How do you find applicable standards?

[fredboivin]

Hi,

I am in the process of selecting an AC DC converter module that will go inside a UL864 listed product and got overwhelmed when searching for the applicable standards the module should meet. When I asked my surroundings, the response was foggy at best...

Except learning them all by heart, what is your method to find applicable standards for your projects? Is there a dedicated standard savvy person in your group, do you contact the agencies, do you take inspiration from similar products, do you know a good tool or a resource, etc?

Anyway. About my power supply, I found that if it meets UL60950, there is only a couple more tests I have to perform to qualify it for UL864. Does that sound right?

Thanks!

[Neilm]

In the UK things I design have to be CE marked for sale in Europe. Due to that, I would look at gov and EU websites which would state what EU directives it needs to meet. (I might also look at competitors to see if they state what they meet). From them, I would then check to see what standard would be required to presume conformance with the standard. Once I knew what standard I would have to meet, I would get the standard then check to see what other standards the first standard called up.

For example - lets say I was designing a multi-meter. I would look at the web and see that my meter needs to meet the Low Voltage Directive, and the EMC directive. The EU maintains a list of standards and I see that I need to meet IEC61010. However, I also need to meet several different parts of this standard - the general requirements section, test leads section etc. Getting the standard, I see that if it contains a rechargeable battery pack, I need to meet another standard, fuses need to meet certain other standard and so on.

To answer your specific questions, you will have to get the standard and read it cover to cover in excruciating detail. If you still are not sure then ask at test houses where this will be checked. They will usually happily give guidance in this.

[fredboivin]

Thanks!

I wish there was a tool where you could just enter the regions and the application and then it would point you at the right set of standards.

The methodology you explain it about what I've been doing up until now. I've spent the last several days going through UL-864, ULC-S525, UL-1481, UL-60950-1, etc and I think I am now dying of a melting brain...

[MK]

Thats the beauty of standards, there are so many to choose from...