SAC Releases Two Mandatory National Standards for Information Products Safety

14/02/2020

On December 31, 2019, SAMR and SAC issued two mandatory national standards for the safety of information technology equipment: GB 4943.21-2019 Information Technology Equipment-Safety-Part 21: Remote Power Feeding (IEC 60950-21:2002, MOD) and GB 4943.22-2019 Information Technology Equipment-Safety-Part 22: Equipment to be Installed Outdoors (IEC 60950-22:2005, MOD). These two standards will come into force on July 1, 2020.

GB 4943.21-2019 is applicable to information technology equipment intended to supply and receive operating power via a telecommunication network where the voltage exceeds the limits for TNV circuits. GB 4943.22-2019 is applicable to information technology equipment intended to be installed in an outdoor location, and to empty enclosures intended for holding information technology equipment to be installed in an outdoor location.

The main difference between GB 4943.21-2019 and IEC 60950-21:2002 is that the former uses GB 4943.1-2011 Information Technology Equipment-Safety-Part 1: General Requirements (IEC 60950-1:2005, MOD) as normative reference, instead of IEC 60950-1:2001 which is used as a reference for IEC 60950-21:2002. The major difference between GB 4943.22-2019 and IEC 60950-22: 2005 is that the former uses two national standards GB/T1690-2010 (ISO 1817:2005, MOD) and GB/T4943.1-2011 as normative references and replaces ISO 1817: 2005 and IEC 60950-1: 2005. In addition, GB 4943.22-2019 adds the temperature of -50℃ for testing in cold regions of China.

The two standards are part of the GB 4943 standards series which also includes GB 4943.1 and GB4943.23 Information Technology Equipment Safety-Part 23: Large Data Storage Equipment (IEC 60950-23: 2005, IDT). The standards series is adopted by the China Compulsory Certification (CCC) for information technology products, which currently covers eight kinds of products, i.e. microcomputers, portable computers, display devices connected with computers, printing devices connected with computers, multifunction printers and copiers, scanners, built-in power supplies and power adapters and chargers for computers，and servers. Therefore, the two standards play an important role for information technology products accessing the Chinese market.

At present, the assessment method of self-declaration, which was newly introduced to the CCC system after the CCC reform, does not apply to information technology products.