IEC 61000-6-4:2018

Overview

IEC 61000-6-4:2018 - Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) - Part 6-4: Generic standards - Emission standard for industrial environments - is a generic IEC standard that defines emission requirements for electrical and electronic equipment intended to operate in industrial locations (indoor and outdoor). It is the 3rd edition (2018) and replaces the 2006 edition plus Amendment 1:2010. This emission standard is intended for use where no product- or product-family EMC emission standard exists, and focuses on protecting radio reception and other equipment against unacceptable disturbance levels.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope & environment: Applies to equipment used in industrial environments (including equipment supplied from high/medium voltage transformer installations and battery-operated devices). It does not apply to devices covered by IEC 61000-6-3 (residential/light-commercial).
• Frequency coverage: Emission requirements address radio and conducted emissions across a wide band (document references measurement requirements up to 400 GHz; frequency-specific requirements are provided in the standard).
• Emission types: Both radiated and conducted emissions are covered, including continuous and transient disturbances. Requirements are specified per port (e.g., mains, wired network, enclosure ports; Annex A discusses DC power ports).
• Measurement & test arrangements: Defines test arrangements for the Equipment Under Test (EUT), measurement uncertainty, and applicability. Annex B gives guidance on measurements using a Fully Anechoic Range (FAR) and compares FAR vs Open Area Test Sites (OATS).
• Detector and measurement details: Clarifies which average detector is used for measurements above 1 GHz and states that peak detector results are acceptable for all measurements.
• Notable technical changes (edition 3):
  • Possible future requirements for DC ports
  • Potential polarity-specific radiated limits in a FAR
  • Definition of detectors for >1 GHz measurements
  • Updated EUT test arrangements

Practical applications and who uses it

• Manufacturers of industrial control equipment, power electronics, motor drives, PLCs, industrial servers, and battery-powered industrial devices use this standard to design for EMC emissions and to prepare for compliance testing.
• EMC test laboratories and compliance engineers use IEC 61000-6-4 as the reference for test set-ups, measurement techniques, and reporting when no product-specific standard exists.
• Certification bodies and product safety teams rely on the standard to assess emission risks in industrial installations and to ensure compatibility with radio services and other equipment.

Related standards

• IEC 61000 series (general EMC structure)
• IEC 61000-6-3 (emission standard for residential/light-commercial environments) - note: IEC 61000-6-4 does not apply when IEC 61000-6-3 is relevant
• CISPR publications referenced for radio-protection limits and measurement techniques

IEC 61000-6-4:2018 is essential reading for EMC planning in industrial product design and testing - particularly where no dedicated product-family emission standard exists. Keywords: emission standard for industrial environments, IEC 61000-6-4:2018, EMC emissions, radiated emissions, conducted emissions, industrial EMC compliance, FAR, OATS.