scope:

This part of IEC 61000, which is an IEC technical report, reviews the sources and effects of power frequency conducted harmonic current emissions in the frequency range up to 2 kHz on the public electricity supply, and gives an account of the reasoning and calculations leading to the existing emission limits for equipment in the editions of IEC 61000-3-2, up to and including the fifth edition (2018) with Amendment 1 (2020), and in the second edition of IEC 61000-3-12 (2011). The history is traced from the first supra-national standard on low-frequency conducted emissions into the public electricity supply, EN 50006:1976 and its evolution through IEC (60)555-2 to IEC 61000-3-2, IEC TR 61000-3-4 and IEC 61000-3-12. To give a full picture of the history, that of the standard for the measuring instrument IEC 61000-4-7 is mentioned as well. NOTE - All IEC standards were renumbered in the 60000 series from 1998-01-01. To indicate the references of standards withdrawn before, or not reprinted after, that date, the '60x' prefix is here enclosed in parentheses. Hence 'IEC (60)555-2'. Some concepts in this document apply to all low voltage AC systems, but the numerical values apply specifically to the European 230 V/400 V 50 Hz system.