That's interesting, but I'm afraid it may not be as helpful as it sounds to the 'entire' electronics world. I agree that the fast-moving fast-obsoleting ITE/CISPR 24 world will probably weather it relatively well; good for them.
However, I failed to note my greatest concern is with EMC product-family standard EN 61326 for measurement, control, and lab equipment. Typically the very standard applied to equipment used in the electronics R&D and production industry, from DMMs to oscilloscopes. 61326 equipment is not often obsoleted, even in well over six years. Rapid obsoletion of such products is not well tolerated by the customers. Many will recall the very loud fuss raised over the sudden obsoletion of certain HP/Agilent spectrum analyzers roughly two years ago. In particular, this clause of 61326 regarding normative documents is interesting, making a fairly strong case for using the "most recent" edition of referenced standards, but not specifically requiring it: "2 Normative references The following normative documents contain provision which, through reference in this text, constitute provisions of this standard. At the time of publication, the editions indicated were valid. All normative documents are subject to revision, and parties to agreement based on this standard are encouraged to investigate the possibility of applying the most recent editions of the normative documents indicated below. Members of the IEC and ISO maintain registers of currently valid International Standards." However it is also true as cited in Annex ZA of 61326 that only the listed standards are applicable. In this case only the 1995 EN editions of -2 and -4 are required. As: "This European Standard incorporates by dated or undated reference, provisions from other publications. These normative references are cited at the appropriate places in the text and the publications are listed hereafter. For dated references, subsequent amendments to or revisions of any of these publications apply to this European Standard only when incorporated in it by amendment or revision. For undated references the latest edition of the publication referred to applies (including amendments)." Again, considering the extended life of 61326 products even a six year cycle could be tramatic. Failing to switch to a new basic standard as soon as it is released could be a major error in planning. Consider being a compliance manager faced with a new edition of 61326 with these two (and probably more) new normative references impacting a catalog of nearly 500 products - all not yet tested - and barely three years to make the transition - acquire new capital equipment, staff accordingly... . (Remember that new products are still being introduced/tested in this period.) That isn't a transition period, it is in fact PURE PANIC and at high cost. This is not just my opinion. This is from real life experience with a catalog of just over 470 products as 61326 itself became mandatory. Best Regards, Eric Lifsey e.lif...@ieee.org http://ewh.ieee.org/r6/utah/ ------------------------------------------- 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: Ron Pickard: emc-p...@hypercom.com Dave Heald: davehe...@attbi.com 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://ieeepstc.mindcruiser.com/ Click on "browse" and then "emc-pstc mailing list"
