I have spent the last couple of days ploughing through EN61000-3-2, it's amendment A14, IEC1000-4-7 and the HP harmonics application note 1273. I am 90% sure that I can continue using the 6842A for compliance measurements but I would love to have some confirmation. I have tried asking Agilent but I don't think that they have even bothered to read the amendment, I suspect they are too busy writing rubbish like this:
"Dear Valued Regulatory Test Solution Customer, Agilent Technologies has recently made a strategic decision regarding our acsource product family. I wanted to let you know as quickly as possible, so that you can begin to evaluate how this may affect your current test equipment plans, and to give you as much time as possible to manage any changes that may result." I used to respect HP for their products and the support, now I wouldn't consider buying even a printer off them. Chris Colgan Compliance Engineer TAG McLaren Audio Ltd The Summit, Latham Road Huntingdon, Cambs, PE29 6ZU *Tel: +44 (0)1480 415 627 *Fax: +44 (0)1480 52159 * Mailto:chris.col...@tagmclarenaudio.com * http://www.tagmclarenaudio.com > -----Original Message----- > From: Price, Ed [SMTP:ed.pr...@cubic.com] > Sent: 04 January 2001 15:21 > To: 'CE-test - Ing. Gert Gremmen - ce-marking and more...'; > eric.lif...@ni.com; Colgan, Chris > Cc: 'Emc-Pstc' (E-mail) > Subject: RE: HP6842A harmonics analyser - is it obsolete? > > > I bought the HP-8571A Receiver System and an HP Series 300 Workstation, > with > the associated HP-85869A EMI Acquisition software ($8000) about 5 years > ago. > When the workstation developed a problem about three years ago, I found I > could replace the workstation with a PC (by buying the HP-85869PC and HP > Windows Basic software for another $5100). > > After Agilent was created, I got a letter from them saying that they were > in > the exciting process of re-creating their company, and that they had > decided > to withdraw from the EMI compliance market. So, within a frame of less > than > five years, I have a $13,000 software investment which is no longer > supported. Now of course, the code doesn't just stop working, but a number > of small bugs will now never get fixed. And I have no flexibility for the > future, since the HP code is protected. If I want to do anything new, I > will > have to become my own programmer, or look for 3rd party software. > > (I didn't attach the letter because I think the IEEE server will delete > any > attachments. For anyone interested, I'll email them a copy of the small > 12KB > pdf file. It includes a schedule of support discontinuance dates for > various > HP EMI products.) > > Regards, > > Ed > > Ed Price > ed.pr...@cubic.com > Electromagnetic Compatibility Lab > Cubic Defense Systems > San Diego, CA. USA > 858-505-2780 (Voice) > 858-505-1583 (Fax) > Military & Avionics EMC Services Is Our Specialty > Shake-Bake-Shock - Metrology - Reliability Analysis > > > -----Original Message----- > From: CE-test - Ing. Gert Gremmen - ce-marking and more... > [mailto:cet...@cetest.nl] > Sent: Wednesday, January 03, 2001 12:17 PM > To: eric.lif...@ni.com; Colgan, Chris > Cc: 'Emc-Pstc' (E-mail) > Subject: RE: HP6842A harmonics analyser - is it obsolete? > > > > I got the same confirmation from Agilent Netherlands. > I cannot recommend the purchase of Agilent equipment > for harmonics , flicker etc. to regulatory purposes at the moment. > > Basically it's the software that becomes obsolete. > > I think your 68xx system will be obsolete but for > precompliance purposes. > > You might add a separate harmonics/flicker analyser however and use > the 68xx for programmable power supply only. > > > Regards, > > Gert Gremmen, (Ing) > > ce-test, qualified testing > > =============================================== > Web presence http://www.cetest.nl > CE-shop http://www.cetest.nl/ce_shop.htm > /-/ Compliance testing is our core business /-/ > =============================================== > > > >>-----Original Message----- > >>From: owner-emc-p...@ieee.org [mailto:owner-emc-p...@ieee.org]On Behalf > >>Of eric.lif...@ni.com > >>Sent: Wednesday, January 03, 2001 6:55 PM > >>To: Colgan, Chris > >>Cc: 'Emc-Pstc' (E-mail) > >>Subject: Re: HP6842A harmonics analyser - is it obsolete? > >> > >> > >> > >> > >>Colgan et al, > >> > >>We just received a full one-page letter from Agilent dated 19 December > >>2000, if I may reduce it to the essential messages: > >> > >> Agilent DISCONTINUES any plans to support A14. > >> > >> Agilent DISCONTINUES as of 31 Dec 2000 (or 1 Jan 2001) the > >>14761A/62A/63A software packages for regulatory testing. > >> > >> Agilent DISCONTINUES manufacture of AC sources rated higher than > 1750 > >>VA. > >> > >> Agilent will CONTINUE to make the 6811B/12B/13B models AC sources > >>(those rated at and below 1750 VA). > >> > >> The last date to place an ORDER for discontinued products > >>(hardware/software) is 31 May 2001. > >> > >>Agilent suggests using the 684X as a precompliance tool after the A14 > DOW. > >> > >>The email address provided in the letter is: ppd_supp...@agilient.com > >> > >>I hope I paraphrased the letter correctly. If you have any questions, I > >>suggest you contact Agilent. > >> > >>Best Regards, > >>Eric Lifsey > >> Compliance Manager, National Instruments > >> USA 512-683-8474, Fax 512-683-8880 > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> "Colgan, Chris" > >> > >> <Chris.Colgan@TAGMcLaren To: > >>"'Emc-Pstc' (E-mail)" > >> Audio.com> > >><emc-p...@majordomo.ieee.org> > >> Sent by: cc: > >> > >> owner-emc-p...@ieee.org Subject: > >>HP6842A harmonics analyser - is it > >> obsolete? > >> > >> > >> > >> 01/02/2001 04:36 AM > >> > >> Please respond to > >> > >> "Colgan, Chris" > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >>Happy New Year! > >> > >>Not such a happy start for me though. I have been informed by > >>Agilent that > >>they will not be supporting a software upgrade for the 6800 series > >>harmonics > >>analysers for A14 to EN61000-3-2. > >> > >>I have studied A14 and there appear to be some measurement technique > >>changes. Does this mean that I cannot just set my HP6842A to > >>measure class > >>A limits to test to A14? If I cannot, does anyone know of a company > that > >>has written or can write a software upgrade for me? > >> > >>Or have Agilent turned several thousand pounds worth of compliance test > >>equipment into a few hundred pounds worth of power supply? > >> > >>Regards > >> > >>Chris Colgan > >>Compliance Engineer > >>TAG McLaren Audio Ltd > >>The Summit, Latham Road > >>Huntingdon, Cambs, PE29 6ZU > >>*Tel: +44 (0)1480 415 627 > >>*Fax: +44 (0)1480 52159 > >>* Mailto:chris.col...@tagmclarenaudio.com > >>* http://www.tagmclarenaudio.com > >> > >> > >> > >>************************************************************** > >> Please visit us at www.tagmclarenaudio.com > >>************************************************************** > >> > >>The contents of this E-mail are confidential and for the exclusive > >>use of the intended recipient. If you receive this E-mail in error, > >>please delete it from your system immediately and notify us either > >>by E-mail, telephone or fax. You should not copy, forward or > >>otherwise disclose the content of the E-mail. > >> > >>TAG McLaren Audio Ltd > >>The Summit, 11 Latham Road > >>Huntingdon, Cambs, PE29 6ZU > >>Telephone : 01480 415600 (+44 1480 415600) > >>Facsimile : 01480 52159 (+44 1480 52159) > >> > >>************************************************************** > >> Please visit us at www.tagmclarenaudio.com > >>************************************************************** ************************************************************** Please visit us at www.tagmclarenaudio.com ************************************************************** The contents of this E-mail are confidential and for the exclusive use of the intended recipient. If you receive this E-mail in error, please delete it from your system immediately and notify us either by E-mail, telephone or fax. You should not copy, forward or otherwise disclose the content of the E-mail. TAG McLaren Audio Ltd The Summit, 11 Latham Road Huntingdon, Cambs, PE29 6ZU Telephone : 01480 415600 (+44 1480 415600) Facsimile : 01480 52159 (+44 1480 52159) ************************************************************** Please visit us at www.tagmclarenaudio.com ************************************************************** ------------------------------------------- This message is from the IEEE EMC Society Product Safety Technical Committee emc-pstc discussion list. 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: Jim Bacher: jim_bac...@mail.monarch.com Michael Garretson: pstc_ad...@garretson.org For policy questions, send mail to: Richard Nute: ri...@ieee.org