standards

In this second installment of a two part article, we continue our review of the recent meeting of IEC-CISPR held in October 2010 in Seattle. In the first part of this article, we have described the current changes affecting the basic standard CISPR 16 and the activities of its experts within CISPR sub-committee (SC) A. We now take a look at the activities of the other CISPR sub-committees responsible for preparing the CISPR product standards. We also describe some of the projects shared by CISPR and IEC TC 77B (High Frequency Phenomena).

Perhaps the most recognized industry standard in North America for surge protectors may be UL 1449, the Standard for Safety for Surge Protective Devices ranging in applications from surge arresters (1000v ac max) to service entrance and distribution panels to plug-in surge strips. The standard was officially adopted as an ANSI standard in May 2010 and a supplement specific to the evaluation of Photovoltaic applications is expected in 2011. However, it is important to keep in mind that UL 1449 is first and foremost a safety standard. For more in-depth information regarding characterization of the surge environment, test methods and the application of these devices, the IEEE C62 standards are the definitive source in North America.