New EMC standard!
The United States Department of Defence has introduced a new EMC standard MIL-STD-461F that supersedes MIL-STD-461E.
MIL-STD-461F includes changes as part of normal progress to update requirements and methods to more closely evaluate products for the changing electromagnetic environment. Changes include:
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Increased step size of all testing above 1GHz which will increase the testing for this range, up to five times faster than under the scope of 461E.
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Conductive emissions, 5µH LISN’s may now be used at the request of the customer or end-customer if the lines tested are of low impedance and draw a particularly high current. To coincide with this, limit lines have been re-drawn too.
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Radiated emissions testing RE101, if the equipment exceeds the limit at the 70mm distance, a requirement has been added to increase the measurement distance until the emission falls within the specified limit and to record the emissions and the measurement distance. RE102 also has a new counterpoise for testing below 30MHz as there were concerns about the accuracy of testing with the active antenna; TRaC has already acquired a new counterpoise for this test.
In the susceptibility testing, the higher step sizes for the 1GHz – 18GHz RS103 test range means that TRaC can typically deduct an entire day’s testing from the programme.
MIL-STD-461F also introduces a new test, CS106, a transient spike coupled onto power lines which is for products for submarines or surface ships. Staying with conducted susceptibility, CS114 has had its lower limits extended down to 4kHz for Submarine power lines, while CS116 has done away with the lower test level of IMAX of 5 Amps altogether.
A number of changes also apply for marine application products, with new limits for CS109, CS115, CS114 and RS101.
