CISPR 22

CISPR 22
Title	CISPR 22
Other names	Information technology equipment — Radio disturbance characteristics — Limits and methods of measurement
Committee	International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) / Special Committee on Radio Interference (CISPR)
First published	1993
Revised	1997, 2003, 2006 (superseded)
Withdrawn	2010 (replaced by subsequent standards)
Related standards	IEC 61000-3-2, IEC 61000-3-3, EN 55022

CISPR 22 CISPR 22 is an international specification defining radio disturbance limits and measurement methods for information technology equipment. It was developed by the International Special Committee on Radio Interference and widely referenced by national bodies and industry stakeholders for electromagnetic compatibility. The standard influenced regional regulations and product certification regimes across multiple technology sectors.

Overview

CISPR 22 was produced by the International Electrotechnical Commission's technical committee through the Special Committee on Radio Interference, drawing on input from national committees such as British Standards Institution, Deutsches Institut für Normung, Association Française de Normalisation, American National Standards Institute, and Standards Australia. The document addressed conducted and radiated emissions for appliances and assemblies used in offices, homes, and industrial premises. Its development involved representatives from manufacturers including IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Siemens, Sony, Panasonic (formerly Matsushita), and regulatory agencies such as Federal Communications Commission, European Commission, Industry Canada, and Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

Scope and Applicability

CISPR 22 applied to a broad set of information technology equipment categories, encompassing desktop systems, servers, printers, monitors, and peripheral devices produced by firms like Dell Technologies, Apple Inc., Lenovo, and Epson. The standard was used by certification bodies including Underwriters Laboratories, SGS S.A., TÜV Rheinland, and Intertek Group to assess products destined for markets regulated by entities such as CE marking authorities, Federal Communications Commission certification programs, and Eurasian Economic Union conformity frameworks. Variants for industrial and automotive electronics were cross-referenced with standards from International Organization for Standardization committees and regional technical committees such as CENELEC and Telecommunications Industry Association.

Technical Requirements and Limits

CISPR 22 specified numeric limits for conducted emissions on mains wiring and radiated emissions across frequency bands typically from 150 kHz to 30 MHz for conducted measurements and 30 MHz to 1 GHz (and higher in practice) for radiated measurements. These limits were aligned with measurement environments used by test laboratories operated by organizations like National Physical Laboratory (United Kingdom), Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, and National Institute of Standards and Technology. The limits differentiated between Class A and Class B equipment—categories recognized by entities such as European Commission regulators and industry consortia including Telecommunications Industry Association—affecting market placement for consumer products sold by manufacturers like LG Electronics and Samsung Electronics. Margin criteria and quasi-peak versus average detectors referenced instrumentation standards from producers such as Rohde & Schwarz, Keysight Technologies, and Tektronix.

Test Methods and Measurement Procedures

Measurement procedures in CISPR 22 required standardized setups: shielded enclosures (anechoic or semi-anechoic chambers) maintained by laboratories such as Chamber of Commerce labs and governed by metrology institutes like International Bureau of Weights and Measures. Radiated testing prescribed antenna types, measurement distances (3 m or 10 m), and site validation using techniques described by agencies including International Telecommunication Union and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Conducted testing mandated LISNs, coupling networks, and grounding conventions consistent with equipment used by test houses like CSA Group and UL LLC. Test reports were produced in formats compatible with certification schemes operated by CE marking conformity assessment bodies and notified bodies under regional directives.

Relationship to Other Standards and Revisions

CISPR 22 served as a foundation for regional adoptions such as EN 55022 in the European Union and national standards harmonized by Standards Council of Canada. It interrelated with immunity and power quality standards including IEC 61000-4-2, IEC 61000-4-3, IEC 61000-3-2, and IEC 61000-3-3. Revisions and eventual replacement were coordinated through IEC and CISPR processes involving stakeholders like World Trade Organization technical barriers to trade committees and industry groups such as European Telecommunications Standards Institute. The evolution culminated in successor documents that addressed broadband, switching power supplies, and digital interfaces—areas of interest to firms including Intel Corporation, Qualcomm, Broadcom Inc., and ARM Holdings.

Compliance, Certification, and Market Impact

Adherence to CISPR 22 influenced product design choices (shielding, filtering, PCB layout) adopted by engineering teams at National Semiconductor, Analog Devices, Texas Instruments, and STMicroelectronics. Certification to CISPR 22 or its regional equivalents was often required for market access under import regimes overseen by customs authorities like United States Customs and Border Protection and European Commission trade departments. Noncompliance could trigger recalls managed by corporate compliance units within Sony Corporation or enforcement actions by regulators such as FCC and Industry Canada. The legacy of CISPR 22 persists in training curricula at technical institutes like Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Imperial College London, and Delft University of Technology, and in contemporary EMC policy discussions at conferences hosted by IEEE EMC Society and CISPR.

Category:Electromagnetic compatibility standards