The Role of EMC Standards in Product Quality

This paper provides the reader with a representation of how the most common international EMC standards created by the IEC for commercial electronic equipment are created why it is important to use standards, and how these standards can actually increase the quality of the product. The paper attempts to also provide the reader with a background for the electromagnetic conditions the standards attempt to simulate. It attempts to provide the reader with some reference to what is mandatory, what is optional, and suggested levels for a product based upon the intended operating environment. The paper will mainly reference international standards created by the IEC and CISPR for simplicity. Since National or Local standards may be different, the paper is a good guidance, but not a substitute for the application of Due Diligence. This paper does not include Military or special standards. While the process is somewhat the same for these types of standards, the use environment and limits are significantly different. For these reasons, Military and special standards must be handled differently.