Peter,
I have some input on the HiPot Test #3. A HiPot Failure is a breakdown in insulation usually by an arc or other rapid conduction. Most HiPot testers these days have detection circuits which can tell how the unit failed. Mine shows on the display either "ARC" or "Breakdown". HiPot testers are also limited by the amount of current they are able to generate. On occasion we will hipot a unit that the tester "fails" only to find out it failed due to the current limit of the tester and not because of a breakdown of insulation. This is NOT a real failure. If your unit has line-ground surge protection devices they can also cause the hipot test to fail. But the standards say to disconnect these type of devices prior to testing. My advice to you would be to ask what type of hipot failure was seen. If it was an "overload" of the tester then that is not considered a real failure. NOTE: sometimes units that overload the hipot tester for AC may fail or come close to failing the Leakage Current test. In any case, hipot testing is not complicated and it would surprise me to see a "reputable German test house" issue a failure unless it is for real. Brian ____________________Reply Separator____________________ Subject: Stuck in Germany! Author: Peter Merguerian <[email protected]> List-Post: [email protected] Date: 5/2/01 10:20 PM Dear All, I have submitted an electronic ballast (ballast designed for building-in and provided with pigtail leads used for installation at the base of road lamps) to a reputable German test house for investigation and the following points were discovered: 1. PCB is not European approved!!! I convinced them (do not know how!) that a UL Recognized board is OK to use. 2. Leads are UL and must be approved to a European Standard by a European test house. Tried for half an hour to convince them that the ballast is designed for international usage and UL Listed or Recognized leads would be sufficient. They insist that the leads must be European approved. Question: Anyone knows of manufacturers of leads which are UL and also approved by a European test house? 3. Ballast fails a hipot of 1500 Vac. Told them to conduct test at 2121 Vdc (1.4 x Vrms) because of the filtering but they insisted that luminaire standards always require a test with an ac applied voltage. Was unable to convince that most standards allow the use of an ac or a dc voltage equal to the 1.4 x Vrms. Question: Anyone knows of a quick way (other than the autobahn) through the German Appeals Procedure? It took 4 months just to begin the tests!. I do not wish to wait another year for the Appeal! 4. In the case of faults within the ballast, they require a fuse or other overcurrent protective device within the ballast and not to rely on the main 16 A breaker on the road lamp installation. I told them that the ballast installation instructions specify an overcurrent protective device between the main 16 A breaker and the power supply input. They are still requring a fuse or fuselink within the ballast. Question: Anyone with a similar problem? Thanks to All, PETER MERGUERIAN -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Sent: 5/2/01 3:29 PM Subject: FW: EN 41003:1999 Hi Zohar: The Scope of EN41003 reads: "This standard applies to equipment designed and intended to be connected to a TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORK termination. It does not apply to equipment covered by EN60950." Therefore, equipment intended to connect to the network that is not ITE (for example Test and Measuring, Process Control, Laboratory equipment, and whatever others) should use EN41003 for the requirements to be applied to the network connection. As internet applications proliferate, more and more product categories other than ITE will likely need to use these requirements. Although EN41003 references EN60950 in a number of areas, not all of the EN60950 clause 6 requirements are referenced, and EN41003 adds a few other requirements. Also, EN41003 has an interesting Annex C which describes why telecommunication voltages which exceed "safe to touch limits set within general safety standards" are actually "electrically safe". I hope that helps some. Richard Payne Richard Payne Tektronix, Inc. Product Safety Engineering Ph: (503) 627-1820 Fax: (503) 627-3838 email: [email protected] -----Original Message----- From: Zohar Zosmanovich [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2001 3:20 AM To: '[email protected]' Subject: EN 41003:1999 Hello to all, Any one familiar with EN 41003:1999 standard, if yes, where is it applicable? Does EN 60950/IEC 60950 covers EN 41003 requirements? Zohar (Jana) Zosmanovich Compliance Engineer, RADWIN ltd. 34 Habarzel St., Tel Aviv 69710, Israel Tel.: 972-3-7666735 ; Fax: 972-3-7657535 Email: <mailto:[email protected]> ------------------------------------------- This message is from the IEEE EMC Society Product Safety Technical Committee emc-pstc discussion list. Visit our web site at: http://www.ewh.ieee.org/soc/emcs/pstc/ To cancel your subscription, send mail to: [email protected] with the single line: unsubscribe emc-pstc For help, send mail to the list administrators: Michael Garretson: [email protected] Dave Heald [email protected] For policy questions, send mail to: Richard Nute: [email protected] Jim Bacher: [email protected] All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at: http://www.rcic.com/ click on "Virtual Conference Hall," ------------------------------------------- This message is from the IEEE EMC Society Product Safety Technical Committee emc-pstc discussion list. Visit our web site at: http://www.ewh.ieee.org/soc/emcs/pstc/ To cancel your subscription, send mail to: [email protected] with the single line: unsubscribe emc-pstc For help, send mail to the list administrators: Michael Garretson: [email protected] Dave Heald [email protected] For policy questions, send mail to: Richard Nute: [email protected] Jim Bacher: [email protected] All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at: http://www.rcic.com/ click on "Virtual Conference Hall," ------------------------------------------- This message is from the IEEE EMC Society Product Safety Technical Committee emc-pstc discussion list. Visit our web site at: http://www.ewh.ieee.org/soc/emcs/pstc/ To cancel your subscription, send mail to: [email protected] with the single line: unsubscribe emc-pstc For help, send mail to the list administrators: Michael Garretson: [email protected] Dave Heald [email protected] For policy questions, send mail to: Richard Nute: [email protected] Jim Bacher: [email protected] All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at: http://www.rcic.com/ click on "Virtual Conference Hall," ------------------------------------------- This message is from the IEEE EMC Society Product Safety Technical Committee emc-pstc discussion list. Visit our web site at: http://www.ewh.ieee.org/soc/emcs/pstc/ To cancel your subscription, send mail to: [email protected] with the single line: unsubscribe emc-pstc For help, send mail to the list administrators: Michael Garretson: [email protected] Dave Heald [email protected] For policy questions, send mail to: Richard Nute: [email protected] Jim Bacher: [email protected] All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at: http://www.rcic.com/ click on "Virtual Conference Hall,"
