Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Certification
What is Electromagnetic Compatibility?
All electrical devices or installations influence each other when interconnected or in close proximity: for example, interference between televisions, GSM phones, radios, and washing machines, or between electrical appliances and adjacent power lines.
The purpose of Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) is to keep all these side effects under reasonable control. EMC designates the set of techniques and technologies—existing and future—aimed at reducing electromagnetic disturbances and improving the immunity of equipment.
Directive EMCD 2014/30/EU
The Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive (EMCD) 2014/30/EU ensures that electrical and electronic equipment does not generate electromagnetic disturbances and is not affected by them.
Member States shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that equipment is made available on the market and/or put into service only if it complies with the requirements of the Directive when properly installed, maintained, and used for its intended purpose.
The two essential requirements of the Directive are:
- Emission: equipment must not generate electromagnetic disturbances that interfere with other devices.
- Immunity: equipment must have an adequate level of immunity to electromagnetic disturbances present in its intended environment.
Applicable Harmonized Standards
Below are the main harmonized standards applicable under the EMC Directive, divided by category, to be verified during the Risk Analysis phase.
General Standards
- EN 55032 — Electromagnetic compatibility of multimedia equipment – Emission requirements
- EN 55035 — Electromagnetic compatibility of multimedia equipment – Immunity requirements
- EN 61000-3-2 — Limits for harmonic current emissions
- EN 61000-3-3 — Limitation of voltage changes, voltage fluctuations and flicker
Residential, commercial and light-industrial environments
- EN 55014-1 — EMC – Requirements for household appliances, electric tools and similar apparatus – Emission
- EN 55014-2 — EMC – Immunity for household appliances, electric tools and similar apparatus
- EN 55015 — Limits and methods of measurement of radio disturbance characteristics of electrical lighting
Industrial environment
- EN 61000-6-1 — Generic standard – Immunity for residential, commercial and light-industrial environments
- EN 61000-6-2 — Generic standard – Immunity for industrial environments
- EN 61000-6-3 — Generic standard – Emission for residential, commercial and light-industrial environments
- EN 61000-6-4 — Generic standard – Emission for industrial environments
Medical equipment
- EN 60601-1-2 — Medical electrical equipment – EMC requirements
Industrial machinery and plants
- EN 61800-3 — Adjustable speed electrical power drive systems – EMC requirements and specific test methods
- EN 55011 — Industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) equipment – Radio-frequency disturbance characteristics
