SIST EN IEC 61000-4-2:2025

Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) - Part 4-2: Testing and measurement techniques - Electrostatic discharge immunity test

IEC 61000-4-2: 2025 relates to the immunity requirements and test methods for electrical and electronic equipment subjected to static electricity discharges from operators directly and from personnel to adjacent objects. It additionally specifies ranges of test levels which relate to different environmental, and installation conditions and establishes test procedures. The objective of this document is to establish a common and reproducible basis for evaluating the performance of electrical and electronic equipment when subjected to electrostatic discharges. In addition, it includes electrostatic discharges which can occur from personnel to objects near the equipment. This document specifies:
- ideal waveform of the discharge current;
- range of test levels;
- test equipment;
- test setup;
- test procedure;
- calibration procedure;
- measurement uncertainty.
This document gives specifications for tests performed in laboratories and guidance to post-installation tests. This document is not intended to specify the tests to be applied to particular apparatus or systems. The main aim is to give a general basic reference to all concerned product committees. The product committees remain responsible for the appropriate choice of the tests and the severity level to be applied to their equipment. This document excludes tests intended to evaluate the ESD sensitivity of devices during handling and packaging. It is not intended for use in characterizing the performance of ESD protection circuit IEC Guide 107.
This document forms Part 4-2 of IEC 61000. It has the status of a basic EMC publication in accordance with IEC Guide 107. This third edition cancels and replaces the second edition published in 2008. This edition constitutes a technical revision.
This edition includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous edition:
a) added a calibration requirement for ESD generators with air discharge tip;
b) added a normative annex for test setups for particular kind of equipment (see Annex I);
c) added an informative annex for wearable devices (see Annex J);
d) added an informative annex on how to select test points and give guidance on how to specify the number of pulses for direct contact discharges (see Annex E);
e) moved Clause 9 into a new informative annex (see Annex K);
f) improvement of the current calibration procedure;
g) improvement of the measurement uncertainty considerations with examples of uncertainty budgets;
h) because post-installation tests cannot be performed in a controlled environment, this test method has been moved into a new informative Annex G.

Elektromagnetische Verträglichkeit (EMV) - Teil 4-2: Prüf- und Messverfahren - Prüfung der Störfestigkeit gegen die Entladung statischer Elektrizität

Compatibilité électromagnétique (CEM) - Partie 4-2: Techniques d'essai et de mesure - Essai d'immunité aux décharges électrostatiques

IEC 61000-4-2: 2025 se rapporte aux exigences et méthodes d'essais relatives à l'immunité des matériels électriques et électroniques, soumis à des décharges d'électricité statique produites directement par les opérateurs, et entre le personnel et des objets situés à proximité. Elle spécifie en outre des plages de niveaux d'essais, qui correspondent à différentes conditions d'environnement et d'installation et elle établit des procédures d'essai.
Le présent document a pour objectif d'établir une base commune et reproductible pour l'évaluation des performances des matériels électriques et électroniques lorsqu'ils sont soumis à des décharges électrostatiques. Il intègre également les décharges électrostatiques qui peuvent se produire entre le personnel et des objets situés à proximité des matériels. Le présent document spécifie:
- la forme d'onde idéale du courant de décharge;
- la plage des niveaux d'essais;
- le matériel d'essai;
- le montage d'essai;
- la procédure d'essai;
- la procédure d'étalonnage;
- l'incertitude de mesure.
Le présent document donne des spécifications pour les essais réalisés en laboratoire et des recommandations pour les essais après installation.
Le présent document ne vise pas à spécifier les essais à appliquer à des appareils ou systèmes particuliers. L'objet principal est de donner une référence principale générale à tous les comités de produits concernés. Les comités des produits restent responsables du choix approprié des essais et du niveau de sévérité à appliquer à leur matériel.
Le présent document exclut les essais destinés à évaluer la sensibilité aux DES des dispositifs au cours de la manipulation et de l'emballage. Il n'est pas destiné à caractériser les performances des circuits de protection contre les DES.
Cette troisième édition annule et remplace la deuxième édition parue en 2008. Cette édition constitue une révision technique.
Cette édition inclut les modifications techniques majeures suivantes par rapport à l'édition précédente:
a) ajout d'une exigence d'étalonnage pour les générateurs de DES à tête de décharge dans l'air;
b) ajout d'une annexe normative pour les montages d'essai pour un type de matériel particulier (voir l'Annexe I)
c) ajout d'une annexe informative pour les dispositifs portables (voir l'Annexe J);
d) ajout d'une annexe informative qui décrit comment choisir les points d'essai et donne des recommandations sur la manière de spécifier le nombre d'impulsions pour les décharges au contact direct (voir l'Annexe E);
e) transfert de l'Article 9 dans une nouvelle annexe informative (voir l'Annexe K);
f) amélioration de la procédure d'étalonnage actuelle;
g) amélioration des considérations relatives à l'incertitude de mesure par des exemples de bilans d'incertitude;
h) les essais après installation ont été déplacés dans une nouvelle Annexe G informative car ils ne peuvent pas être réalisés dans un environnement maît

Elektromagnetna združljivost (EMC) - 4-2. del: Preskusne in merilne tehnike - Preskus odpornosti proti elektrostatični razelektritvi

Ta del standarda IEC 61000 obravnava zahteve glede odpornosti ter preskusne metode za električno in elektronsko opremo, ki je izpostavljena elektrostatičnim razelektritvam neposredno od upravljavcev ter med osebjem in sosednjimi predmeti. Poleg tega določa razpone preskusnih ravni, ki se navezujejo na različne okoljske in vgradne pogoje, ter vzpostavlja preskusne postopke.
Cilj tega dokumenta je določiti skupno in ponovljivo podlago za vrednotenje delovanja električne in elektronske opreme, kadar je izpostavljena elektrostatičnim razelektritvam. Vključuje tudi elektrostatične razelektritve, do katerih lahko pride med osebjem in predmeti v bližini opreme.
Ta dokument določa:
– idealno valovno obliko razelektritvenega toka;
– razpon preskusnih ravni;
– preskusno opremo;
– preskusne nastavitve;
– preskusni postopek;
– postopek kalibracije;
– merilno negotovost.
Ta dokument podaja specifikacije za preskuse, ki se izvajajo v laboratorijih, in smernice za preskuse po vgradnji.
Ta dokument ni namenjen določanju preskusov, ki jih je treba uporabiti za določene naprave ali sisteme. Glavni cilj je podati splošno osnovno referenco vsem zadevnim odborom za izdelke.
Odbori za izdelke ostajajo odgovorni za ustrezno izbiro preskusov in stopnjo resnosti, ki se uporablja za njihovo opremo.
Ta dokument ne vključuje preskusov, namenjenih vrednotenju občutljivosti naprav, občutljivih za elektrostatično razelektritev (ESD), med rokovanjem in pakiranjem ter ni namenjen za uporabo pri opredelitvi delovanja zaščitnih vezij teh naprav.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Public Enquiry End Date: 25-Jul-2024
• Publication Date: 13-May-2025
• ICS: 33.100.20 - Immunity
• Technical Committee: EMC - Electromagnetic compatibility
• Current Stage: 6060 - National Implementation/Publication (Adopted Project)
• Start Date: 30-Apr-2025
• Due Date: 05-Jul-2025
• Completion Date: 14-May-2025
• Directive: 2014/30/EU - Directive 2014/30/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to electromagnetic compatibility (recast)
• Mandate: M/490 - Standardisation mandate to the European Standardisation Organisations (ESOs) to support European Smart Grid deployment
• Ref Project: EN IEC 61000-4-2:2025 - Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) - Part 4-2: Testing and measurement techniques - Electrostatic discharge immunity test

Relations

• Revises: SIST EN 61000-4-2:2009 - Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) -- Part 4-2: Testing and measurement techniques - Electrostatic discharge immunity test
• Effective Date: 24-Jan-2023
• Revised: SIST EN 61000-4-2:2009 - Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) -- Part 4-2: Testing and measurement techniques - Electrostatic discharge immunity test
• Effective Date: 18-May-2021

Overview

SIST EN IEC 61000-4-2:2025 (equivalent to IEC 61000-4-2:2025) is the international basic EMC publication that defines standardized electrostatic discharge (ESD) immunity tests for electrical and electronic equipment. The standard establishes reproducible test methods, ranges of test levels tied to environmental and installation conditions, and the objective criteria for evaluating equipment performance when subjected to static electricity discharges - both direct (operator to equipment) and indirect (personnel to nearby objects).

This third edition replaces the 2008 edition and contains a technical revision to improve calibration, uncertainty analysis and guidance for specific equipment types (e.g., wearable and wall‑mounted devices).

Key topics and requirements

• Scope and purpose: Common, reproducible basis for assessing EUT (equipment under test) behaviour under ESD; not intended for handling/packaging sensitivity tests or for characterizing ESD protection circuits.
• Ideal discharge waveform: Defines the expected current waveform characteristics for contact and air discharges.
• Test levels: Specifies ranges of severity linked to environmental and installation conditions; product committees select appropriate levels for their equipment.
• Test equipment and ESD generators: Requirements for generator design, calibration procedures (including added calibration for air‑discharge tips), and verification of generator performance.
• Test setup and procedure: Laboratory reference conditions, table‑top and floor‑standing setups, ungrounded equipment provisions, and test execution (direct, indirect, and air discharges).
• Measurement uncertainty: Improved guidance and examples of uncertainty budgets for ESD current and timing measurements.
• Annexes and guidance:
  • Normative annexes for particular equipment setups (Annex I) and escalation strategies (Annex H).
  • Informative annexes for wearable devices (Annex J), post‑installation tests (moved to Annex G), selection of test points and pulse counts (Annex E), and result evaluation (Annex K).

Practical applications and users

• Product designers and EMC engineers use this standard to design and verify robustness of consumer electronics, industrial controls, medical devices, telecommunications equipment and wearables against ESD.
• Test laboratories implement the specified test setup, calibration and uncertainty procedures to produce repeatable, compliant test reports.
• Standards and product committees reference this document to determine appropriate ESD immunity levels for specific product families.
• Compliance and QA teams use the normative and informative annexes for post‑installation checks, escalation procedures, and selecting test points.

Related standards

• Part of the IEC 61000 series of EMC standards (basic publication). Product committees should reference relevant product‑specific EMC standards (e.g., IEC 62368‑1 where applicable) when specifying test application and severity.

Keywords: EMC, electrostatic discharge immunity test, ESD immunity, IEC 61000‑4‑2:2025, ESD generator calibration, test levels, measurement uncertainty, wearable devices, post‑installation tests.

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-julij-2025
Elektromagnetna združljivost (EMC) - 4-2. del: Preskusne in merilne tehnike -
Preskus odpornosti proti elektrostatični razelektritvi
Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) - Part 4-2: Testing and measurement techniques -
Electrostatic discharge immunity test
Elektromagnetische Verträglichkeit (EMV) - Teil 4-2: Prüf- und Messverfahren - Prüfung
der Störfestigkeit gegen die Entladung statischer Elektrizität
Compatibilité électromagnétique (CEM) - Partie 4-2: Techniques d'essai et de mesure -
Essai d'immunité aux décharges électrostatiques
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN IEC 61000-4-2:2025
ICS:
33.100.20 Imunost Immunity
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EUROPEAN STANDARD EN IEC 61000-4-2

NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM April 2025
ICS 33.100.20 Supersedes EN 61000-4-2:2009
English Version
Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) - Part 4-2: Testing and
measurement techniques - Electrostatic discharge immunity test
(IEC 61000-4-2:2025)
Compatibilité électromagnétique (CEM) - Partie 4-2: Elektromagnetische Verträglichkeit (EMV) - Teil 4-2: Prüf-
Techniques d'essai et de mesure - Essai d'immunité aux und Messverfahren - Prüfung der Störfestigkeit gegen die
décharges électrostatiques Entladung statischer Elektrizität
(IEC 61000-4-2:2025) (IEC 61000-4-2:2025)
This European Standard was approved by CENELEC on 2025-04-11. CENELEC members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC
Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.
Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre or to any CENELEC member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation
under the responsibility of a CENELEC member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre has the
same status as the official versions.
CENELEC members are the national electrotechnical committees of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic,
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the
Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Türkiye and the United Kingdom.

European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization
Comité Européen de Normalisation Electrotechnique
Europäisches Komitee für Elektrotechnische Normung
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2025 CENELEC All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for CENELEC Members.
Ref. No. EN IEC 61000-4-2:2025 E

European foreword
The text of document 77B/896/FDIS, future edition 3 of IEC 61000-4-2, prepared by SC 77B "High
frequency phenomena" of IEC/TC 77 "Electromagnetic compatibility" was submitted to the IEC-
CENELEC parallel vote and approved by CENELEC as EN IEC 61000-4-2:2025.
The following dates are fixed:
• latest date by which the document has to be implemented at national (dop) 2026-04-30
level by publication of an identical national standard or by endorsement
• latest date by which the national standards conflicting with the (dow) 2028-04-30
document have to be withdrawn
This document supersedes EN 61000-4-2:2009 and all of its amendments and corrigenda (if any).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CENELEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
This document has been prepared under a standardization request addressed to CEN-CENELEC by
the European Commission. The Standing Committee of the EFTA States subsequently approves
these requests for its Member States.
Any feedback and questions on this document should be directed to the users’ national committee. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found on the CENELEC website.
Endorsement notice
The text of the International Standard IEC 61000-4-2:2025 was approved by CENELEC as a
European Standard without any modification.
In the official version, for Bibliography, the following notes have to be added for the standard indicated:
IEC 61000-6-1 NOTE Approved as EN IEC 61000-6-1
IEC 62368-1 NOTE Approved as EN IEC 62368-1

IEC 61000-4-2 ®
Edition 3.0 2025-03
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
BASIC EMC PUBLICATION
PUBLICATION FONDAMENTALE EN CEM

Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) –

Part 4-2: Testing and measurement techniques – Electrostatic discharge

immunity test
Compatibilité électromagnétique (CEM) –

Partie 4-2: Techniques d'essai et de mesure – Essai d'immunité aux décharges

électrostatiques
INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
COMMISSION
ELECTROTECHNIQUE
INTERNATIONALE
ICS 33.100.20  ISBN 978-2-8327-0258-1

– 2 – IEC 61000-4-2:2025 © IEC 2025
CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 6
INTRODUCTION . 8
1 Scope . 9
2 Normative references. 9
3 Terms, definitions and abbreviated terms . 10
3.1 Terms and definitions . 10
3.2 Abbreviated terms . 12
4 General . 12
5 Test levels . 13
6 Test equipment . 13
6.1 Overview. 13
6.2 ESD generator . 14
6.2.1 General . 14
6.2.2 General characteristics . 16
6.3 Calibration of the characteristics of the ESD generator . 17
6.3.1 General . 17
6.3.2 Equipment required for ESD generator calibration . 18
6.3.3 Setup for ESD generator current waveform calibration . 18
6.3.4 Procedure for the ESD generator calibration . 19
7 Test setup . 20
7.1 General . 20
7.2 Test equipment . 20
7.2.1 General . 20
7.2.2 Verification of the ESD test equipment . 21
7.3 Test setup for tests performed in laboratories . 21
7.3.1 General . 21
7.3.2 Test conditions . 21
7.3.3 Table-top equipment . 22
7.3.4 Floor-standing equipment . 23
7.3.5 Particular requirements for ungrounded equipment . 24
8 Test procedure . 27
8.1 General . 27
8.2 Laboratory reference conditions . 27
8.2.1 Climatic conditions . 27
8.2.2 Electromagnetic conditions . 28
8.3 Execution of the test . 28
8.3.1 EUT exercising . 28
8.3.2 Direct application of discharges to the EUT . 29
8.3.3 Indirect application of the discharge . 30
9 Test report. 31
Annex A (informative) Explanatory notes . 32
A.1 General considerations . 32
A.2 Influences of the environmental conditions on the levels of charge . 32
A.3 ESD phenomenon from charged human body . 33
A.4 Air discharge phenomena . 34
A.5 Variations in air discharge . 34

IEC 61000-4-2:2025 © IEC 2025 – 3 –
A.6 Temperature and humidity of air discharge . 34
A.7 Relevance of contact discharge test . 35
A.8 Selection of test levels . 35
A.9 Selection of elements for the ESD generator . 36
A.10 Rationale related to the generator specification . 36
A.11 Rationale related to the waveform specification . 36
Annex B (normative) Calibration of the current measurement system . 37
B.1 Current target specification – input impedance . 37
B.2 Current target specification – insertion loss . 37
B.2.1 Measurement chain . 37
B.2.2 Target adapter line . 38
B.2.3 Determining the insertion loss of a current target-attenuator-cable chain . 38
B.3 Determining the low-frequency transfer impedance of a target-
attenuator-cable chain . 39
Annex C (informative) Example of a calibration target meeting the requirements of
Annex B . 41
Annex D (informative) Radiated fields from human metal discharge and ESD
generators . 46
D.1 Overview of the processes causing intended and unintended fields . 46
D.1.1 General . 46
D.1.2 Human ESD . 46
D.1.3 ESD generator . 47
D.2 EUT response to ESD testing . 48
D.3 Transient fields of ESD reference event . 48
D.4 Induced voltage in a small loop . 50
D.5 Measuring radiated fields due to an ESD by using commercial field probes
and ESD generators . 51
D.6 Simple procedure to estimate radiated fields and voltages induced by ESD
generators . 53
Annex E (informative) Selection of test points and number of pulses . 55
E.1 General . 55
E.2 Exclusions . 55
E.3 Guidance for direct contact discharges . 56
E.4 Guidance for air discharges . 56
E.5 Guidance for indirect discharges . 57
E.6 Investigatory testing . 57
E.7 Number of pulses for direct contact discharges . 58
Annex F (informative) Measurement uncertainty (MU) considerations . 59
F.1 General . 59
F.2 Legend for contact and air discharge current waveform parameters . 59
F.3 Limitations . 60
F.4 Calculation of a coverage interval . 60
F.5 Uncertainty contributors to the ESD current discharge measurement

uncertainty . 61
F.6 Uncertainty of the ESD generator current discharge measurement . 61
F.6.1 General . 61
F.6.2 Rise time of the ESD current discharge . 61
F.6.3 First peak of the ESD current discharge. 63
F.6.4 Second peak of the ESD current discharge . 65
F.6.5 ESD current discharge at 30 ns or 60 ns . 66

– 4 – IEC 61000-4-2:2025 © IEC 2025
F.6.6 Further MU contributions to time measurements . 68
F.7 Rise time of the step response and bandwidth of the frequency response of
the measuring system . 68
F.8 Impulse peak distortion due to the limited bandwidth of the measuring
system . 69
F.9 Application of uncertainties in the ESD compliance criterion . 70
Annex G (informative) Test setup for post-installation tests . 71
Annex H (normative) Escalation strategy . 73
H.1 Variations in EUT performance . 73
H.2 Escalation strategy . 73
Annex I (normative) Additional or further test setup for particular kind of equipment . 74
I.1 Wall-mounted equipment . 74
I.2 Wearable devices . 75
Annex J (informative) Wearable devices . 76
J.1 General . 76
J.2 Additional experimental test procedures for a wearable device . 77
Annex K (informative) Evaluation of test results . 78
Bibliography . 79

Figure 1 – Simplified diagram of the ESD generator . 14
Figure 2 – Ideal contact discharge current waveform at 4 kV . 15
Figure 3 – Contact discharge tip of the ESD generator . 17
Figure 4 – Air discharge tip of the ESD generator . 17
Figure 5 – Arrangement for calibration of ESD generator performance . 19
Figure 6 – Example test setup for table-top equipment . 23
Figure 7 – Example test setup for floor-standing equipment . 24
Figure 8 – Example test setup for ungrounded table-top equipment . 26
Figure 9 – Example test setup for ungrounded floor-standing equipment . 27
Figure A.1 – Typical maximum values of electrostatic voltages to which operators and
materials can be charged while operating in different environments outside an
electrostatic protective area . 33
Figure B.1 – Example target adapter line attached to current target . 38
Figure B.2 – Example front side of a current target . 38
Figure B.3 – Example measurement of the insertion loss of a current
target-attenuator-cable chain . 39
Figure B.4 – Example circuit diagram to determine the low-frequency system transfer
impedance . 40
Figure C.1 – Mechanical drawing of a coaxial target showing central brass part . 41
Figure C.2 – Mechanical drawing of a coaxial target showing PCB and resistors . 42
Figure C.3 – Mechanical drawing of a coaxial target showing PTFE part . 43
Figure C.4 – Mechanical drawing of a coaxial target showing the cover . 44
Figure C.5 – Mechanical drawing of a coaxial target showing the mechanical assembly . 45
Figure D.1 – Electric field of a real human, holding metal, charged at 5 kV measured at

0,1 m distance and for a spark length of 0,7 mm . 49
Figure D.2 – Magnetic field of a real human, holding metal, charged at 5 kV, measured
at 0,1 m distance and for a spark length of approximately 0,5 mm . 49
Figure D.3 – Semi-circle loop on the ground plane . 50

IEC 61000-4-2:2025 © IEC 2025 – 5 –
Figure D.4 – Voltages induced in a semi-loop . 50
Figure D.5 – Example test setup to measure radiated ESD fields . 51
Figure D.6 – Comparison between measured (solid line) and calculated numerically
(dot line) voltage drop on the loop for a distance of 45 cm . 52
Figure D.7 – Comparison between calculated H-field from measured data (solid line)
and H-field calculated by numerical simulation (dotted line) for a distance of 45 cm . 52
Figure D.8 – Structure illuminated by radiated fields and equivalent circuit . 53
Figure D.9 – Radiated H-fields . 54
Figure G.1 – Example of test setup for floor-standing equipment, post-installation tests . 72
Figure I.1 – Example of test setup for wall-mounted equipment on non-conductive
surfaces . 74
Figure I.2 – Example of test setup for wall-mounted equipment on conductive surfaces . 75
Figure J.1 – Example of air discharge current waveforms for locations on a 1 kV
charged human body, discharged via an air discharge tip . 77

Table 1 – Test levels . 13
Table 2 – General ESD generator parameters . 16
Table 3 – Discharge current waveform parameters . 16
Table A.1 – Guidelines for the selection of the air discharge test levels from the
human body . 35
Table E.1 – Cases for application of ESD on connectors . 56
Table F.1 – Example uncertainty budget for ESD current discharge rise time (t ) . 62
r
Table F.2 – Example uncertainty budget for the first peak of the ESD current discharge
(I ) . 64
p1
Table F.3 – Example uncertainty budget for the second peak of the ESD current
discharge (I ) . 65
p2
Table F.4 – Example of uncertainty budget for the ESD current discharge at 30 ns (I ) . 66
Table F.5 – Example uncertainty budget for the ESD current discharge at 60 ns (I ) . 67
Table F.6 – α factor – Formula (F.3) – of different unidirectional impulse responses
corresponding to the same bandwidth of the system B . 69
Table J.1 – Example of waveform parameters to characterize discharge currents of the
ESD generator, hand-held and body-mounted electrodes with a 1 kV charged voltage . 77

– 6 – IEC 61000-4-2:2025 © IEC 2025
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
ELECTROMAGNETIC COMPATIBILITY (EMC) –

Part 4-2: Testing and measurement techniques –
Electrostatic discharge immunity test

FOREWORD
1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising
all national electrotechnical committees (IEC National Committees). The object of IEC is to promote international
co-operation on all questions concerning standardization in the electrical and electronic fields. To this end and
in addition to other activities, IEC publishes International Standards, Technical Specifications, Technical Reports,
Publicly Available Specifications (PAS) and Guides (hereafter referred to as "IEC Publication(s)"). Their
preparation is entrusted to technical committees; any IEC National Committee interested in the subject dealt with
may participate in this preparatory work. International, governmental and non-governmental organizations liaising
with the IEC also participate in this preparation. IEC collaborates closely with the International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) in accordance with conditions determined by agreement between the two organizations.
2) The formal decisions or agreements of IEC on technical matters express, as nearly as possible, an international
consensus of opinion on the relevant subjects since each technical committee has representation from all
interested IEC National Committees.
3) IEC Publications have the form of recommendations for international use and are accepted by IEC National
Committees in that sense. While all reasonable efforts are made to ensure that the technical content of IEC
Publications is accurate, IEC cannot be held responsible for the way in which they are used or for any
misinterpretation by any end user.
4) In order to promote international uniformity, IEC National Committees undertake to apply IEC Publications
transparently to the maximum extent possible in their national and regional publications. Any divergence between
any IEC Publication and the corresponding national or regional publication shall be clearly indicated in the latter.
5) IEC itself does not provide any attestation of conformity. Independent certification bodies provide conformity
assessment services and, in some areas, access to IEC marks of conformity. IEC is not responsible for any
services carried out by independent certification bodies.
6) All users should ensure that they have the latest edition of this publication.
7) No liability shall attach to IEC or its directors, employees, servants or agents including individual experts and
members of its technical committees and IEC National Committees for any personal injury, property damage or
other damage of any nature whatsoever, whether direct or indirect, or for costs (including legal fees) and
expenses arising out of the publication, use of, or reliance upon, this IEC Publication or any other IEC
Publications.
8) Attention is drawn to the Normative references cited in this publication. Use of the referenced publications is
indispensable for the correct application of this publication.
9) IEC draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
patent(s). IEC takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent rights in
respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, IEC had not received notice of (a) patent(s), which
may be required to implement this document. However, implementers are cautioned that this may not represent
the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent database available at https://patents.iec.ch . IEC
shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
IEC 61000-4-2 has been prepared by subcommittee 77B: High-frequency phenomena, of IEC
technical committee 77: Electromagnetic compatibility. It is an International Standard.
It forms Part 4-2 of IEC 61000. It has the status of a basic EMC publication in accordance with
IEC Guide 107.
This third edition cancels and replaces the second edition published in 2008. This edition
constitutes a technical revision.
This edition includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous
edition:
a) added a calibration requirement for ESD generators with air discharge tip;
b) added a normative annex for test setups for particular kind of equipment (see Annex I);

IEC 61000-4-2:2025 © IEC 2025 – 7 –
c) added an informative annex for wearable devices (see Annex J);
d) added an informative annex on how to select test points and give guidance on how to specify
the number of pulses for direct contact discharges (see Annex E);
e) moved Clause 9 into a new informative annex (see Annex K);
f) improved current calibration procedure;
g) improved measurement uncertainty considerations with examples of uncertainty budgets;
h) moved post-installation tests into a new informative Annex G since they cannot be
performed in a controlled environment.
The text of this International Standard is based on the following documents:
Draft Report on voting
77B/896/FDIS 77B/897/RVD
Full information on the voting for its approval can be found in the report on voting indicated in
the above table.
The language used for the development of this International Standard is English.
This document was drafted in accordance with ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2, and developed in
accordance with ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1 and ISO/IEC Directives, IEC Supplement, available
at www.iec.ch/members_experts/refdocs. The main document types developed by IEC are
described in greater detail at www.iec.ch/publications.
A list of all parts in the IEC 61000 series, published under the general title Electromagnetic
compatibility (EMC), can be found on the IEC website.
The committee has decided that the contents of this document will remain unchanged until the
stability date indicated on the IEC website under webstore.iec.ch in the data related to the
specific document. At this date, the document will be
• reconfirmed,
• withdrawn, or
• revised.
– 8 – IEC 61000-4-2:2025 © IEC 2025
INTRODUCTION
IEC 61000-4 is a part of the IEC 61000 series, according to the following structure:
Part 1: General
General consideration (introduction, fundamental principles)
Definitions, terminology
Part 2: Environment
Description of the environment
Classification of the environment
Compatibility levels
Part 3: Limits
Emission limits
Immunity limits (in so far as they do not fall under the responsibility of the product
committees)
Part 4: Testing and measurement techniques
Measurement techniques
Testing techniques
Part 5: Installation and mitigation guidelines
Installation guidelines
Mitigation methods and devices
Part 6: Generic standards
Part 9: Miscellaneous
Each part is further subdivided into several parts, published either as international standards
or as technical specifications or technical reports, some of which have already been published
as sections. Others will be published with the part number followed by a dash and a second
number identifying the subdivision (example: IEC 61000-6-1).
This part of IEC 61000 is an International Standard which gives immunity requirements and test
procedures related to electrostatic discharge.

IEC 61000-4-2:2025 © IEC 2025 – 9 –
ELECTROMAGNETIC COMPATIBILITY (EMC) –

Part 4-2: Testing and measurement techniques –
Electrostatic discharge immunity test

1 Scope
This part of IEC 61000 relates to the immunity requirements and test methods for electrical and
electronic equipment subjected to static electricity discharges from operators directly and from
personnel to adjacent objects. It additionally specifies ranges of test levels which relate to
different environmental, and installation conditions and establishes test procedures.
The objective of this document is to establish a common and reproducible basis for evaluating
the performance of electrical and electronic equipment when subjected to electrostatic
discharges. In addition, it includes electrostatic discharges which can occur from personnel to
objects near the equipment.
This document specifies:
– ideal waveform of the discharge current;
– range of test levels;
– test equipment;
– test setup;
– test procedure;
– calibration procedure;
– measurement uncertainty.
This document gives specifications for tests performed in laboratories and guidance to post-
installation tests.
This document is not intended to specify the tests to be applied to particular apparatus or
systems. The main aim is to give a general basic reference to all concerned product committees.
The product committees remain responsible for the appropriate choice of the tests and the
severity level to be applied to their equipment.
This document excludes tests intended to evaluate the ESD sensitivity of devices during
handling and packaging. It is not intended for use in characterizing the performance of ESD
protection circuits.
2 Normative references
There are no normative references in this document.

– 10 – IEC 61000-4-2:2025 © IEC 2025
3 Terms, definitions and abbreviated terms
3.1 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following
addresses:
• IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
• ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp
3.1.1
accessible
surfaces of the EUT which can be touched by means of the air discharge tip of the ESD
generator
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-442:1998, 442-01-15, modified – “part” has been replaced by “surfaces
of the EUT” and “standard test finger” has been replaced by “air discharge tip of the ESD
generator”.]
3.1.2
air discharge method
method of testing in which the charged tip of the test generator is moved towards the EUT until
it touches the EUT
3.1.3
calibration
set of operations which establishes, by reference to standards, the relationship which exists,
under specified conditions, between an indication and a result of a measurement
Note 1 to entry: This term is based on the "uncertainty" approach.
Note 2 to entry: The relationship between the indications and the results of measurement can be expressed, in
principle, by a calibration diagram.
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-311:2001, 311-01-09]
3.1.4
contact discharge method
method of testing in which the tip of the test generator is kept in contact with the EUT or coupling
plane and the discharge is actuated by the discharge switch within the generator
3.1.5
coupling plane
metal sheet or plate, to which discharges are applied to simulate electrostatic discharge to
objects adjacent to the EUT
3.1.6
degradation (in performance)
undesired departure in the operational performance of any device, equipment or system from
its intended performance
Note 1 to entry: The term "degradation" can apply to temporary or permanent failure.
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-161:1990, 161-01-19]

IEC 61000-4-2:2025 © IEC 2025 – 11 –
3.1.7
direct application
application of the discharge directly to the EUT
3.1.8
electromagnetic compatibility
EMC
ability of equipment or a system to function satisfactorily in its electromagnetic environment
without introducing intolerable electromagnetic disturbances to anything in that environment
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-161:2018, 161-01-07]
3.1.9
electrostatic discharge
ESD
transfer of electric charge between bodies of different electric potential in proximity or through
direct contact
Note 1 to entry: Literature and teaching generally refer to transfers of charge, although strictly speaking charge
carriers (IEV 113-06-25) are transferred.
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-161:2014, 161-01-22]
3.1.10
energy storage capacitor
capacitor of the ESD generator representing the capacity of a human body charged to the test
voltage value
Note 1 to entry: This element can be provided as a discrete component or a distributed capacitance.
3.1.11
holding time
interval of time within which the decrease of the test voltage due to leakage, prior to the
discharge, is not greater than 10 %
3.1.12
immunity (to a disturbance)
ability of a device, equipment or system to perform without degradation in the presence of an
electromagnetic disturbance
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-161:1990, 161-01-20]
3.1.13
indirect application
application of the discharge to a coupling plane in the vicinity of the EUT to simulate personnel
discharge to objects which are adjacent to the EUT
3.1.14
reference ground plane
RGP
flat conductive surface that is at the same electric potential as reference ground, which is used
as a common reference, and which contributes to a reproducible parasitic capacitance with the
surroundings of the equipment under test (EUT)
Note 1 to entry: In some regions, the term 'earth' is used in place of 'ground'.
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-161:2014, 161-04-36, modified – Note 1 has been removed.]

– 12 – IEC 61000-4-2:2025 © IEC 2025
3.1.15
rise time
interval of time between the instants at which the instantaneous value of a pulse first reaches
the specified lower and upper limits
Note 1 to entry: Unless otherwise specified, the lower and upper values are fixed at 10 % and 90 % of the pulse
magnitude.
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-161:1990, 161-02-05, modified, modified – the domain has been deleted
and, in the definition, "value and then a specified upper value" has been deleted and "and upper
limits" has been added.]
3.1.16
verification
set of operations which is used to check the test equipment system (e.g. the test generator and
the interconnecting cables) and to gain confidence that the test system is functioning
Note 1 to entry: Details of verification are given in 7.2.2.
Note 2 to entry: The methods used for verification can be different from those used for calibration.
Note 3 to entry: For the purpose of this document this definition is different from the definition given in
IEV 311-01-13.
3.2 Abbreviated terms
AD Air discharge
AE Auxiliary equipment
CD Contact discharge
EMC Electromagnetic compatibility
ESD Electrostatic discharge
EUT Equipment under test
FT Fourier transform
HCP Horizontal coupling plane
HV High voltage
IC Integrated circuit
IFT Inverse Fourier transform
MU Measurement uncertainty
PE Protective earth
RGP Reference ground plane
VCP Vertical coupling plane
VNA Vector network analyzer
4 General
This document relates to equipment, systems, subsystems and peripherals which can be
involved in static electricity discharges as a result of environmental and installation conditions,
such as low relative humidity, use of low-conductivity (artificial-fibre) carpets, synthetic-fabric
garments, etc., which can exist in all locations classified in standards relevant to electrical and
electronic equipment. Detailed information is specified in Annex A.
NOTE From the technical point of view, the precise term for the phenomenon would be static electricity discharge.
However, the term electrostatic discharge (ESD) is widely used in the technical world and in technical literature.
Therefore, it has been decided to retain the term electrostatic discharge in the title of this document.

IEC 61000-4-2:2025 © IEC 2025 – 13 –
Electrostatic discharges are categorized as contact discharges and air discharges. In addition,
contact discharges are categorized as direct discharges and indirect discharges. Direct
discharges are applied to conductive surfaces while indirect discharges are applied to coupling
planes in the vicinity of EUTs.
5 Test levels
The preferred range of test levels for the ESD test is specified in Table 1.
Contact discharge is the preferred test method. Air discharges shall be used where contact
discharge cannot be applied. Voltages for each test method are specified in Table 1. The
voltages shown are different for each method due to the differing test methods. This does not
imply that the test severity is equivalent between test methods.
Details concerning the various parameters which can influence the voltage to which the human
body can be subjected are given in Clause A.2. Clause A.8 also contains examples of the
application of the test levels related to environmental (installation) classes.
For air discharge testing, the test shall be applied at all test levels in Table 1 up to and including
the specified test level. For contact and indirect discharge testing, the test shall be applied at
the specified test level.
For further information on test level variations and applications between air and contact
discharge, refer to Annex A, specifically Clause A.3 through Clause A.7.
Table 1 – Test levels
Test voltage
Level
Contact discharge Air discharge
1 2 kV 2 kV
2 4 kV 4 kV
3 6 kV 8 kV
4 8 kV 15 kV
NOTE Product committees can specify different test levels.

6 Test equipment
6.1 Overview
The ESD generator is designed to meet the characteristics in 6.2.2 and shall be calibrated in
accordance with the procedure in 6.3 using a current measurement system calibrated in
accordance with Annex B.
– 14 – IEC 61000-4-2:2025 © IEC 2025
6.2 ESD generator
6.2.1 General
A simplified circuit diagram of an ESD generator is shown in Figure 1. Although construction
details (shape, size, weight, materials, etc.) of the generator are not specified, the following
main items are used in the design of an ESD generator:
– charging resistor R ;
c
– energy-storage capacitor C ;
s
– distributed capacitance C ;
d
– discharge resistor R ;
d
– voltage indicator;
– discharge switch;
– charge switch;
– interchangeable discharge tips (see Figure 3 and Figure 4);
– discharge return cable;
– power supply unit.
Components
C is a distributed capacitance which exists between the generator and its surroundings.
d
C + C has a typical value of 150 pF.
s d
R has a typical value of 330 Ω.
d
Figure 1 – Simplified diagram of the ESD generator
The ESD generator shall meet the requirements specified in 6.2.2 and indicated in Figure 2
when evaluated in accordance with the procedures in 6.3. Therefore, neither the diagra
...