EMC standards define how electrical and electronic products are tested for electromagnetic compatibility. They help manufacturers, laboratories and compliance teams understand which emissions and immunity tests may apply to a product, and what equipment is typically used to carry them out.
This guide summarises commonly referenced IEC, EN, CISPR and related EMC standards used across electrostatic discharge, radiated immunity, conducted immunity, emissions, harmonic current, flicker, industrial, automotive, avionics and military equipment testing. Each entry notes the typical test equipment involved and links to relevant products available from NTD Shielding.
Use the sections below as a practical reference. For full compliance decisions, always refer to the current published standard and any product-specific or market-specific requirements. If you need guidance on selecting equipment for a specific standard, contact our team.
IEC 61000-4 — Conducted and Radiated Immunity
The IEC 61000-4 series covers immunity test methods for electrical and electronic equipment. Each part addresses a different type of electromagnetic disturbance. EN equivalents of these standards carry the same technical requirements and are used for product compliance within the European market.
IEC 61000-4-2 / EN 61000-4-2 — Electrostatic Discharge Immunity
IEC 61000-4-2 defines immunity test methods for electrical and electronic equipment subjected to electrostatic discharge. It covers direct discharges to the equipment under test and indirect discharges to nearby objects or coupling planes. Contact and air discharge methods are both specified.
The standard is relevant to virtually all electronic products and is a core test within the CE marking process for most product categories.
Typical equipment: ESD simulators, contact and air discharge tips, ground reference planes, coupling planes, horizontal and vertical coupling planes, and ESD test tables.
IEC 61000-4-3 — Radiated RF Electromagnetic Field Immunity
IEC 61000-4-3 covers immunity testing for equipment exposed to radiated radio-frequency electromagnetic fields. It evaluates how a product behaves when subjected to RF fields from transmitters and other electromagnetic sources across the frequency range 80 MHz to 1 GHz, and in some applications up to 6 GHz and beyond.
Testing is carried out in a shielded chamber or controlled test environment using RF signal generation, amplification, calibrated antennas and field monitoring equipment.
Typical equipment: RF amplifiers, broadband antennas, signal generators, field uniformity probes, immunity test chambers and EMC test software.
IEC 61000-4-4 — Electrical Fast Transient / Burst Immunity
IEC 61000-4-4 relates to repetitive electrical fast transients, commonly referred to as EFT or burst testing. These disturbances can occur on power, signal, control and earth connections as a result of switching of inductive loads, relay contact bounce and high-voltage switches.
The test evaluates whether equipment continues to operate as required when exposed to high-frequency burst disturbances.
Typical equipment: EFT/burst generators, coupling and decoupling networks, capacitive coupling clamps and test accessories.
IEC 61000-4-5 — Surge Immunity
IEC 61000-4-5 covers surge immunity testing for equipment connected to power and signal lines. It assesses performance when equipment is exposed to high-energy transient events such as switching disturbances and indirect lightning effects.
Surge testing is particularly relevant for products connected to mains power, long cable runs or external infrastructure such as telecommunications or data lines.
Typical equipment: Surge generators, coupling and decoupling networks, combination wave generators and line coupling accessories.
IEC 61000-4-6 — Conducted RF Immunity
IEC 61000-4-6 covers immunity to conducted disturbances induced by radio-frequency fields. It is applied across the 150 kHz to 80 MHz frequency range and introduces RF disturbance directly onto the cables and wiring of the equipment under test.
The test evaluates whether equipment continues to function correctly when exposed to conducted RF energy on its supply and signal connections.
Typical equipment: RF amplifiers, signal generators, coupling and decoupling networks (CDNs), EM clamps, current injection probes, attenuators and monitoring equipment.
IEC 61000-4-8 — Power Frequency Magnetic Field Immunity
IEC 61000-4-8 covers immunity testing for equipment exposed to power frequency magnetic fields. It is used to evaluate performance in environments where strong magnetic fields may be present, such as near transformers, busbars or high-current conductors.
The test is typically conducted at 50 Hz or 60 Hz using induction coils that generate a uniform magnetic field around the equipment under test.
Typical equipment: Power frequency magnetic field generators, induction coils, field measurement equipment and immunity test systems.
IEC 61000-4-9 — Pulse Magnetic Field Immunity
IEC 61000-4-9 covers immunity testing for equipment subjected to pulse magnetic fields. These fields can arise from lightning discharge currents and similar high-energy transient events in the vicinity of the equipment.
Typical equipment: Pulse magnetic field generators, induction coils and multifunctional immunity test systems.
IEC 61000-4-11 — Voltage Dips, Short Interruptions and Voltage Variations
IEC 61000-4-11 covers immunity testing for equipment connected to low-voltage power supply networks when subjected to voltage dips, short interruptions and voltage variations. These phenomena arise from faults in the network or heavy load switching.
The test evaluates whether equipment maintains its required performance class when the supply voltage dips or is briefly interrupted.
Typical equipment: Voltage dip and interruption generators, AC power sources, coupling networks and multifunctional immunity test systems.
IEC 61000-4-12 — Ring Wave Immunity
IEC 61000-4-12 covers ring wave immunity testing, which simulates the oscillatory transients that occur on low-voltage supply, signal and control lines in industrial and heavy commercial environments. These transients result from switching of capacitor banks and similar events in medium- and high-voltage networks.
Typical equipment: Ring wave generators, coupling and decoupling networks and multifunctional immunity test systems. Note that ring wave coverage varies between test systems — the 3C Test CCS500, CCS600 and CCS800 cover this test; the CCS1000 does not.
IEC 61000-4-16 — Conducted Immunity (Common Mode, DC to 150 kHz)
IEC 61000-4-16 covers immunity to conducted, common-mode disturbances in the frequency range 0 Hz to 150 kHz. It is applied to equipment connected to power supply ports where common-mode disturbances may be induced.
Typical equipment: Low-frequency conducted immunity test systems, coupling networks and signal generation equipment.
IEC 61000-4-18 — Damped Oscillatory Wave Immunity
IEC 61000-4-18 covers immunity testing using damped oscillatory waves. This test simulates disturbances that arise in high-voltage substations and switchgear installations, and is relevant to equipment used in power system environments.
Typical equipment: Damped oscillatory wave generators, coupling networks and specialist immunity test systems.
IEC 61000-4-29 — Voltage Dips and Interruptions on DC Ports
IEC 61000-4-29 covers immunity to voltage dips, short interruptions and voltage variations on DC input power ports. It is relevant to equipment powered from DC supplies, including battery-backed systems, industrial DC networks and vehicle-powered equipment.
Typical equipment: DC voltage dip and interruption generators, DC power sources and multifunctional immunity test systems.
IEC 61000-6 — Generic EMC Standards
The IEC 61000-6 series provides generic immunity and emissions requirements for equipment where no more specific product or product-family EMC standard applies. The applicable standard depends on the environment in which the equipment will be used.
IEC 61000-6-1 / EN 61000-6-1 — Generic Immunity, Residential and Light Industrial
IEC 61000-6-1 and EN 61000-6-1 specify generic immunity requirements for equipment intended for use in residential, commercial, public and light-industrial environments. They reference test methods and severity levels from the IEC 61000-4 series and are used when no product-specific standard applies.
Typical equipment: ESD simulators, EFT/burst generators, surge generators, RF immunity systems, conducted RF immunity systems, CDNs and emissions measurement equipment.
IEC 61000-6-2 / EN 61000-6-2 — Generic Immunity, Industrial Environments
IEC 61000-6-2 and EN 61000-6-2 specify generic immunity requirements for electrical and electronic equipment intended for industrial environments. They generally require higher severity levels than the residential equivalents, reflecting the more demanding electromagnetic environment of industrial installations.
Typical equipment: ESD simulators, EFT/burst generators, surge generators, conducted RF immunity systems, RF amplifiers, antennas and shielded test chambers.
IEC 61000-6-3 / EN 61000-6-3 — Generic Emissions, Residential and Light Industrial
IEC 61000-6-3 and EN 61000-6-3 specify generic emissions limits for equipment used in residential, commercial and light-industrial environments. They cover both radiated and conducted emissions.
Typical equipment: EMI receivers, LISNs, broadband antennas, preamplifiers, shielded test chambers and emissions measurement software.
IEC 61000-6-4 / EN 61000-6-4 — Generic Emissions, Industrial Environments
IEC 61000-6-4 and EN 61000-6-4 specify generic emissions limits for equipment used in industrial environments. As with the immunity counterparts, the emissions limits and test conditions reflect the different electromagnetic environment of industrial installations.
Typical equipment: EMI receivers, LISNs, broadband antennas, shielded test chambers and emissions measurement software.
Product and Sector Standards
These standards apply to specific product categories or industry sectors. Where a product-specific standard exists, it takes precedence over the generic IEC 61000-6 series standards above.
IEC 61326 / IEC 61326-1 / EN 61326 — Measurement, Control and Laboratory Equipment
IEC 61326 and IEC 61326-1 cover EMC requirements for electrical equipment used in measurement, control and laboratory applications. This standard family is widely relevant to test instruments, analytical equipment, industrial measurement systems and process control equipment.
Typical equipment: EMI receivers, ESD simulators, RF immunity systems, conducted immunity systems, surge and burst generators, and EMC test chambers.
CISPR 16-1-1 — Radio Disturbance Measuring Apparatus
CISPR 16-1-1 specifies characteristics and performance requirements for radio disturbance measuring equipment. It defines the bandwidth, detector types, measurement performance and calibration requirements for EMI receivers and spectrum analysers used in emissions measurements.
This standard is the reference document for any EMI receiver used in formal compliance testing. Test equipment must conform to CISPR 16-1-1 for measurements to be considered valid under most product standards.
Typical equipment: EMI test receivers, spectrum analysers with CISPR detectors, preselectors, LISNs, calibrated antennas and measurement software.
CISPR 11 / EN 55011 — Industrial, Scientific and Medical Equipment Emissions
CISPR 11 and EN 55011 cover radio-frequency disturbance characteristics for industrial, scientific and medical equipment. They define conducted and radiated emissions limits and are commonly used for compliance testing of ISM equipment.
Typical equipment: EMI receivers, LISNs, broadband antennas, preamplifiers, shielded test chambers and emissions measurement software.
CISPR 32 / EN 55032 — Multimedia Equipment Emissions
CISPR 32 and EN 55032 define emissions limits for multimedia equipment. They replaced EN 55022 and are now the applicable emissions standard for information technology equipment, audio/video equipment and similar multimedia products intended for the European market.
Typical equipment: EMI receivers, LISNs, broadband antennas, shielded test chambers and emissions measurement software.
CISPR 35 / EN 55035 — Multimedia Equipment Immunity
CISPR 35 and EN 55035 specify immunity requirements for multimedia equipment. They replaced EN 55024 and cover immunity to electrostatic discharge, radiated RF fields, electrical fast transients, surges and conducted RF disturbances for information technology and multimedia products.
Typical equipment: ESD simulators, RF immunity systems, EFT/burst generators, surge generators and conducted RF immunity systems.
IEC 61000-3-2 / EN 61000-3-2 — Harmonic Current Emissions
IEC 61000-3-2 and EN 61000-3-2 define limits for harmonic current emissions from equipment connected to public low-voltage supply systems. The standard applies to electrical and electronic equipment with rated input current up to and including 16 A per phase.
Typical equipment: Harmonics and flicker analysers, AC power sources, reference impedance networks and compliance test systems.
IEC 61000-3-3 / EN 61000-3-3 — Voltage Fluctuations and Flicker
IEC 61000-3-3 and EN 61000-3-3 cover the limitation of voltage changes, voltage fluctuations and flicker in public low-voltage supply systems. It applies to equipment with rated current up to and including 16 A per phase that is not subject to conditional connection.
Typical equipment: Flickermeters, power analysers, AC sources, impedance networks and automated compliance test systems.
IEC 60601-1-2 — Medical Electrical Equipment EMC
IEC 60601-1-2 is the collateral standard covering electromagnetic disturbances for medical electrical equipment and medical electrical systems. It defines emissions and immunity requirements for equipment intended for use in healthcare environments, where electromagnetic interference could affect patient safety.
Typical equipment: EMI receivers, ESD simulators, RF immunity systems, conducted immunity systems, surge and burst generators, and shielded test chambers.
EN 50121 — Railway Applications EMC
EN 50121 is a multi-part standard covering electromagnetic compatibility for railway applications. It addresses both emissions from railway systems and the immunity of equipment installed in railway environments, where high levels of conducted and radiated disturbance are present.
Typical equipment: EMI receivers, RF immunity systems, surge generators, conducted immunity systems and specialised railway EMC test equipment.
IEC 61850-3 — Communication Networks in Power Utility Automation
IEC 61850-3 defines general requirements for communication networks and systems used in power utility automation, including EMC requirements for equipment operating in substation environments. These are demanding environments with significant levels of conducted transients and magnetic fields.
Typical equipment: Surge generators, ring wave generators, EFT/burst generators, conducted RF immunity systems and power frequency magnetic field generators.
ESD Standards
These standards cover electrostatic discharge test methods, simulation and ESD control requirements. Some are product immunity standards; others address ESD handling procedures and environmental control for sensitive components and assemblies.
IEC 61340-3-1 — Electrostatic Discharge Test Methods
IEC 61340-3-1 covers methods for simulating electrostatic discharge events for test purposes. It defines waveform parameters, discharge networks and verification methods used to characterise ESD test equipment and validate test setups.
Typical equipment: ESD simulators, verification targets, discharge networks and ESD test accessories.
ISO 10605 — ESD Test Methods for Road Vehicles
ISO 10605 specifies ESD test methods applicable to road vehicles and to electrical and electronic modules and components for vehicle use. It covers both component-level and vehicle-level ESD testing, with discharge networks that reflect the higher capacitances and resistances associated with automotive testing.
Typical equipment: Automotive ESD simulators with ISO 10605 discharge networks, contact and air discharge accessories, and coupling planes.
ISO 14304 — ESD Sensitivity, Human Body Model
ISO 14304 covers ESD sensitivity testing using the Human Body Model for electronic components. It is referenced in component-level ESD testing and classification contexts, and appears in some product literature where component-level ESD sensitivity ratings are specified.
Typical equipment: Component-level ESD test systems, HBM discharge networks and ESD test accessories.
ANSI/ESD STM5.1 — ESD Sensitivity Testing, Human Body Model
ANSI/ESD STM5.1 is the ANSI/ESD Association standard for ESD sensitivity testing of electronic components using the Human Body Model. It is widely used in the semiconductor and electronics manufacturing industries in the US and internationally.
Typical equipment: Component-level ESD test systems with HBM discharge networks, calibration fixtures and ESD classification accessories.
ANSI/ESD STM5.2 — ESD Sensitivity Testing, Machine Model
ANSI/ESD STM5.2 covers ESD sensitivity testing using the Machine Model, which simulates discharge events from automated manufacturing equipment. While less widely used than the Human Body Model, it remains relevant where machine-handling of components is specified in test plans.
Typical equipment: Component-level ESD test systems with Machine Model discharge networks and calibration accessories.
Automotive EMC
Automotive EMC standards cover both the immunity and emissions of electrical and electronic components and systems fitted to road vehicles. They are distinct from the IEC 61000 series and reflect the specific electromagnetic environment and performance requirements of the automotive industry.
ISO 7637-2 — Transient Conduction and Coupling, Vehicle Supply Lines
ISO 7637-2 covers electrical transient conduction along supply lines in road vehicles. It defines test pulses that simulate transients arising from switching of inductive loads, engine starting, load dump and other vehicle-specific events on 12 V and 24 V supply systems.
Typical equipment: Automotive transient generators, coupling networks, load dump simulators and automotive power supply accessories.
ISO 16750-2 — Road Vehicles, Environmental Conditions, Electrical Loads
ISO 16750-2 specifies electrical environmental conditions and tests for electrical and electronic equipment installed in road vehicles, including voltage ranges, superimposed alternating voltages, voltage drops, reversed polarity and jump-starting conditions.
Typical equipment: Automotive power supply simulators, transient generators and test systems capable of simulating vehicle supply conditions.
ISO 11452 — Road Vehicles, Component RF Immunity
ISO 11452 is a multi-part standard covering methods for testing the immunity of components and subsystems to electromagnetic disturbances in road vehicles. It covers bulk current injection, TEM cell, absorber-lined shielded enclosure and other test methods for radiated and conducted RF immunity of automotive components.
Typical equipment: RF amplifiers, bulk current injection probes, TEM cells, absorber-lined shielded enclosures, signal generators and automotive test accessories.
Telecom and Infrastructure
These standards cover electromagnetic compatibility and electrical safety requirements for telecommunications equipment and network infrastructure. They are relevant to equipment installed in telecommunications centres, network exchanges and data facilities.
ITU-T K.20 — Resistibility of Telecom Equipment to Overvoltages and Overcurrents
ITU-T K.20 specifies resistibility requirements for telecommunication equipment installed in telecommunications centres. It covers protection against overvoltages and overcurrents arising from lightning, power induction and switching transients on telecom lines.
Typical equipment: Surge generators, telecom line coupling networks, impulse generators and specialist protection test systems.
ITU-T K.21 — Resistibility of Subscriber Equipment
ITU-T K.21 covers resistibility requirements for subscriber telecommunications equipment exposed to overvoltages and overcurrents. It is used for equipment connected to the public switched telephone network at the subscriber premises.
Typical equipment: Surge generators, telecom coupling accessories and overvoltage test systems.
ITU-T K.44 — Resistibility Tests for Telecommunication Equipment
ITU-T K.44 provides a basic framework of resistibility tests for telecommunication equipment, covering fundamental test methods and severity levels referenced by other ITU-T K-series standards.
Typical equipment: Surge generators, impulse generators, telecom line coupling networks and test accessories.
Bellcore GR-1089-Core — EMC and Electrical Safety for Network Telecoms Equipment
Bellcore GR-1089-Core is a widely referenced standard for electromagnetic compatibility and electrical safety requirements for network telecommunications equipment in the United States. It covers conducted transients, surge, emissions and lightning protection requirements for equipment installed in central office and outside plant environments.
Typical equipment: Surge generators, impulse generators, telecom coupling networks, EMI receivers and conducted emissions accessories.
ANSI/IEEE C62.41 — Surge Voltages in Low-Voltage AC Power Circuits
ANSI/IEEE C62.41 describes the surge voltage environment on low-voltage AC power circuits in buildings. It is used as a reference document for surge immunity testing of equipment connected to mains power in the US and in international test specifications that reference IEEE surge waveforms.
Typical equipment: Surge generators with combination wave and ring wave outputs, coupling networks and line accessories.
Avionics and Military
These standards cover electromagnetic compatibility requirements for equipment used in aerospace and defence applications. They are distinct from the IEC 61000 series and reflect the specific electromagnetic environments, performance criteria and test methods applicable to airborne and military equipment.
RTCA DO-160 — Environmental Conditions and Test Procedures for Airborne Equipment
RTCA DO-160 specifies environmental test conditions and test procedures for airborne electronic and electrical equipment. Section 20 of DO-160 covers radio-frequency susceptibility, while other sections address conducted RF, electrostatic discharge, lightning and power input transients relevant to aircraft-installed equipment.
Typical equipment: RF amplifiers, broadband antennas, conducted and radiated RF immunity systems, ESD simulators, lightning transient generators and avionics test accessories.
MIL-STD-461 — Electromagnetic Interference Characteristics for Subsystems and Equipment
MIL-STD-461 defines requirements for the control of electromagnetic interference characteristics of subsystems and equipment intended for use by the US Department of Defense. It covers both emissions and susceptibility measurements across a wide frequency range, with specific requirements for ground, naval and airborne platforms.
Key test methods include RS103 (radiated susceptibility), CS114 (conducted susceptibility, bulk current injection) and CS116 (damped sinusoidal transients).
Typical equipment: RF amplifiers covering wide frequency ranges, bulk current injection probes, TEM cells, shielded test chambers, EMI receivers, signal generators and military-specification test accessories.
Need help selecting equipment for a specific standard?
NTD Shielding supplies test equipment for immunity, emissions and ESD testing across the standards listed on this page. If you are specifying a system, sourcing individual instruments or need advice on which equipment applies to your test requirement, our team can help.
