A Resource for Information on EMC Standards
The world of EMC standards can be intimidating, to say the least. I learned about standards within days of learning of the existence of EMC--working at NASA meant becoming deeply familiar with MIL-STD-461, among several others. But I really became a “standards geek” when I jumped from aerospace to automotive and saw how we’re all taking the same physics & electrical engineering and writing similiar-yet-importantly-different standards based on the varying realms of application. Since then, my time as Vice President of Standards for the IEEE EMC Society has given me a deeper appreciation for the universe of standards and the processes and people that create them.
On this site, I hope you’ll find answers to questions like: what standards apply to my product? Where can I find them? What are similar standards that I could look at to learn more? What are some of the tips, tricks, and pitfalls associated with certain standards?
I also hope you’ll consider getting involved in standards development. Standards are written by working professionals, and more than most disciplines, EMC lives and dies by standards. It seems like without them, it’s hard to get people (::cough:: managers ::cough::) to take EMC issues seriously. You don’t need to wait until you’re looking back at a 45 year career to get involved--we need people at all career levels, especially people who are seeing how things are playing out on the ground right now. If you see a standard that needs improvement (most standards are revised/renewed every 5-10 years) or an area where no standardization exists but it really should, then please get in touch. I can likely put you in contact with the right people or organizations to see if we can make it happen.
This site is not yet a fully comprehensive list of EMC standards (if such a thing is even possible). I’ll be adding to it regularly as the site grows and as I learn about new developments. If you see anything that should be added or corrected, please email me, standards@emcunited.com. I’ll happily make updates (after double-checking info, of course) and credit whoever brings new information to my attention.
In the meantime, here’s a quick cheat sheet for standards that are key if you’re in certain industries:
Consumer electronics: American
Consumer electronics: European
Automotive: Component level
Automotive: Vehicle level
CISPR 36 (EVs only)
Defense
Aerospace
Medical
Test instrumentation/measurements
TIP:
Always read the appendices! Almost every standard has informative (for context and extra details) and/or normative (additional parts of the standard) appendices or annexes that shed invaluable additional light on the subject matter and the reasoning behind the standard’s choices. If you look at the experience of the cumulative membership of these standards working group committees (the ones that draft the documents), the appendices often contain the knowledge and lessons learned from over a hundred of years of lived experience.
For all the standards articles and information you find on this site, please double-check information before acting on it (a good idea for so many areas of life). My information is only as good as my most recent source, and some of the standards I have been reading may have since gone out of date or been revised. Commentary is based on my own experience and opinions (and if I’ve learned one thing about EMC engineers, it’s that between 3 engineers you’ll probably get at least 5 opinions on a given topic).
Index to other articles on the site: