IEC 61347-1:2015

Overview

IEC 61347-1:2015 - "Lamp controlgear - Part 1: General and safety requirements" - establishes the general and safety requirements for lamp controlgear intended for use on d.c. supplies up to 250 V and a.c. supplies up to 1 000 V at 50 Hz or 60 Hz. This third edition (2015) is a technical revision that replaces the 2007 edition and its amendments. It defines safety, marking, insulation and test requirements that apply to a wide range of lamp controlgear (magnetic and electronic ballasts, drivers and related components).

Key Topics and Requirements

• Scope and classification: Applicability to built-in, independent and integral lamp controlgear and classification of protection types.
• Marking and documentation: Additional marking requirements for safer identification and compliance.
• Insulation, creepage distances and clearances: Revised and expanded rules for:
  • Working voltages up to and above 30 kHz
  • Impulse, resonance and ignition voltages
  • Basic, supplementary and reinforced insulation
  • Insulation between circuits and coated/potted controlgear
• Earthing and terminals: Provisions for protective and functional earthing, including PCB track earthing considerations.
• Protection against electric shock: Tests and measures to prevent accidental contact with live parts; new normative Annex A for testing conductive parts that may be live.
• Thermal and electrical endurance: Tests for thermal endurance of windings, fault-condition behavior and electric strength.
• Construction and materials: Requirements for printed circuits, screws, current-carrying parts, resistance to heat, fire, tracking and corrosion.
• New informative/ normative annexes: Notable additions in this edition include Annexes M (creep/clearance for impulse withstand category III), P (creep/clearance and DTI for coated/potted controlgear), Q (example for Up calculation), R (concepts of creepage/clearance) and others clarifying tests and methods.

Applications and Who Uses It

This standard is essential for:

• Manufacturers of electronic and magnetic ballasts, LED drivers and other lamp controlgear - for product design and safety compliance.
• Design and safety engineers addressing insulation, creepage/clearance, earthing and thermal protection.
• Test laboratories and certification bodies performing type testing, marking verification and compliance assessment.
• Regulatory and compliance professionals responsible for product certification, documentation and market approval.

Typical applications include indoor/outdoor luminaires, street lighting, commercial and industrial lighting systems where reliable electrical insulation, thermal behavior and protection against electric shock are required.

Related Standards

• Read in conjunction with the IEC 61347-2 series for particular requirements of specific lamp controlgear types.