EN 61000-6-1, “Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 6-1: Generic standards – Immunity for residential, commercial and light-industrial environments”, tells you which immunity tests apply at which level to equipment that has no dedicated EMC product standard. It is one of the four “generic standards” of EMC testing; its emission counterpart is EN 61000-6-3.
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What is this standard for?
Not every product has its own EMC standard. A custom control unit, a sensor box or a small-series electronic device may not be covered by a product standard such as EN 55014 or EN 55035. The generic standard fills the gap: it describes the environment the equipment will be used in and gives the list of tests, the levels and the performance criteria for the disturbances expected there.
EN 61000-6-1 covers residential, commercial, public and light-industrial locations; what they have in common is a direct connection to the public low-voltage network. Heavy industrial locations fed from their own transformer, such as factories, use EN 61000-6-2.
EN 61000-6-1 at a glance
| Current edition | EN IEC 61000-6-1:2019 (IEC 61000-6-1:2016); replaces EN 61000-6-1:2007 |
|---|---|
| Official title | Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 6-1: Generic standards – Immunity for residential, commercial and light-industrial environments |
| Type of standard | Generic immunity standard: refers to the basic test standards (EN 61000-4-x) and sets the levels and criteria itself |
| Legislation | EMC Directive 2014/30/EU; where no product standard exists, the presumption of conformity is obtained with this standard |
Which products does it apply to?
All electrical and electronic equipment without a dedicated EMC standard that is used in homes, offices, shops, schools, non-hospital healthcare premises, workshops and small businesses.
- Typical examples: special-purpose control boards, sensor and data acquisition units, building automation modules, measuring instruments outside laboratories, charging units, small-series electronic products.
- Battery-powered equipment and equipment connected to a DC distribution network are also covered; the DC port has its own table.
- Where a product standard has been published, it takes precedence; the generic standard only fills the gap.
Tests per port
- Enclosure port: the housing and the surfaces accessible from outside. Electrostatic discharge (EN 61000-4-2), radiated RF field (EN 61000-4-3) and power-frequency magnetic field (EN 61000-4-8) are applied; the magnetic field test is only for equipment containing parts sensitive to magnetic fields.
- AC power port: the mains input. Burst (EN 61000-4-4), surge (EN 61000-4-5), conducted RF (EN 61000-4-6) and voltage dips and interruptions (EN 61000-4-11) are applied.
- DC power port: inputs connected to a DC distribution network. Conducted RF, surge and burst are applied; DC ports connected to a battery rather than a network are tested as signal ports.
- Signal and control ports: only connections whose cable may exceed 3 m are tested. Conducted RF and burst with the capacitive clamp are applied; surge only on long lines leaving the building.
- Operating condition: the equipment runs in the mode most sensitive to disturbance, with the typical installation defined by the manufacturer.
Test levels
| Phenomenon | Level | Criterion |
|---|---|---|
| Electrostatic discharge | ±4 kV contact · ±8 kV air | B |
| Radiated RF field, 80 MHz – 1 GHz and 1.4 – 6 GHz | 3 V/m, 80 % AM 1 kHz | A |
| Power-frequency magnetic field | 3 A/m, 50/60 Hz | A |
| Burst, AC power | ±1 kV, 5 or 100 kHz | B |
| Surge, AC power | ±2 kV line-earth · ±1 kV line-line | B |
| Conducted RF, 0.15 – 80 MHz | 3 V, 80 % AM 1 kHz | A |
| Voltage dips, AC power | 0 % for half and 1 cycle · 70 % for 25/30 cycles | B · C |
| Interruption, AC power | 0 % for 250/300 cycles | C |
| Signal port: conducted RF · surge · burst | 3 V · ±1 kV line-earth · ±0.5 kV | A · B · B |
The levels are those of the 2016 edition; if the edition cited in the EU list differs, the laboratory states this at the quotation stage.
Performance criteria
- A: the equipment keeps working within its specified limits during the test. Required for continuous phenomena (RF field, conducted RF, magnetic field).
- B: temporary degradation during the test is allowed; the equipment recovers by itself. Required for transient phenomena (ESD, burst, surge, short dips).
- C: loss of function is allowed; recovery with user action. Accepted for long dips and interruptions.
The manufacturer defines in the test plan which functions count as “normal operation”; this definition goes into the report and must not conflict with the Low Voltage Directive safety evaluation.
Place in the CE marking process
- It is checked whether a dedicated EMC product standard exists; if not, EN 61000-6-1 is chosen according to the environment of use.
- The ports of the equipment are listed; the tests and cable lengths for each port are determined.
- The tests are carried out in an accredited laboratory; the report records the test plan, the criteria and the observed behaviour.
- The report goes into the technical file; the EU Declaration of Conformity under the EMC Directive is drawn up and the product is CE marked.
Standards applied together
- EN 61000-6-3: generic emission standard for the same environment
- EN 61000-6-2: generic immunity for industrial environments
- EN 61000-4-2, EN 61000-4-4, EN 61000-4-5: basic test standards for ESD, burst and surge
- EN 61000-4-3, EN 61000-4-6, EN 61000-4-11: basic test standards for RF field, conducted RF and voltage dips
Frequently asked questions
Can the generic standard be used when a product standard exists?
No. Where an EMC standard for the product or product family has been published, that standard applies; the generic standard is only for equipment without a dedicated standard. A product standard may require some tests at lighter or heavier levels than the generic one.
What is the difference between EN 61000-6-1 and EN 61000-6-2?
Both are immunity standards; the difference lies in the environment and the levels. In the industrial environment the RF field is 10 V/m instead of 3 V/m, burst 2 kV instead of 1 kV and the magnetic field 30 A/m instead of 3 A/m. If the equipment will be used in both environments, the heavier 6-2 levels are chosen.
Is every port tested?
Only the ports present on the equipment are tested. Signal ports have an additional condition: if the cable length stated by the manufacturer cannot exceed 3 m, no test is applied to that port. Stating cable lengths clearly in the technical documentation therefore directly affects the scope of testing.
Other standards in this group
- EN 61000-6-3: Generic Emission for Residential and Light-Industrial Environments
- EN 61000-6-4: Generic Emission for Industrial Environments
- EN 61000-6-2: Generic Immunity for Industrial Environments
