Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of Proficiency Testing in EMC Burst Immunity

For the accreditation according ISO/IEC 17025, the participation in the interlaboratory comparisons and proficiency testing is required as long as there exist suitable reference devices and providers. In order to contribute to the developments in this area, we have recently developed a new device, which can be used for the assessment of the test capabilities of laboratories for IEC 61000-4-4 (EFT/Burst Immunity). In this publication, we present the whole project of the proficiency testing for this EMC test standard: From the design of the reference equipment and its capability for identifying erroneous testing, to the interlaboratory comparison realized in Switzerland in 2023, including all the details on the evaluation procedure for the proficiency assessment, the results and the benefits for the community. This paper proves how proficiency testing, as shown in the case of Burst Immunity, can contribute to the quality of EMC testing.