Standards and Regulations
Take the guesswork out of guaranteeing compliance
In force from 2026, an extension to current EMC testing regulations from 150 kHz down to a new lower limit of 9 kHz requires a rethink in the design of thousands of electronic products for industrial and other uses. Schaffner’s Guido Schlegelmilch warns that manufacturers must take action now to ensure they’re fully prepared for this fundamental change in the EMC landscape.
Photography: Adobe D
ebate and deliberation in the world of technical standardisation can continue for years, or even decades. Making a critically important decision
should not be a snap decision, and these protracted timescales exist for a very good reason. Conversations around standards ultimately determine the performance, usability, safety, interoperability and market success of thousands of electronic and electromechanical products that industry, businesses and consumers around the world are dependent on daily. Since the 1990s there’s been
extensive discussion within the European standardisation community around the need
14 December/January 2024
to amend current EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) regulations. These standards specify limits and minimum test levels for electromagnetic emissions, as well as the immunity to interference of electromechanical and electronic products sold on the market. Defined and worded by international or national organisations – either by nominated standardisation organisations or by administrative and regulatory bodies themselves – these standards ultimately reflect the inputs and interests of the companies participating in these committees. So, what’s the issue? From 2026 we will see progressive implementation of new European regulations, determining electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and
Components in Electronics
associated testing requirements for a wide range of industrial products. By their nature, electronic and electromechanical products cause – and may themselves be affected by – conducted electromagnetic emissions. The level and frequency of these emissions can vary over a wide range, and their effects can be detrimental to the performance and safety of other devices in the vicinity. More seriously, the effects can be extremely hazardous in the case of a medical device if it`s in proximity to a source of emissions.
There are a range of measures to minimise the effects of interference. Often this is achieved by incorporating some kind of EMC filtering elements into the circuitry of
a device. Without careful planning at the design stage, however, an unwanted effect of these preventative measures can be to compromise the performance and operability of that device.
Our society is in the middle of a major energy transition, reflected in progressive electrification and a shift to sources of renewable energy to meet tough sustainability targets. As a consequence of this, the population of electronic devices – and potential sources of EM interference – is rising rapidly. To date, European regulations have applied exclusively to EM emissions over a range extending down to a lower limit of 150 kHz. Under the amended legislation, however, this
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