The goal of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) testing is to help ensure that an electronic system will function as it should without affecting or being affected by other electronic or electrical devices in its given environment. This means that the device should not emit electromagnetic interference (EMI) that might interfere with other electronic or electrical devices in its environment, nor should it be susceptible to any EMI emitted from other devices in its area. While there has been a need for EMC testing for over a century, it has constantly evolved in order to keep up with technology. As technology has progressed, standards have been put in place to serve as guidelines in order to explain the limits of what is considered electromagnetically compatible. While there isn't necessarily a universal set of EMC guidelines, different governing bodies, as well as private institutions, have created EMC standards that have been adopted by industries around the world. There are companies, such as Com-Power Corporation, that can advise designers and manufacturers on the EMC test equipment needed in order to make sure that the product they launch is compatible with the standards in the market they are looking to reach. The following is a high-level overview of some EMC regulating bodies.

FCC

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the United States regulates nearly all commercial sources of electromagnetic radiation, according to Title 47 CFR. These sources of electromagnetic radiation consist of essentially every product that employs a microprocessor, including computers and computer accessories, smartphones, televisions and video game systems. The FCC has imposed requirements that make it illegal to sell or market certain devices until their radiated and conducted emissions have been measured and found to be in compliance, and in some cases, the appropriate approval (i.e.: Certification, Type Acceptance, etc.), has been obtained, with penalties ranging from fines to jail time.

IEC

The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is an international standards organization that creates standards for all electrical and electronic devices, spanning a vast range of technologies ranging from power generation to home appliances. Having been officially formed in 1906 by the British Institution of Electrical Engineers and the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, among others, the IEC was instrumental in developing and distributing standards for units of measurement and providing one of the first systems of standards for EMC. The IEC was also responsible for creating a multilingual international vocabulary that unified terminology relating to electrical and electronic devices. There are currently 86 countries that are members of the IEC and 87 that are in the Affiliate Country Program, which was started as a way to help industrializing countries get involved with the IEC.

CISPR

CISPR stands for (in English) the International Special Committee on Radio Interference and is a group that was founded by the IEC in 1934 to set standards for controlling electromagnetic interference in electrical and electronic devices. CISPR is composed of six technical subcommittees and one managerial subcommittee whose work involves equipment and methods for measuring interference, establishing limits and immunity requirements, and prescribing methods of measuring immunity. CIS/A, CIS/B, CIS/D, CIS/F, CIS/H, and CIS/I are the technical subcommittees, while SC/S is the steering committee responsible for managing priorities, orders of business and general course of operations for the committee as a whole.

ISO

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) was founded in 1947 and is composed of representatives from various national organizations tasked with promoting worldwide proprietary, industrial and commercial standards. Made up of 164 countries, it is an independent organization that has set a broad range of standards, ranging from food safety to healthcare, it has a number of standards on automotive EMC issues as well.

While there are other EMC standardization commissions and committees, these are the most well-known and have developed standards that have been widely adopted internationally. As countries continue to technologically advanced, more and more are looking for established standards in order to make sure that their products are EMC compliant and function properly, and the above list is made up of institutions that have the knowledge and experience to help ensure that happens.