EMC and functional safety key topics
Addressing key topics within the EMC and functional safety sector.
In 2000, the IET published on its Website pioneering guidance on Electromagnetic Compliance (EMC) and Functional Safety. The guidance was created by a volunteer policy advisory group of industry experts.
One of the problems peculiar to all electronic technologies is electromagnetic (EM) interference. All electrical and electronic technologies emit EM disturbances that can interfere with the correct operation of radio-communications or other electronics. Without pre-emptive measures modern electronic technologies are in general more likely to cause such disturbances than those they replace.
All electronic technologies can also suffer from degraded functionality (including complete failure) when exposed to EM disturbances. Without pre-emptive measures modern electronic technologies are in general more likely to be susceptible in this way than those they replace.
The purpose of the guidance was to raise the awareness of EMC-related functional safety among directors, managers, designers, and other professionals.
Having completed its work the volunteer group stood down.
In 2006, the IET established a new advisory group, with the same Chairman and some of the original group experts, to update the guidance incorporating the techniques learnt since compiling the original guidance, and to take in to account international work on functional safety as embodied in IEC61000-1-2.
The new guidance is expected to be published by Q2 2008.