IEC 61967-1:2018

Overview

IEC 61967-1:2018 - “Integrated circuits - Measurement of electromagnetic emissions - Part 1: General conditions and definitions” defines the general framework for measuring conducted and radiated electromagnetic emissions from integrated circuits (ICs). The standard describes required measurement conditions, test equipment, test set‑ups, test procedures, and the content of test reports so that RF disturbance levels from ICs can be quantified, compared and used in design and compliance activities. The applicable frequency ranges are specified in the individual parts of the IEC 61967 series; notable changes in this edition include removal of the frequency range from the title and additions for frequency steps above 1 GHz.

Key technical topics and requirements

• Terms and definitions establishing consistent vocabulary for IC emission measurements.
• Test conditions: ambient temperature, ambient RF field checks, IC stability and operational states that influence results.
• Test equipment: guidance on shielding, measuring receivers, spectrum analysers, preamplifiers/attenuators and verification/calibration of RF instruments.
• Frequency considerations: the edition adds guidance for frequency step handling above 1 GHz; specific frequency ranges are detailed in each part of the series.
• Test set‑up and board requirements: standard test board description (moved to Annex D), IC pin loading, decoupling and power supply rules to create a uniform test environment.
• Test procedures: ambient noise checks, operational checks, specific measurement flows for conducted and radiated emissions; Annex A includes test method comparison tables to aid method selection.
• Test report content: mandatory descriptions of ambient conditions, device and set‑up, software/firmware used, data presentation and interpretation, and how deviations are documented.

Practical applications and target users

IEC 61967-1 is intended for engineers and organizations that measure or assess electromagnetic emissions from ICs, including:

• IC manufacturers and design teams - to quantify emissions during device development and optimize package/decoupling.
• EMC/Compliance laboratories - to establish repeatable test set‑ups and generate comparable measurement reports.
• System integrators and module designers - to understand IC-level disturbance potential and correlate to module- or product-level tests.
• Quality and certification teams - for documenting measurement procedures and interpreting results relative to limits.

Practical uses include comparing IC variants, identifying worst‑case operating modes (including software/firmware influences), and providing traceable measurement data for EMC mitigation and product design decisions.

Related standards and references

• Part 1 is the general foundational document for the IEC 61967 series; individual parts define applicable frequency ranges and specific measurement methods.
• Annex A references other parts (for example, IEC 61967-8 is added to the radiated emission comparison table).
• The standard also cross‑references other IEC and CISPR documents that support EMC measurement practice.