IEC 61000-4-2 Standard Solution Problem Analysis

IEC 61000-4-2 standard stipulates the electrostatic discharge immunity test method. In the practical test, we find that there exist two main problems, namely different results can be obtained when test same equipment with different ESD simulators and bad repeatability in digital circuits ESD immunity tests may be caused by insufficient discharge number.

In 1995, International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) has released IEC 61000-4-2 (EMC Testing and Measurement Technology and Electrostatic Discharge Surge Immunity Test) Standard GB17626.2 and regulated the electrostatic discharge surge immunity test, including the experimental facility, discharge mode and discharge frequency, ESD model with human body metal model, effect criterion and the current waveform parameters of ESD simulator for the standard current discharge. Afterwards, the current standard has been finally issued in 2001 after the two-time supplement and revision by IEC in the year of 1998 and 2000. Although IEC has amended the test standards of the electrostatic discharge immunity for many times, other institutes such as American National Standards Institute (ANSI) also put forward their own electrostatic discharge standards. However, the test methods of the electrostatic discharge immunity still exists certain limitation.

From the test process operated according to IEC 61000-4-2:2001 standard, we can see that different ESD simulator exists apparent differences in the test result of the same experimental object; but the repeatability of test result of ESD immunity degree for some digital circuits is worse than the result from the same ESD simulator, the two kinds of phenomena are highlighted particularly in expression of non-contact discharge way. In view of the above problem, we have studied the reason of the above phenomena and put forward the improvements and suggestions from the two aspects of ESD simulator and testing methods.