EMC’09/Kyoto 24R3-1

Recent development regarding IEC 61000-2-5,

description and classification of electromagnetic
environments
Bernd Jaekel#1, Ade Ogunsola*2, Leonardo Sandrolini+3
#
Siemens AG, Sector Industry, EMC-Center Erlangen, Germany
1
bernd.jaekel@siemens.com
*
Parsons Group International, Rail Transit Division, Systems Sector, London, UK
2
ade.ogunsola@parsons.com
+
Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
3
leonardo.sandrolini@mail.ing.unibo.it

Abstract— Knowledge of the electromagnetic environment in
which equipment is intended to be operated is an essential
precondition for the achievement of electromagnetic
compatibility. The necessity of such knowledge stems from the
fact that suitable immunity requirements can only be derived
from the corresponding data of the electromagnetic environment.
The description of a general electromagnetic environment should
include a multitude of phenomena having a broad spectrum of
parameters. However, such a general description is not helpful in
most cases since it implies that immunity against all such
phenomena has to be demonstrated. A practical way forward
consists of introducing a classification scheme that presents a
correlation between locations and the electromagnetic
phenomena existing at the said location. This approach forms the
basis of the EMC publication IEC 61000-2-5. The
electromagnetic environment is continuously changing due to the
introduction of new technologies and the implementation of new
applications of existing technologies. An example is the
introduction of radio and communication devices (and services)
operating at frequencies above 1 GHz. There is therefore a need
to continually monitor the electromagnetic environment and
update the description of the associated electromagnetic
phenomena. Such a process is currently being performed by a
working group of IEC TC 77. The output of its work should be
the object of the next edition of IEC 61000-2-5. The present
status as well as expected changes will be discussed in this paper.
Key words: electromagnetic environment, disturbance degree,
compatibility level, location class.
I. INTRODUCTION
The achievement of adequate immunity of electrical or
electronic equipment against electromagnetic disturbances is a
basic provision when ensuring electromagnetic compatibility
of equipment, systems or installations. Such immunity is
described by specified immunity levels as well as by means of
performance criteria, which describe the behaviour of the
equipment under test when exposed to electromagnetic
disturbance. The selection of immunity levels and
performance criteria should reflect the expected
electromagnetic disturbance at the intended location of
operation as well as the characteristics of the equipment.
However, knowledge of the electromagnetic environment of
the said location is a crucial factor when determining
appropriate immunity levels. Obtaining such knowledge,
whereas the resultant data need to have certain evidence,
represents a very challenging task, directly deducible from the
definition of the electromagnetic environment: totality of
electromagnetic phenomena existing at a given location.
Therefore the topic of electromagnetic environment has
been identified to be very important within the series of
immunity standards and hence a series of relevant documents
has been published in which the topic and the description of
electromagnetic environment is dealt with. The classification
of these documents and their relation to the EMC publications
of the series IEC 61000-X-Y is given in [1].
II. ELECTROMAGNETIC ENVIRONMENTS
There are several documents published under the
IEC 61000-2-Y series of standards that deal with the
description of an electromagnetic environment. The relevant
standards and their associated titles are listed in [1]. Most of
these documents deal with a limited type of electromagnetic
environments. This refers to both the category of considered
electromagnetic phenomena and to a special class of locations
(e.g. public medium voltage power supply networks).
Uniquely the document IEC 61000-2-5 gives an overview
of all known electromagnetic phenomena (with the exception
of HEMP) for various types of location classes. Insofar it
represents the general starting point when determining
immunity levels related to electromagnetic environment. The
purpose of IEC 61000-2-5 is to classify electromagnetic
environments and to support specifying immunity
requirements of any electric and electronic item of equipment.
However, it should be mentioned that the immunity
requirements for an equipment are not bound to its
environment only but also to the requirements of its
applications.
The individual documents of the IEC 61000-2-Y series
have been developed and published at different periods
depending on the actual interest of the responsible working

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group, reflecting the existence of relevant data and technology
best practice at the time of publication.
Hence slight differences with respect to electromagnetic
disturbance level and the compatibility level (or immunity
limit) specified in the relevant documents do exist between
these documents. A plausible reason for these differences is
the fact that the electromagnetic environment is not static but
one that is continuously varying with technology
advancements and uptake as well as the increasing spread and
distribution of equipment which may act as interference
sources and the convergence of technology. The primary
objective of updating IEC 61000-2-5 is therefore to ensure
that the electromagnetic environment description accurately
reflects the environment of today, and as afar as can be
predicted for tomorrow.
Following on, there is a requirement to continually track
the characteristics of an electromagnetic environment and to
adapt its description according to the actual status of, for
example, new technologies being operated. Such an
adaptation is currently being discussed and assessed and the
relevant work is being done by a working group of the
technical committee TC 77 of IEC (TC 77 WG 13). Beside the
adaptation with respect to changes in types and amplitudes of
electromagnetic phenomena is to be taken into account, there
is an ongoing debate with respect to how to classify relevant
types of electromagnetic environments. The results will be
published in the second edition of IEC 61000-2-5.
III. STRUCTURE AND CONTENT OF IEC 61000-2-5
IEC 61000-2-5 contains an almost complete description of
the electromagnetic environment with respect to all the
relevant electromagnetic phenomena. It introduces the basic
term “compatibility level” for assessing a specific maximum
level of an electromagnetic disturbance. This term is not an
absolute one but may be exceeded by a small probability
(under special circumstances there is always a scenario
imaginable in which such a maximum value is exceeded).
Further to the aim of providing a broad data basis for the
deduction of immunity levels by applying the document IEC
61000-2-5, the need arises to consider all relevant
electromagnetic phenomena and to state the relevant
compatibility levels. The structure of the document reflects
that need and it is intended to:
• Provide information about electromagnetic phenomena to
be expected at various types of locations,
• Introduce the approach to describe electromagnetic
phenomena by their disturbance degrees,
• Classify various types of locations and to describe them
by means of attributes, and
• Compile tables of compatibility levels for
electromagnetic phenomena that are considered to be
relevant for those types of locations.
It has to be mentioned that the actual environment
disturbance degrees as well as the equipment immunity levels
are only probabilities, i.e. no clear thresholds can be defined.
Moreover, some of the attributes for a given location are
expressed as the exclusion of a specific level of disturbance.
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IV. CHANGES IN ELECTROMAGNETIC ENVIRONMENTS
When observing the general developments in the technical
area it is very obvious that electromagnetic environments with
their variety of electromagnetic phenomena are not static. This
fact does not refer to short-term or temporary conditions such
as the statistical occurrence of electromagnetic phenomena.
Such a varying situation also exists on a long-term basis
because of various reasons:
• existing technologies are permanently changed and
adapted,
• the number of applications of equipment, which act as
prominent interference source and which was used rather
seldom in the past, increases and
• new technologies are constantly being introduced.
Hence the fact results that electromagnetic environments
change in many cases in a fundamental way, often even by
showing up new electromagnetic phenomena. A change in the
electromagnetic environment is very obvious and
fundamental; for example, in case of the increased usage of
variable speed drive systems or in case of the recently
introduced wireless communication services (W-LAN,
Bluetooth, etc.) with the increasing generation of
electromagnetic fields in the frequency range above 1 GHz.
For the first edition of IEC 61000-2-5, a generic description
was provided for environment above the frequency range of 1
GHz, this is due to the fact that at the time of its publication
there were no wide spread radiation sources or application
above 1 GHz. Meanwhile the importance of that frequency
range has increased because many technology applications
now operate above 1 GHz. Therefore it is imperative that the
next edition (and indeed future editions) of IEC 61000-2-5
adequately cover this frequency range. Recently performed
work resulted in huge compilation of relevant data of the
radiated situation in the higher frequency range as Table I
shows.
V. CLASSIFICATION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC ENVIRONMENTS
The description of a general electromagnetic environment,
i.e. generally applicable to all types of locations, has to
consider a broad variety of electromagnetic phenomena
consisting of a number of independent variables such as
frequency, amplitudes, rise time, etc. The electromagnetic
phenomena must represent all those which might occur at this
general location of interest. Such a general description,
however, is not very helpful in practice, since it would imply
that immunity has to be achieved against all such
electromagnetic phenomena, irrespective of the
electromagnetic characteristic of the intended environment,
assuming that the environment can be characterised
electromagnetically.
Another approach would be to consider an environment in
terms of processes (or lack of) that are put in place to control
the electromagnetic characteristics of a particular environment.
While controlled electromagnetic environments do exist such
environments are in the minority and mainly represent
environments where safety critical systems are being used [2].
EMC’09/Kyoto 24R3-1

A more practical approach would be to introduce a The respective compatibility levels together with a short list
classification scheme for electromagnetic environments, in of attributes connected to the location class are given in the
such a manner that typical location classes are described by referenced annexes (A.1 to A.8) of IEC 61000-2-5. The
electromagnetic phenomena more or less specific and relevant problem with this approach is that as the number of
for those areas, rather than on geographical or structural independent environments increases so does the description
aspects. The current edition of IEC 61000-2-5 lists eight types and this becomes unmanageable.
of location classes. The working group is currently discussing a new approach
of electromagnetic environment classification. The concept is
TABLE I based on the realisation that more and more different types of
DESCRIPTION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC ENVIRONMENT – RADIATED HIGH-
FREQUENCY PHENOMENA location classes do not generally have different
electromagnetic phenomena with different compatibility
Current edition of IEC 61000-2-5 levels and thus it becomes difficult to strictly allocate
phenomena and compatibility levels to a certain location class.
Sources of AM Walkie-talkie CB TV – VHF
high Broadcasting 27-1 000 MHz 27 MHz 48-223 Furthermore, location classes have become less and less
frequency 150 kHz-30 P=5W P = 12 W MHz specific; they often show a kind of overlap of characteristics
electro- MHz P = 200 kW
magnetic
of different location classes. For example, it is possible to
P = 500 kW
fields define a location class for a railway environment as a
combination of three generic location classes, e.g.
Current status of work for the next edition of IEC 61000-2-5
“commercial location” (e.g., inside a station building), “heavy
Sources AM Walkie-talkie CB TV – VHF industrial location” (e.g., in a sub-station) and “light industrial
of high Broadcasting 27-1 000 MHz 27 MHz 48-223
frequenc 150 kHz-30 P=5W P = 12 W MHz location” (e.g., in signal rooms). A similar classification can
y MHz P = 200 be given for a hospital environment. Hence a consideration is
electro- P = 500 kW kW
magneti
given to the description of three generic location classes, as
c fields shown in Fig. 1 and to describe them by means of some
Mobile GSM DCS 1800 DECT CT-2 attributes or characteristics. These attributes may include a list
Phones 890-915 1,71-1,784 GHz 1.88-1.96 864-868
(mobile MHz GHz MHz
of typical potential interference sources, a consideration of the
P=4W
equipme P=20 W P = 0.25 W P = 0.01W location boundaries and the relevant system ports for such
nt part location class.
1)
Mobile PDC PHS NADC IMT-2000
Phones 940-955MHz 1,895-1,918 825-845 1,90-1,92
(mobile 1,429-1,453 GHz MHz GHz
equipme GHz 1,920-
nt part P=2 W P = 0.01 W P=6W 1,980
2) GHz
P = 0.25
W
Mobile GSM DCS 1800 DECT CT-2
Phones 935-960 1,805-1,880 1.88-1.96 864-868
(Base MHz GHz GHz MHz
stations, P=320 W P = 200 W P = 0.25 W P = 0.25
part 1) W
Mobile PDC PHS NADC IMT-2000
Phones 810-826MHz 1,895-1,918 870-890 1,900-
(Base 1,477-1,501 GHz MHz 1,920
stations, GHz GHz
part 2 P=96 W P = 0.5 W P = 500 W 2,110-
2,170
GHz
P = 20 W
Further RFID RTTT Wideband
HF 2,446-2,454 5,795- 5,815 data
equipme GHz GHz transmission
nt P= W P=8W systems and -
Fig.1. Archetypes of electromagnetic environments
(part 1) HIPERLANs
2,400-2,4835
GHz
Then a further step would be to introduce some more
P = 0.1 W specific sub-classes to a location class and to describe their
Further Wideband Wideband data Non specific electromagnetic environment with respect to the general one
HF data transmission short range applicable to the superior location class. This would enable
equipme transmission systems and devices
nt systems and HIPERLANs 2,400– -
the application of a general description when, for example,
(part 2) HIPERLANs 5,470-5,725 2,4835 GHz concluding on immunity levels and to take into account some
5,150-5,350 GHz 5,725-5,875
GHz P=1W GHz
particularities for a special sub-class of locations. The
P = 0.2 W P = 0.025 W following three generic types of location classes can be
defined: Industrial, Residential and Office/Public.

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VI. ELECTROMAGNETIC PHENOMENA AND BASIC IMMUNITY interest to a certain extent. This means that such standardized
STANDARDS tests can be used, either directly or partly modified, to
The electromagnetic environment at a location of interest is conclude on corresponding immunity and in many cases it is
a fact on its own and can in most cases not be related one-to- possible to implement an approach where the stress due to an
one to the descriptions of electromagnetic phenomena as they electromagnetic environment is reflected by the application of
are given, for example, in EMC basic standards of the IEC appropriate standardized immunity standards. However, the
61000-4 series. The detailed manifestation of electromagnetic assessment to which extent a standardized immunity test
phenomena depends on many parameters and conditions, such reflects an electromagnetic phenomenon in a real environment
as the electromagnetic characteristics of equipment operating represents a crucial task and needs careful evaluation. Table II
at a location of interest or the installation practice applied, and shows an attempt to relate electromagnetic phenomena to the
in most cases those phenomena do not show the same basic standards reflecting their stresses.
characteristics as described in an EMC basic standard. As the various types of location classes are characterized by
different electromagnetic phenomena, different with respect to
TABLE II
CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN ELECTROMAGNETIC PHENOMENA AND BASIC
their occurrence as well as different with respect to their
STANDARDS disturbance degrees, different immunity requirements result
for equipment intended to be used at those various types of
Electromagnetic phenomenon Basic standard locations and hence different sets of EMC basic standards
Conducted low-frequency phenomena may apply, partly also different in the applied immunity test
– harmonics, interharmonics IEC 61000-4-13
– signalling voltages
levels. However, special attention should be paid to situations
– voltage fluctuations IEC 61000-4-14 when equipment is intended to be used at locations which are
– voltage dips and interruptions IEC 61000-4-11 assigned to different location classes.
– voltage unbalance IEC 61000-4-27
– power-frequency variations IEC 61000-4-28 VII. CONCLUSION
– induced low-frequency voltages IEC 61000-4-16 The current discussions within the bounds of the revision of
– DC in AC networks IEC 61000-2-5 show the difficulties that appear when trying
Radiated low-frequency phenomena to describe an electromagnetic environment: they start already
– magnetic fields IEC 61000-4-8 with evaluating and assessing the very extensive data basis
– electric fields
which exists with respect to nearly every electromagnetic
Conducted high-frequency phenomena
– induced CW voltages or currents IEC 61000-4-6 phenomenon. On the other hand, the results regarding the
– unidirectional transients IEC 61000-4-4, individual phenomena should be demonstrated and described
IEC 61000-4-5 in a relatively simple way; furthermore, compatibility levels
– oscillatory transients IEC 61000-4-12, have to be concluded in an evident way and these levels have
IEC 61000-4-18 to be assigned to various location classes. And finally there is
Radiated high-frequency phenomena a challenge to structure the document in such a way that it can
– magnetic fields IEC 61000-4-9, be used easily and comfortably by all interested parties, for
– electric fields IEC 61000-4-10 example those who deal with the determination of immunity
-
levels for products or product families intended to be used in
– electromagnetic fields IEC 61000-4-3
certain location classes.
Electrostatic discharge phenomena (ESD) IEC 61000-4-2
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
However, when immunity requirements, which reflect the
stress due to an electromagnetic environment, should be A complex topic as the description of an electromagnetic
specified, it is in most cases not a very practical approach to environment represents a permanent process of work and
develop immunity tests which actually consider the particular discussion. This is currently being worked on by a working
manifestation of electromagnetic phenomena at a location of group under IEC TC 77 (WG 13). Hence the authors would
interest. Such specific immunity tests would consider a single like to thank all the very active members of this working
situation at a single point in time only. Indeed, group, i.e. D. Carpenter, S. Ishigami, F. Jetzschmann, D.
electromagnetic environments are very complex and more Moehr, M. Ohshima and W. Radasky, who all provide very
information than is available about the environment is usually valuable input and enable very fruitful discussions.
needed to correctly assess the necessary immunity levels of REFERENCES
any equipment. The environmental database shows that there
[1] B. W. Jaekel, “Description and classification of electromagnetic
is a wide variety of conducted and radiated disturbances that environments – revision of IEC 61000-2-5,” IEEE International
can be expected to occur in the use of equipment. Symposium on Electromagnetic Compatibility, 2008. EMC 2008., vol.,
On the other hand, there are already a lot of standardized no., pp.1-4, 18-22 Aug. 2008.
immunity tests available, such as those of the IEC 61000-4 [2] A. Ogunsola and B. W. Jaekel, “EMC and Functional Safety
Requirements for Integrated Electronics Systems” 3rd IET International
series. In many cases those EMC basic standards can be taken Conference on System Safety, System Safety 2008, pp 1- 7, 20 -22 Oct.
advantage of when they reflect the phenomena at a location of 2008.

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