Don,

IEC 60950, section 5.3, is specific regarding "electric strength"
testing.  It does not require testing between secondary circuits,
as it is the primary to secondary, and primary to ground insulation
that provides protection against electric shock.  Type testing is
performed for 1 minute, although production testing is permitted
for 1 sec.  It usually requires several seconds for the high-pot to
ramp up, stabilize at the desired votage, and then ramp down, so
it normally takes 3+ seconds to assure a full second at the max
voltage.

Of course, you may be working with a non-ITE product, with a
different standard, requiring secondary intra-circuit testing.

George Alspaugh




don_macarthur%selinc....@interlock.lexmark.com on 08/17/2001 02:12:51 PM

Please respond to don_macarthur%selinc....@interlock.lexmark.com

To:   emc-pstc%majordomo.ieee....@interlock.lexmark.com
cc:    (bcc: George Alspaugh/Lex/Lexmark)
Subject:  Manufacturing Hipot Testing






Dear Group:

A Hipot standard which we must run for CE compliance requires that
circuit-to-circuit and circuit-to-ground testing be performed on a routine
basis.  The test is applied for 10s.  The products I deal with have many
circuits (Inputs, outputs, etc.) so test time is excessive .  To speed test time
the standard allows for grouping of similar circuits and decreasing the test
time to 1s (with increased voltage).  There is a problem with the grouping
method because faults between circuits in the group are masked.

A better way of performing dielectric strength testing would be to automate a
process where each individual circuit is hipot tested to ground for 1 second.
The problem is that this method doesn't match what the CE standard requires.

Some of you have probably been in similar circumstances.  What did you do?  What
do you suggest?  Do I meet the standard no matter the cost?  What is the risk of
having my CE Mark pulled and perhaps my company sued if I do not meet the entire
standard?

Regards,
Don MacArthur



-------------------------------------------
This message is from the IEEE EMC Society Product Safety
Technical Committee emc-pstc discussion list.

Visit our web site at:  http://www.ewh.ieee.org/soc/emcs/pstc/

To cancel your subscription, send mail to:
     majord...@ieee.org
with the single line:
     unsubscribe emc-pstc

For help, send mail to the list administrators:
     Michael Garretson:        pstc_ad...@garretson.org
     Dave Heald                davehe...@mediaone.net

For policy questions, send mail to:
     Richard Nute:           ri...@ieee.org
     Jim Bacher:             j.bac...@ieee.org

All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at:
    http://www.rcic.com/      click on "Virtual Conference Hall,"








-------------------------------------------
This message is from the IEEE EMC Society Product Safety
Technical Committee emc-pstc discussion list.

Visit our web site at:  http://www.ewh.ieee.org/soc/emcs/pstc/

To cancel your subscription, send mail to:
     majord...@ieee.org
with the single line:
     unsubscribe emc-pstc

For help, send mail to the list administrators:
     Michael Garretson:        pstc_ad...@garretson.org
     Dave Heald                davehe...@mediaone.net

For policy questions, send mail to:
     Richard Nute:           ri...@ieee.org
     Jim Bacher:             j.bac...@ieee.org

All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at:
    http://www.rcic.com/      click on "Virtual Conference Hall,"


Reply via email to