Unit of Laboratories

Electromagnetic Compatibility, Radio Equipment, Electrical Safety and Calibration Laboratories

Head of department: Ing. Karel Pitaš, kpitas@cmi.cz

Our promotional video can be found here.

You can clearly find the standards to which our laboratory is accredited in our appendix to the accreditation certificate (from page no. 6) here.

The laboratory provides a platform for CMI Notified Body No. 1383 for the following:

• Directive 1999/5/EC - Radio and telecommunications terminal equipment
• Directive 90/384/EEC - Non-automatic weight instruments
• Directive 2004/22/EC - Measuring instruments
• and also for the Certification Body for Products (COV)

The laboratory is accredited to perform EMC, radio parameters and electrical safety tests of electronic equipment according to ČSN EN, EN and OIML standards. Typical tested devices are:

• information and multimedia equipment
• scales, flow meters, electricity meters, ionizing radiation meters
• security equipment for buildings and persons
• railway equipment
• short-range radio equipment,
• products for the automotive industry
• household equipment
• medical equipment
• laboratory equipment

The laboratory offers informative testing during the product development phase according to customer needs.

Electromagnetic Compatibility

The laboratory covers all EMC (EMI and EMS) testing of products according to harmonized standards, e.g.:

• measurement of interference voltage and current on device ports - frequency range 9 kHz - 30MHz
• interference power measurement - frequency range 30 MHz - 300 MHz
• electromagnetic field measurement - frequency range 9 kHz - 15 GHz
• measurement of harmonic components of current and voltage at 50 Hz for single and three-phase devices
• flicker measurement
• ESD - electrostatic discharge
• radiation immunity (26 MHz - 6 GHz)
• fast transients / Burst
• surge pulses / Surge
• high frequency conducted immunity (150 kHz - 230 MHz) and BCI tests (automotive)
• immunity to magnetic fields
• Voltage drops and short-term interruptions

Laboratory equipment:

• non-reflective (anechoic) chamber for EMI and EMS testing. The main parameters of the chamber are:

• frequency range 20 MHz - 15 GHz, measurement distances of 10 m and 3 m allow:
  • to perform tests according to EN 55011 and EN 55032 without limitations
  • turntable diameter 4 m, maximum permissible load 2000 kg
  • entrance gate dimensions 3 m x 2.5 m (W x H)
  • possibilities of connecting external devices (coaxial cables, data lines, Ethernet, optics cable)
  • exhaust system of the anechoic chamber allows testing of internal combustion engines
  • software-controlled testing allows automatic testing

• 2 shielded rooms for measurements
• dedicated immunity testing facilities (ESD, burst, serge, conducted immunity, etc.)
• mobile laboratory for testing rail and other vehicles at the customer's site

Radio equipment

The Radio Equipment Laboratory performs accredited tests according to individual harmonised European standards in the frequency bands from 9 kHz to 40 GHz.

The radio and telecommunications equipment must meet the essential requirements according to Directive 2014/53/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014, as defined in the harmonised standards, or conformity is assessed by a notified body.

The laboratory covers the following test procedures and methods:

• measurement of radiated VF power and power at the connector
• measurement of frequency deviation
• measurement of power in the adjacent channel
• measurement of unwanted transmitter and receiver radiation (cabinet, antenna and connector radiation)
• measurement of transmitter transients
• measurement of receiver sensitivity, blocking and other receiver parameters
• measurement of other parameters according to harmonised standards

According to the requirements of the relevant standards, we also perform measurements of individual defined parameters under extreme climatic conditions.

We measure parameters from the VF field at distances of one, three and ten meters.

Laboratory equipment:

• non-reflective chamber with a three and one metre measuring station
• non-reflective chamber with a 10 metre measuring station
• shielded workstation with climate chamber for measurement of radio parameters under normal and extreme climatic conditions
• specialised test equipment for measuring radio equipment parameters

Electrical safety

The Accredited Electrical Safety Laboratory performs tests exclusively in accordance with European harmonised standards, which are linked to Directive 2014/35/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, which has been transposed into our legal system as Government Regulation No.118/2016 Coll., the so-called Low Voltage Directive, and Directive 2014/53/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, which has been transposed as Government Regulation No.426/2016 Coll., the so-called RED.

The laboratory's activities cover the following product areas:

• radio and telecommunications equipment,
• measurement and laboratory equipment,
• power supplies,
• luminaires,
• household appliances in the range of 'small white' and 'small black' appliances,
• household control equipment.

Products are assessed in the following respects:

• risk of electric injury,
• energy-related hazards,
• fire hazards,
• temperature-related hazards,
• mechanical hazards,
• radiation hazards,
• chemical hazards,
• markings and instructions.

The laboratory is also engaged in conducting environmental tests on electrical products with regard to humidity and temperature, conducting flammability tests of materials for electrical products with a needle flame and a hot loop, and measuring the resistance of electrical materials to high voltage.

Laboratory equipment:

• high voltage source up to 6 kV AC and DC,
• equipment for measuring transient resistances, insulation conditions and leakage currents,
• thermal camera in the range -20°C - +550°C,
• air conditioning chamber -30°C - +100°C, humidity 10-95%, volume 265 litres,
• temperature chamber 300°C, 80 litres,
• hot loop 750°C,
• a set of special fixtures and measuring probes to verify mechanical properties.

Calibration

The Calibration Laboratory performs calibration of antennas to the following extent:

• Dipole antennas 30 MHz - 1000 MHz - measurement distance 3m, 10m
• Logarithmic-periodic antennas 30MHz - 18 000 MHz - measurement distance 1m, 3m
• Logarithmic-periodic antennas 30MHz – 6 000 MHz - measurement distance 10m
• Hybrid antennas 30MHz – 18 000 MHz - measurement distance 1m,  3m
• Hybrid antennas 30MHz – 6 000 MHz - measurement distance 10m
• Dipole ROD antennas 9 kHz – 30 MHz
• Horn antennas 30 MHz – 26 000 MHz - measurement distance 1m
• Horn antennas 30 MHz – 18 000 MHz - measurement distance 3m
• Parabolic antennas 30 MHz – 26 000 MHz - measurement distance 1m
• Parabolic antennas 30 MHz – 18 000 MHz - measurement distance 3m
• Frame antennas (Magnetic Loop) 9kHz – 30MHz - measurement distance 1m