Standards Development

Scope

This part of IEC 60730 applies to the safety of electrical, electro-mechanical and electronic sensors including sensing elements and any conditioning circuitry. Sensors covered under the scope of this document serve only to transform an activating quantity into a usable output and do not perform a control operation as defined in the part 1.

This proposed standard will apply to sensors in so far as defining the reliability and accuracy of its inherent operating characteristics and corresponding response under normal and abnormal conditions within the sensor. Sensors, as defined herein, are used in conjunction within the scope of automatic electrical controls or as independent devices used in connection with controls and control systems.

The use of this propose standard for other applications in which sensors are used is possible provided that the appropriate safety is maintained as defined by the end product standard. This standard will apply to discrete sensors constructed of, but not limited to, conductive materials or, semi-conductor substrate materials, for the detection of activating quantities such as voltage, current, temperature, pressure, humidity, light (e.g. optical), gasoline vapours, and the like.

Note: Future consideration will be given to other sensors using technologies such as, chemical, mechanical and Micro-Electromechanical Systems (MEMS), along with other activating quantities like mass flow, liquid, movement, weight, vibration, or other as needed.

This standard will apply to sensing element(s) as well as any electronic hardware, software, or other conditioning circuits that are inherent to the sensor and relied upon to reliably transform the input signal into a useable response signal (output) for functional safety purposes. Conditioning circuits that are inseparable from the control for which the sensing element relies upon to perform its desired function are evaluated to the requirements of the relevant control Part 2 standard and/or the Part 1, IEC 60730-1.

Note 1: Additional requirements may be also applied by the application standard in which the sensor is used. 

Purpose

Consumers and the public are becoming increasingly reliant on products, controls, and systems, including AI, that relies heavily on sensor technologies in everyday life. Many of these sensor applications play a vital role in the operation of consumer appliances and in the health and safety of homes and buildings. This includes system integrity, security, and connectivity of the user. As emerging technologies and the everexpanding application for sensors continues to grow, there is a need for well-defined standards that address the proper function, safety and performance of sensors used in controls and consumer appliances that will serve a useful purpose in the marketplace to establish a minimum platform of safety and reliability for these devices.

To determine the relevant requirements and tests for a standard for sensors, it is necessary to fully understand the principal operation and the physical transformation of the activating quantity to the generated output signal of the sensor. The following are basic considerations for sensing technologies that can be used to establish a general approach for the implementation of sensor requirements in IEC 60730-1 standards.

(A) Inherent Electrical Safety

For technologies used with the sensor, an electrical safety evaluation shall be performed to determine the:

1. specific failure modes inherent to the technology and to reduce the risk hazard for electrical shock

2. specific environmental influences effecting performance (e.g. pollution, smoke, dust, chemical substances, temperature)

3. failure mode at the end of the sensor life

(B) Functional Safety

The relationship between the output signal and the activating quantity of the sensor shall be specified and evaluated. Additionally, the following factors can have an influence on the total accuracy of the sensor. At a minimum these shall be declared in the design specification, as applicable:

— Linearity;

— Offset;

— Deviation / Drift;

— Temperature;

— Hysteresis;

— Repeatability;

— Pressure;

— Supply voltage and disruption;

— Cross interference;

— Resolution;

— Humidity;

— Susceptibility to EMC

— Mounting position limitations.

(C) Test conditions

Accelerated endurance testing for environmental influences (e.g., temperature, humidity, chemical)