Since January 1999 most electric and electronic devices (including luminaires) are required to be complaint with
electromagnetic (EMC) standards before being labelled as C-Tick compliant and sold onto the Australian or New Zealand
market place.
AS/NZS CISPR 15 is the EMC standard specific to luminaires including Independent Auxiliaries, Street and Floodlights,
Neon Advertising Signs, Infrared Radiation Appliances and lighting installed in buses and trains.
Iron core ballasted fluorescent luminaires are subjected to measurements of Insertion loss over the frequency range 150
to 1605 kHz. Fluorescent lamps produce low frequency RF emissions that travel along the supply lines, but as long as the
transformer ballast has enough insertion loss, the overall interference will be reduced to an acceptable level. During
these measurements artificial lamps are substituted for the fluorescent lamps and glow switch starters are replaced with
5 nF capacitors.
Electronic ballasted luminaires are subjected to mains terminal emission measurements over the frequency range 9 kHz to
30 MHz. These measurements are performed using a Line Impedance Stabilisation Network (LISN), which provides a defined
impedance between the luminaire and the mains network.
A luminaire containing a CE or C-Tick compliance ballast is still required to undergo EMC compliance measurements, as the
ballast will yield different results depending on the configuration of the luminaire.
Fluorescent lamps are aged for a period of 100 hours and incandescent lamps are aged for 2 hours prior to using them for
EMC measurements. EMC measurements are performed after the luminaire has stabilised.
Where a luminaire is regulated by an external device, emission measurements are required to be performed on the regulating
control lines.
Independent converters and luminaries operating at a frequency in excess of 100 Hz must also undergo radiated magnetic
field emission measurements (over the frequency range 9 kHz to 30 MHz). These measurements are performed inside a two-metre
diameter Van Veen loop antenna (if the dimensions of the luminaire permit). The measurements are performed in each of three axes
in turn.
Emergency lighting luminaires require mains terminal emission measurements (performed during AC operation) and radiated magnetic
field measurements (performed during battery operation).
Certain frequency bands are designated for use by Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) equipment, and if any part of a luminaire
or regulating circuit operates in these bands, further radiated electromagnetic emission measurements are required.
For further information regarding EMC testing of luminaries (or any other product), contact Compliance Engineering Pty Ltd
(03 9763 3079)