A growing number of electronic products manufactured today must meet international regulatory requirements for emissions and immunity. This is particularly true for products sold in the European community as well as a growing list of countries in the Far East. The California Instruments MXCTS System provides a cost-effective test solution aimed at verifying higher power product compliance to several AC and DC-related harmonized test standards. The MXCTS system offers many of the same features and capabilities of the California Instruments CTS Series product line already in use at many EMC labs around the world.

Covered Compliance Test Standards: 

• EN / IEC 61000-3-12 (-CTSH, -CTSHL) Harmonics, ≤ 75 Arms/phase, Edition 2.0 
• EN / IEC 61000-3-11 (-CTSH, -CTSHL) Flicker Measurement, < 75 Arms/phase, Edition 2.0 
• EN / IEC 61000-3-2 (-CTSL, -CTSHL) Harmonics < 16 Arms/Phase, Edition 5.1 
• EN / IEC 61000-3-3 (-CTSL, -CTSHL) Flicker Measurement, < 16 Arms/phase, Edition 3.2 
• EN / IEC 61000-4-13 Harmonics & Inter-harmonics Immunity (option), Edition 1.2 
• EN / IEC 61000-4-14 AC Voltage Fluctuations, Edition 1.2 
• EN / IEC 61000-4-17 DC Ripple, Edition 1.2 
• EN / IEC 61000-4-28 Frequency Variations, Edition 1.2

Pre-compliance Testing to: 

• EN / IEC 61000-4-11 AC Voltage Dips and Variations (option) Edition 3.0 
• EN / IEC 61000-4-27 Three-phase AC Voltage Unbalance, Edition 1.1 
• EN / IEC 61000-4-29 DC Voltage Dips and Interruptions, Edition 1.0

NPL Certified IEC Compliance Test Systems 

The MXCTS System is based on the same technology deployed in the California Instruments CTS Series products. The CTS Series has been certified by the National Physics Laboratory (NPL) in the United Kingdom for full compliance with the IEC Harmonics and Flicker Standards. The NPL is an independent test laboratory and a recognized authority on AC calibration.

AC Power Source 

The California Instruments Harmonics and Flicker Test System - is designed to be used in conjunction with the MX45- 3Pi AC/DC power source. The MX45-3Pi provides up to 62.5 ARMS per phase for high current harmonics and Flicker testing. The MX45-3Pi Series AC sources also offer arbitrary waveform generation, precision measurements, and waveform analysis capabilities, making it a versatile addition to any test resource portfolio. 

Refer to the MX Series data sheet for detailed information on the MX Series’ capabilities and features. 

The MX45-3Pi not only supports high power harmonics and flicker emissions tests but can also be used for a range of IEC 61000-4 AC immunity standards (certain options may be required, see ordering information for details).

Direct PC Data Acquisition 

A high-speed digital signal processor-based data acquisition system is used to implement the required IEC compliance measurement system. Direct access to the PC bus ensures a much higher data throughput capability than typically found in single-box IEC test systems that use the IEEE- 488 instrumentation bus to communicate with the PC. This architecture offers several advantages, not the least of which is the ability to support future versions of test standards by merely installing new PC software. This greatly reduces the risk of product obsolescence as test standards evolve. Furthermore, since the data is streamed to a hard disk in real-time, a complete data record is created each time, which may be used for audit purposes, further analysis or to prove compliance with the test standard. A special signal conditioning and isolation unit (PACS-3-75) is used to provide a quick and easy connection between the AC source output and the Equipment Under Test. This unit provides the required isolation, signal conditioning, and anti-alias filtering for the measurement system. The equipment under test is wired to a rear panel-mounted terminal block.

Harmonics Analyzer 

A key part of the MXCTS system is the IEC-compliant power analyzer which provides detailed information on both voltage and current. Measurements of both harmonics and inter-harmonics are made in real-time with no measurement gaps to fully conform to the latest revision of the IEC 61000-4-7 test standard. 

AC source voltage and EUT power are monitored continuously during the entire test. Voltage distortion and current harmonic data are checked against IEC class limits for pass or fail detection. Comprehensive test reports can be generated easily. Test limits are retained in a password-protected database and can be updated if needed in the future without the need to change software. Other software changes because of changing IEC harmonics standards can be accomplished by simply installing new PC software. No harmonics testing software resides.

Flicker Reference Impedance 

The IEC 60725 compliant reference impedance, capable of handling 75 An RMS per phase, is housed in a 43” cabinet. This lumped impedance is designed for testing to the IEC 61000-3-11 Flicker standard. For IEC 61000-3-3 low power Flicker testing (< 16 ARMS), the OMNI- 3-37MX is used instead, and is mounted in a similar 43” cabinet (-CTSL system). For testing to both standards, the MXCTSHL system cabinet includes both the OMNI 3-37 and the OMNI3-75. To select the appropriate impedance, a quick connect scheme is used to allow switching between the two. 

The IEC 60868-compliant Flicker meter, consisting of the Power Analysis Conditioning System (PACS) and the computer-mounted DSP is an integral part of this cabinet-mounted system.