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9 EMC
9.2 Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC)
The facts described here and the listed standards solely refer to products with CE marking, which are
listed in the short version of the declaration of conformity.
Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) is defined as the ability of a device, unit of equipment or
system to function satisfactorily in its electromagnetic environment without introducing intolerable
electromagnetic disturbances to anything in that environment.
This is necessary to enable simultaneous operation of several units!
Article 5 and Annex 1 of the EMC Directive 2004/108/EC describe the basic requirements for equip-
ment.
Basic requirements
Equipment must be designed and produced according to the recognised rules of sound engineering
practice so that
the electromagnetic faults caused by them do not reach a level at which radio and telecommuni-
cation devices or other equipment cannot be operated as intended;
they are adequately insensitive to the electromagnetic faults to be expected under intended use
to enable them to function as intended without unreasonable impairment.
The Directive does not state how high the disturbance level generated by a unit may be and how
high the expected disturbances are at which the unit must function. It merely helps by postulating
a supposed effect. This falls back on so-called harmonised standards in which the state of the art is
defined.
Supposed effect
If equipment conforms to the relevant harmonised standards it is refutably supposed that the equip-
ment conforms to the basic requirements covered by these standards. This supposition of conformity
is limited to the scope of the applied harmonised standards and only applies within the scope of the
basic requirements covered by these harmonised standards [Directive 2004/108/EC, Article 6, Section 2].
Therefore, different harmonised EMC standards can be used, depending on the use a product is
intended for (intended use).
