UL/CSA/CE and NEBS: can it all be “designed in” to a single product?

Telecommunications power supplies and power distribution equipment destined for worldwide deployment will be required to address a multitude of agency and/or regulatory standards. At a minimum the appropriate standards establish criteria for personal safety, conducted/radiated emission levels and immunity to conducted/radiated fields, lightning surges and electrostatic discharges. A sampling of standards dictate that the product will be required to survive a Zone 4 seismic event, function between an altitude of 5905 ft (1800 meters) and 13000 ft (4000 meters), continue to operate when exposed to various gaseous contaminants and hygroscopic dust particles and also contain a catastrophic fire within the power distribution enclosure. As a manufacturer of power supplies and power distribution equipment for the telecommunications industry, it is uneconomical and impractical to design a product for country specific installations. A single product design must consider all national standards and requirements. If addressed in the design and development phase a globally compliant product is an attainable goal. This paper explores the differences and similarities between the requirements specified by UL1950 (Underwriters Laboratories) CSA 22.2-950 (Canadian Standards Association) the CE Mark (European Union), NEBS (Network Equipment Building Systems) and the potential impact upon product design