Chomerics - Glossary

ASTM: American Society for Testing Materials: ASTM is a scientific and technical organization whose purpose is to develop standards on characteristics and performance of materials, products, systems, and services, and the promotion of related knowledge.

CB: Competant Body: Appointed by national authorities in the EU to review and approve technical construction files under EMC directive.

CE Directive: General requirement by European authorities for conformity to their regulartory requirements. Conformity to directives are satisfied by evaluation to product standards.

Certified Body: An entity, appointed by one of the EU countries, who provides assistance to electrical product manufacturers to get their products to comply with applicableEU norms. For technical construction files (TCF), certified bodies are empowered to state the "CE" mark can be applied.

CFR: Code of Federal Regulations: Contains a codification of documents of general applicability and future effect. Published by the Office of Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration.

C-UL Listing Mark: This mark is applied to products for the Canadian market. The products with this type of mark have been evaluated to Canadian safety standards, which may be somewhat different from U.S. safety requirements. A UL mark is accepted in all Canadian provinces.

EMC: Electromagnetic Compatibility: Operations of equipment and systems in their installed environments which cause no unfavorable response to or by other equipment and systems in the same environment.

EMI: electromagnetic interference: When an electrical disturbance from a natural phenomena (e.g., lightning or ESD) or an electrical/electronic device or system causes an undesired conducted or radiated response in a victim. EMI is the opposite of EMC.

FCC: Federal Communications Commission: Mission: To manage the frequency spectrum and provide leadership in order to create new opportunities for competitive technologies and services for the American public.

FDA 510(k) Premarket Notification (PMN): A premarket notification [510(k)] is a marketing application submitted to FDA to demonstrate that a medical device is as safe and as effective or substanntially equivalent to a legally marketed device that was or is currently on he USA market and that does not require premarket approval. The premarket notification (PMN) requirements are found in 21 CFR Psrt 807, Subpart E.

Harmonics and Flicker Tests.
Harmonic distortion: Nonlinear distortion characterized by the appearance in the output of harmonics other than the fundamental component when the input is sinusoidal.
Flicker in low-voltage supply systems: IEC 61000-3 is concerned with the emission of voltage changes, voltage fluctuations and flicker produced by equipment and impressed on public low-voltage supply system.

HIRF: high intensity radiated fields: Electromagnetic field strengths of 10 kV/m and greater. They are usually developed from lightning strikes, EMP or from certain radars under boresighting conditions.

Immunity: The property of a receiver or any other equipment or system enabling it to reject a radio disturbance.

NB: Notified Body: A Competent Body, but notified to the EU (European Union) Commission and holding a unique EC designation number and identification.

RADHAZ testing: Test and measurement to determine radiation hazard, i.e., susceptibility or immunity, of EEDs (electroexplosive devices), their parent equipment such as ordnance, canopies, or air bags and/or volatile fuels and chemicals to electromagnetic radiation of specified levels, modulations, frequencies and durations.

Radiated Susceptibility: Undesired potential EMI that is radiated into an equipment or system from hostile outside electromagnetic sources.

RFI: Radio Frequency Interference: A high frequency, cyclic series of spikes or noise injected onto an electrical line by means of radio wave energy or by a piece of equipment connected to the line.

RTCA/DO-160C: Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics: A private, not-for-profit organization that addresses requirements and technical concepts for avaiation. Products are recommended standards and guidance documents that focus on the application of electronics technology to implement new or modified concepts and to satisfy related requirements.

A conducted and radiated, emission and susceptibility EMI standard product by RTCA. All electrical and electronic products expected to be used on commercial aircraft must comply with DO-160C. The standard is similar to Part 2 of MIL-STD-461 C/D and MIL-STD-462 C/D.

SAE: Society of Automotive Engineers: The group AE-4 addresses electromagnetic interference problems.

SAR: specific absorbtion rate: The time rate at which electromagnetic r-f energy is imparted to a defined amount of mass of a biological body.

Shielding Effectiveness (SE): A measure of the reduction or attenuation in electromagnetic field strength at a point in space caused by the insertion of a shield between the source and that point. Usually stated in dB.

UL: Underwriters Laboratories: A third-party certification organization in the USA and the largest in North America. As a not-for-profit product safety and testing and certification body, UL has been evaluating products in the interest of public safety since 1894. UL permits applying a number of their marks on product complying with their standards.

VCCI: Voluntary Control Council for Interference (Japan): A voluntary council, made up of manufacturers and test laboratories. Members who wish to show conformity to the VCCI's voluntary emissions standards submit a conformance report and apply the VCCI mark. One must be a member to use the VCCI mark and testing must be performed at a member test lab.

NOTICE: The information contained herein is to the best of our knowledge true and accurate. However, since the varied conditions of potential use are beyond our control, all recommendations or suggestions are presented without guarantee or responsibility on our part and users should make their own tests to determine the suitability of our products in any specific situation. This product is sold without warranty either expressed or implied, of fitness for a particular purpose or otherwise, except that this product shall be of standard quality, and except to the extent otherwise stated on Chomerics' invoice, quotation, or order acknowledgment. We disclaim any and all liability incurred in connection with the use of information contained herein, or otherwise. All risks of such are assumed by the user. Furthermore, nothing contained herein shall construed as a recommendation to use any process or to manufacture or to use any product in conflict with existing or future patents covering any product or material or its use.