CUI embraces support for IEC 62368 for external PSUs
CUI’s Power Group has upgraded the majority of its external AC/DC power supplies to conform to the recently introduced IEC 62368-1 standard for ICT and AV equipment.
Intended to supersede the outgoing IEC 60950-1 and IEC 60065 standards on 20 December 2020, IEC 62368-1 represents an important transition for the design of ICT and AV and how they make use of external power supplies.
The change is more than a simple merging of the previous standard, CUI said. The IEC 62368-1 standard employs fundamentally different guidelines that are based on hazard-based safety-engineering principles.
Fundamentally, hazard-based safety engineering seeks to identify potential causes of injury or pain to users and to find suitable means for preventing such situations.
For a power supply, the engineering follows a process of identifying potentially hazardous energy sources to determine how energy might be transferred to a body part. With that information the engineering team can design appropriate safeguards and measure their effectiveness in the final system.
In common with the prior standards, IEC 62368-1 applies to the end system and to components such as external power supplies. CUI’s compliant line ranges from 3W to 250W in a variety of versions, that include in-wall plug-in, multi-blade and desktop versions. All are available with a variety of DC output plug options. The compliant products also meet the latest global efficiency standards, including US DoE Level VI and the EU’s voluntary CoC Tier 2 requirements.
“CUI’s mission is to provide our customers with products and tools that prepare them for the latest safety regulations and industry standards,” stated Jeff Schnabel, vice-president of global marketing at CUI. “This is why CUI has upgraded many of our power supply models to 62368-1 well ahead of the December 2020 deadline, while further developing resources such as our IEC 62368-1 whitepaper to keep customers informed.”
