Overview
IEC 60810:2017 - Lamps, light sources and LED packages for road vehicles - Performance requirements is the 5th edition (2017) of the IEC international standard that defines performance, test and validation requirements for filament lamps, discharge lamps, LED light sources and LED packages used in road-vehicle lighting (headlamps, fog lamps, signalling lamps and interior lighting). This edition updates the scope and introduces new LED light source requirements and guidelines for LED package robustness validation, superseding the 2014 edition and its amendment.
Key topics and technical requirements
IEC 60810 covers a broad range of performance and verification topics important for automotive lighting components:
- Scope & interchangeability: Basic function and fit/interchangeability requirements for lamps and light sources intended for vehicle use.
- Photometric and life performance: Luminous flux, colour maintenance and characteristic life / life B tests and procedures.
- Mechanical robustness: Vibration, shock, torsion strength, glass-bulb strength, bulb deflection and mass/packaging checks. (See references to vibration mounting per IEC 60068-2-47.)
- Electrical resilience: Overvoltage, reverse voltage, transient tests (field decay, load dump), maximum power consumption and EMC considerations.
- LED-specific tests: Powered thermal cycling, pulsed operating life (PLT), ESD, UV radiation limits, typical circuit definitions, and EMC/thermal management topics for LED light sources.
- LED package qualification: Stress-test qualification flow including HTOL, TMCL, WHTOL, PTMCL, ESD (HBM/MM), solderability/resistance to soldering heat, bond/die shear, vibration/shock, DPA, corrosion and dew/FMGC tests.
- Production and sampling: Lot and production requirements, pre/post-stress electrical and visual checks, and pass/fail criteria for qualification/requalification.
Practical applications and users
IEC 60810 is essential for ensuring safety, reliability and regulatory compliance in automotive lighting. Typical users include:
- Automotive OEMs specifying lighting performance for vehicles (headlamps, fog-lamps, signalling and interior lighting)
- Lamp and LED component manufacturers validating product designs and production lots
- Test and certification laboratories performing photometric, mechanical, thermal and electrical tests
- Suppliers of ballasts, drivers and thermal management systems for LED light sources
- Regulatory bodies and standards committees aligning national requirements with international practice
Related standards
- IEC 60809 (listed lamps referred to in the scope)
- IEC 60068 series (environmental testing mounting/conditioning references)
IEC 60810 provides a comprehensive, practical framework for testing and qualifying vehicle lamps and LED packages - a must-read for manufacturers, test labs and OEMs involved in automotive lighting development and compliance.