Compliance, standards - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: brett_sawyers
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: March 23, 2021, 10:15:41 am
content: Hi all! Longtime lurker, first time poster here.I've had most of my engineering experience in a very controlled environment with set customers who dictate specifications. The company would always test for compliance to these, whether they be more "custom" specifications or based on fairly ubiquitous standards, for example IEC 61000-4-5. I've landed myself a fantastic role with a company that's had no design or manufacturing experience with electronic products, so it's my duty to generate this environment over time.There's standards we obviously need to conform to that are dictated at a regulatory level for the Aus/NZS RCM / RCS tick, but others I'm not fully sure about. Let's say for example the IEC 61000-4-x family, which I feel a few of are appropriate for a device I am currently designing... but just never get called out anywhere. In fact, the only standard called out for regulatory compliance in this particular case is UNESCE regulation 10, relating to EMC. I feel it's my responsibility to ensure the device survives the fairly common events of transients and surges (and I thought for sure it would be legally required too), so I would like to design and test to relevant standards. Am I heading in the right direction by doing this to the fullest extent (protecting against class 4 surges), or am I barking up the wrong tree and overthinking it while looking down the barrel of sunk cost and time? Should I just "design for compliance" to these and similar standards, or keep following my current plan and have them professionally tested too? Any guidance from the experienced conformance guys and gals out there would be greatly appreciated!

author: Benta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 23, 2021, 11:26:14 am
content: From your job description, you have enough on your desk right now. This is the kind of thing that I'd shop out to an external consultant until you have time to bring it back in-house.It's not that expensive.

author: cheater
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 23, 2021, 03:58:50 pm
content: Agreed - if you're only starting out, try to get some outside help, at least the first few times.

author: wizard69
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 23, 2021, 05:49:52 pm
content: Quote from: brett_sawyers on March 23, 2021, 10:15:41 amWelcome aboard.The way I look at this, there are two maybe three key questions here.For example trying to figure out what your project should comply with is s separate issue from making sure it complies. This is where you need a consultant. These days it would likely be a good idea to aim for world wide compliancy if you can afford it and the mine field is not too thick. It is very easy these days to expand your markets world wide, if the device is approved almost everywhere.Then there is the issue of getting the right stamps on the item, be it CE, UL or whatever. This can be another mine field and varies from one regulatory zone to another. Self certification may be required in one place and independent certification in another. The same contractor will likely be able to help you with both but getting a stamp on the device can become expensive.In between is the question of who does the design work. I'm not sure I would farm this out. You may need assistance but ultimately the product is yours and you need to understand it to support it. Say your device comes back from a qualifying lab and it doesn't pass for some EMC issue, you are far better off working with your specialist firm to zero in on the problem than to fight over whom has the issue.So you see; figuring out what you need to comply with, to me, is a separate issue from getting the device past the approval requirements. The regulations provide a specification, you then design for those specification and then verify compliancy.

author: brett_sawyers
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: March 26, 2021, 07:58:41 am
content: Thanks all for your input, I really do appreciate it. I've had initial conversations with various parties related to both compliance and design, looks like I'll just extend those conversations further and see what services can be provided. Like you've said, there's going to be more than enough on my plate!