New application standard for IT and AV equipment

In recent decades, information and communication technology (ICT) and audio/video (AV) equipment has technologically advanced in similar directions. For this reason, a new common safety standard has been developed to unite the two earlier standards (IEC 60950-1 and IEC 60065) under a new name: IEC/UL 62368-1.

According to electronic components manufacturer SCHURTER, this is good news for engineering designers who not only have to meet the functional and performance conditions in terms of energy efficiency and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), they must also comply with several safety requirements which can be highly complex. Until 20 December 2020, such legal safety specifications will be ensured by two different standards.

The new safety standard IEC/UL 62368-1 is not a mere summary of the two old standards; it is based on the HBSE (hazard-based safety engineering) principles for the physical protection of equipment users, and it also measures the effectiveness of safety measures. The HBSE principles protect users by identifying potential hazardous energy sources and the mechanisms by which energy can be transmitted to a user. It proposes appropriate means to prevent such transmissions — both in normal operation and under faulty conditions.

Although the new standard is risk based, it does not require a risk analysis such as IEC 60601-1. For device designers, this is an important change in the standard that must be considered for future certification.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/tashatuvango

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