Joe Butler
Associate Editor
Last year the EMCS Board of Directors (BOD) voted to establish the position of Vice President, for Standards. When this change was made the BOD also voted to split the Representative Advisory Committee (RAC) into two entities - the RAC and the Standards Advisory Committee (SAC). The original RAC was a committee which fell organizationally under the Director, now VP, of Technical Services. The RAC was the committte which provided the technical liaisons between the EMCS and many different IEEE and non IEEE entities. The entities consisted of both standards developing committees, e.g., ANSI, SAE, etc. as well as others, e.g., IEEE Committee on Man and Radiation, NARTE, etc. With the establishment of this new office of VP Standards, the original was split into the RAC and SAC with the obvious division of liaisons. Bob Hofmann has recently agreed to chair the SAC, while David Case has agreed to chair the RAC.
Joe Butler
Dan Hoolihan
SAC Representative
The Technical Information Statement (TIS) on “Radio Frequency Interference with Medical Devices” was published in the May/June 1998 issue of the Engineering in Medicine and Biology (EMB) magazine. Another position paper on health effects from cellular phone use is being developed. This position statement will replace a similar paper issued by COMAR in 1992. COMAR is soliciting input, both pro and con, as to the possible biological effects resulting from exposure to electromagnetic radiation at cellular phone frequencies. Input from experts in the field as to the existence of published papers in this area would be appreciated. COMAR will use the Michaelson and Elson article in the second Edition of the CRC Handbook of Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields as a good review of the literature up until 1992.
Other TIS to be reviewed by COMAR include: “Human Exposure to Radio-Frequency Fields from Police Radars” (May 1992); “Human Exposure to Radio-Frequency Fields from Portable and Mobile Telephones and Other Communications Devices” (December 1992); “Human Exposure to RF Emissions from Cellular Radio Base Station Antennas” (May 1992); “The Safety of Electromagnetic Pulse Simulators” (May 1992); and the “Health Aspects of Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields from RF Sealers and Dielectric Heaters” (May 1992).
T. J. (Bill) Ritenour
SAC Representative
There is nothing new to report with respect to general ESD Association activity.
However, a lot of activity that is of interest to EMC practitioners is presently occurring
with respect to a cooperative effort between the ESD Association and ANSI C63.16 in their
efforts to each create a new standard:
The ESD Association is creating a completely new test standard for measuring ESD wave
shapes that eliminates the bandwidth artifacts, and hopefully the unintended near field
test set emissions of the present test method in IEC/EN 61000-4-2.
ANSI is creating an up-to-date ESD test standard to replace the ANSI 1993 Test Guideline (C63.16) that includes all the newly discovered electromagnetic effects revealed during the ESD Association’s test efforts (sub nanosecond rise times, unwanted rise time artifacts, etc.). In addition, the ANSI subcommittee is creating a simpler approach to perform statistically based tests than that offered in the ANSI 1993 Test Guideline (C63.16); as well as incorporating the European Union style approach to product families such as household appliances.
Don Heirman
SAC Representative
Review and contribution to the following topics via IEEE EMCS members of C63 is requested:
C63.18 (On-site Measurement of Medical Device Immunity to transceivers)
C63.17 (Measurement Methods for Unlicensed Personal Communication Services)
C63.14 (EMC Definitions)
C63.5 (Antenna Calibration)
C63 has several active subcommittees that have their own projects in support of maintenance of C63 standards as well as new material to add to new or existing C63 standards. C63 ballots to approve or modify the submission of work by its subcommittees.
At the last meeting in Minneapolis in June, the following activities were reported:
Proposed revision to C63.4 to cover TEM devices and revisions to more closely harmonize with CISPR Pub 22 Measurements above 1 GHz
Revision to C63.13 on EMI filter design
Reaffirmation of C63.12 on limit setting
Work with the military tri-services to cite civilian standards instead of current military standards
Status of submitting CISPR Pubs 11 and 14 as C63 standards
Providing NARTE with certification exam questions on commercial standards
Liaison with ESD Association with C63.16 working group
Don Heirman
SAC Representative
CISPR A met in Frankfurt, Germany, in July, 1998. Major activity included discussion of draft documents on the following topics which will be included in CISPR Pub 16 Parts 1, 2, and 3 all under revision (Part 3 will be a new document comprised of reports and miscellaneous topics).
Accounting for measurement uncertainty when determining compliance with a limit
Antenna calibration
Radiated measurements and limits above 1 GHz
Limits of intermodulation effects
Devices for measuring signal lines
Calibration of insertion loss of artificial mains networks
Amendment of receiver selectivity curve
Use of an artificial mains network as a voltage probe
Emission measurements in the presence of ambient signals
Automated emission measurements
New work on capacitive voltage probes
Amplitude probability distribution measurement equipment
Emission measurements in fully anechoic chambers
Emission measurements using TEM devices
Uniform measurement arrangement for emission and immunity testing
Measurement of EUTs in-situ
Use of stirred mode reverberating chambers
Dan Hoolihan
SAC Representative
I attended a CISPR B Technical Advisory Group Meeting in Washington, DC on May 13, 1998. Highlights of the meeting involved:
Don Heirman
SAC Representative
Both CISPR Pubs 13 and 20 are under total revision.
A new working group has been started to deal with measurements of emissions and immunity from digital TV receivers. Issues to be addressed by the new WG include:
Specification of the wanted TV signal
Performance criteria
Measurement method
Extent of EUT to be included
Analysis of where requirements belong:
CISPR 13 versus CISPR 22 (ITE)
and CISPR 20 versus CISPR 24 (ITE)
Don Heirman
SAC Representative
CISPR G met in Germany in July, 1998
Major activity included discussions of draft documents on the following topics (modifications to CISPR Pubs 22 and 24):
Expansion of scope to include to include ITE with a function of radio transmission and reception
Limits above 1 GHz
User installation testing
Use of ferrite clamps and tubes on a radiation test site
Operating conditions of visual display units
Measurement of telecom port emissions below 30 MHz
Conducted emission measurements for telecom terminal equipment
Generic cable setup for measuring emissions and immunity of local area networks
Erik Borgstrom
SAC Representative
RTCA/DO-160D, Environmental Conditions and Test Procedures for Airborne Equipment was published in August 97. About half of this document deals with EMC requirements.
Since the publication of DO-160D, Special Committee 135 (the committee that writes DO-160) has been meeting to work on the expected and promised Change Notice 1. Change Notice 1 will be a complete revision of Section 20, RF Susceptibility (Radiated and Conducted).
There will be two major changes in Section 20:
Drew Peregrim
SAC Representative
The ASTM D09-12.14 meeting was held on Tuesday, March 24, 1998. Three standards have been moved up the ballot chain: Transfer Impedance test method, Environmental Degradation of RF Joints test method, and the Slot Aperture Radiated test method. These standards will be voted on in the next 6 months, and could be standards by December. (I am crossing my fingers). Modifications to the ASTM Planar Test method are complete, and the revised standard will be sent in for ballot by the next meeting.
The next shielding effectiveness committee meeting will be held between October 19-21, 1998 at the Marriott and Omni Hotels in Norfolk, VA.
Ronald Storrs
SAC Representative
1. Radio Communications EMC Standards
All standards for radio communications equipment in the initial work program attached to EU mandate BC-T-353 are either published or in the ETSI approval process. The following three standards will complete the public inquiry stage shortly:
EN 301 090. EMC standard for Maritime Radiotelephone watch receiver, operating on 2182 kHz. The public inquiry ends 3-13-98.
EN 301 011. EMC standard for narrow band Direct (NBDP), NAVTEX receivers operating on the Maritime mobile service. Public inquiry ends 3-13-98.
EN 300 342-3. EMC standard for GSM 900 MHz and DCS 1800 MHz, Base station radio and ancillary equipment and repeaters meeting phase two GSM requirements. Public inquiry ends 2-27-98.
It is intended to hold a resolution meeting for the above standards in May 1998. It is planned to submit the above three standards to TC ERM at its June 1998 meeting for approval to move forward into the ETSI voting process.
ETS 300 339 (the general EMC standard for radio communications equipment) has started its ETSI vote.
2. Fixed Network Telecommunications EMC Standards
EN 300 386-2 passed the ETSI vote with 100% approval. It is now being forwarded to the EU Commission for publication in the OJ.
2.1 Proposal for the further processing of EN 300 386-2 and ETS 300 386-1.
ETS 300 386-1 will not be offered to the EU Commission as a harmonized standard. A modified ETS 300 386-1 will be developed as a non-regulatory ETS dealing with quality aspects for fixed network equipment.
3. Compatibility requirements for equipment interfacing with cables supporting wideband services.
ETSI is in the process of investigating the problems which are arising from the application of wideband services in copper access networks. There is consensus that standards need to be developed to minimize interference problems due to crosstalk between different broadband services.
Ed Bronaugh
SAC Representative
Work continues on updating the several land vehicle EMC standards. A standard on GTEM applications to Automotive EMC is being readied. The EMI TC is the US Advisory group for ISO TC22 WG 3. Part of its ongoing efforts is the coordination of US and ISO automotive standards.
The EMR TC is the US TAG for CISPR/D. It has ongoing efforts to coordinate US and IEC/CISPR automotive EMC standards.
Because of the cost of maintaining membership in the SAE standards operation and US TAG for CISPR/D, and the fact that the division of Siemens for which I work has no automotive interest, I cannot maintain membership in the committee. I therefore request to be replaced as the Representative of the EMC Standards Committee to the SAE Land Vehicle EMC Standards Technical Committees.