Unified SAR Measurement Standard a Step Closer to Publication

This week marked a significant milestone toward publication of an important specific absorption rate (SAR) measurement standard. A successful 2-day editorial meeting of IEC TC106 Joint Working Group 13 was held on February 27-28, 2019 in Frankfurt. The meeting resulted in the editorial revision of IEC/IEEE 62209-1528. Mark Douglas of the IT'IS Foundation helped to complete the responses to comments from the IEC and IEEE, following the positive vote last November. Niels Kuster also attended. Publication of IEC/IEEE 62209-1528 is expected this summer.

The draft standard represents an important advancement in human exposure assessment from wireless communication devices. It defines procedures and requirements for accurate SAR measurement of devices incorporating several new technologies. A joint effort of both the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), it combines and replaces three previous standards: IEEE 1528:2013, IEC 62209-1:2016 and IEC 62209-2:2010.

IEC/IEEE 62209-1528 enables SAR testing of new wireless device technologies, including 4G, 5G, proximity sensors, and time-averaged power control. This gives the wireless industry and national regulators confidence and a path to faster device compliance. The frequency range is significantly expanded to 4 MHz – 10 GHz. Application-specific phantoms are now included so that a wider range of devices can be accurately tested (e.g., fitness trackers, head-mounted displays and any potential IoT devices). Test reduction methods and protocols for fast SAR systems are expanded to reduce test time without sacrificing confidence in the results.