case requires pre-testing, and often still requires tests to be repeated in different operating modes where applicable.
To help you pre-assess your EUT, here is a list of related test areas that need to be considered.

 

ESD (Electro static discharges)

ESD is a simulation of static electricity from humans and other electrical sources. Its often applied at very high voltage (KV) for very short periods to any surface area of your EUT that can be accessed during normal operation. As a precaution, any static sensitive electronics should be isolated and sufficiently protected by either ESD protective components or by adequate housing.
A good guide is to pre-check your EUT for areas that can be susceptible. For example large gaps or vents that have sensitive components close inside.

ESD discharges of significant voltage will jump gaps through the air!

Also, consider metal areas like connectors, what would happen if a large electrical discharge was applied to them? Do they have internal ESD protection? Is the path of least resistance away from the internal circuitry? Are they isolated or connected to the local earth?
Ports like HDMI and USB need protection! The results of ESD will affect communication if not in place!

 

Surges, Transients, Dips and interrupts.

These are generally applied to the mains but can be applied to cables contact us for more information on cables. Large voltages and disruptions are applied to the mains to simulate possible variations on the mains system. These include spikes and interrupts in varying levels and periods you should consider how the EUT will be effected by such an event. Here is a list of events you should consider what happens if the power..

• Drops out for a short period?
• Spikes extremely high for a short period?
• Changes to half or a quarter of the expected voltage?

Ideally the EUT should not be effected at all and the EUT power supply will compensate for the change. But this is not the always the case, be prepared for the unit to reset or turn off completely in such an event. Consider the consequences of such an action.

• Will it be dangerous for example effecting a critical operation?
• Can it corrupt the EUT’s operation?
• Could it damage the unit or PSU?

 

EMI (Electro Magnetic Interference – Emissions)

The EUT must not affect other equipment around it during operation. For example, if the unit is producing a transmission at a particular frequency this frequency and all its harmonics must not interfere with any other equipment that works at the same frequency. There are some exceptions for fundamental frequencies that are needed to perform the product’s operation but any harmonics or noise generated are not allowed. Often it’s difficult to assess for radiated emissions before testing but some good practice is to check the unit has the following.

• Shielded cables for signals
• No unintentional antennas
• Decent shielding around noisy components
• Good ground planes

 

Often datasheets will give good examples of best practice for laying out a circuit and terminating or reducing EMC interference.

 

EMS (Electro Magnetic Susceptibility – Immunity)

Just like emissions the EUT must not be susceptible to interference getting into the EUT. Frequencies of significant levels are applied to the EUT across a wide frequency range to check its performance. You should consider the effects of another frequency at any operational frequencies?

• Will it block or disrupt the communication?
• Could it change the result and corrupt the communication?

Again, it’s often difficult to know for sure, but as above adequate shielding and best practice design should minimise any effects.

 

Preparation – Part 2

Before attending the lab to begin EMC testing consider the following.

• Bring spare units, EMC testing can and does lead to destruction of equipment!
• Spare fuses!
• Tools to service or apply countermeasures!
• The unit tested is going to be your Golden Sample. This means that ideally you want to keep this unit unchanged and stored safely, so that you can retest the unit in the future if any problems arise.
• The EUT should be the final build (Ideally) any significant changes in the future will require retesting!
• Its clear how the unit operates and what modes of operation are to be tested!
• Have you considered all the terminations and auxiliary equipment?

This is just a guide and hopefully will help you understand what to expect. But it’s not intended to be everything as every case is different. That’s why the Gainspeed staff are here to advise and guide you through every step.

Contact us today and good luck!

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in EMC Directive, News |

New Office for Product Safety and Standards in the UK

The government has today (21 January 2018) announced the creation of a new national oversight body tasked with identifying consumer risks and managing responses to large-scale product recalls and repairs.

The new Office for Product Safety and Standards will enable the UK to meet the evolving challenges of product safety by responding to expanding international trade, the growth in online shopping and the increasing rate of product innovation.

Today’s announcement comes as part of the government’s response to the Working Group on Product Recalls and Safety. Established in October 2016 by former Consumer Minister Margot James, the group of product and fire safety experts was brought together to build on the recommendations made by Lynn Faulds Wood in her independent review into consumer product recalls.

In addition to providing support and advice for local authority Trading Standards teams, the office will co-ordinate work across local authorities where action is needed on a national scale and will ensure the UK continues to carry out appropriate border checks on imported products once the UK leaves the European Union.

Business Minister Andrew Griffiths said:

The new Office for Product Safety and Standards will strengthen the UK’s already tough product safety regime and will allow consumers to continue to buy secure in the knowledge there is an effective system in place if products need to be repaired or replaced.

I thank the working group for their efforts to help improve product safety and I look forward to working with them in this new phase.

Neil Gibbins, Chair of the working group, said:

It has been my mission to make the public safe since I joined the fire service nearly 40 years ago. That’s why I’m pleased to see the government respond to our recommendations with concrete steps to ensure the safety of consumers, now and in the future.

The government will continue to work with stakeholders such as consumer groups, manufacturers and retailers to ensure the office coordinates the UK’s product safety regime as effectively as possible.

This will not lessen any of the legal responsibilities that sit with manufacturers, importers and retailers to present safe products to the market, and to take rapid effective action when safety issues arise with their products.

Other actions as part of the government’s response to the working group include:

  • working with the British Standards Institution to provide guidance on product recalls and corrective action
  • conducting research to help manufacturers and retailers develop technological solutions to product marking and identification
  • increasing the reach of Primary Authority to further share business, local authority and Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) expertise to help protect consumers
  • researching consumer behaviour to identify the best way to drive up the number of consumers registering appliances with manufacturers
  • creating an expert panel to bring together trade associations, consumer and enforcement representatives to advise on product safety issues as they arise

Notes for editors

  1. The office will be based in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and will start work immediately.
  2. It will work closely with the BEIS Chief Scientific Advisor, Professor John Loughhead, to ensure it has access to cutting-edge scientific and technical expertise.
  3. The Working Group on Product Recalls and Safety was set up by former Consumer Minister Margot James to provide recommendations to improve the recalls process and the safety of consumer products. The group published its report in July 2017.
  4. The Office for Product Safety and Standards will cover general (non-food) consumer product safety. It will not cover vehicles, medicines and medical devices, or workplace equipment, which are already covered by other agencies. This remit is in line with the current responsibilities of BEIS on product safety.
  5. The remit of the office does not cover construction products, which are currently subject to a separate review being led by Dame Judith Hackitt. The government will carefully consider the recommendations of that review when it concludes.
  6. The Office for Product Safety and Standards will have a budget of around £12 million per year when fully operational.
  7. There are no changes to the roles and responsibilities of local authorities or other market surveillance authorities. The office will provide a number of specialist services centrally to support consistent national enforcement, including aspects of product testing and technical expertise.
  8. Primary Authority enables businesses to form a legal partnership with one local authority, which then provides assured and tailored advice on complying with environmental health, trading standards or fire safety regulations that other local regulators must respect.

Link to original article on gov.co.uk https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-launches-new-office-for-product-safety-and-standards

 

 

EMC on-site testing

NEW SERVICE: On-site EMC testing

When your test unit is a fixed installation and transport to a EMC laboratory is just not possible, we offer a solution.
We can carry out testing and assessments at your premises using hire equipment, helping you to cover the basics of your requirements.

We provide all the equipment and an experienced EMC Engineer.

Together we will identify what can be tested and how best to approach your products requirements.

Need on-site Safety Testing or Risk Assessments? We can do them too!

Contact us today to learn more.

 

EMC on-site testing

 

Posted in EMC Directive, News |