BS EN 60051-1:2017

What is BS EN 60051‑1-  Instruments and accessories for analogue electrical measurement about?

BS EN 60051‑1 is a safety standard on direct acting indicating electrical measuring instruments and accessories.

BS EN 60051‑1 specifies definitions and general requirements for direct acting indicating analogue electrical measuring instruments and their accessories.

BS EN 60051‑1 applies to direct acting indicating analogue electrical measuring instruments, such as:

• Ammeters and voltmeters
• Wattmeters and varmeters
• Frequency meters of pointer and vibrating-reed types
• Phasemeters, power-factor meters, and synchroscopes
• Ohmmeters (impedance meters) and conductance meters
• Multi-function instruments of the above types

BS EN 60051‑1 also applies to certain accessories used with these instruments, such as:

• Shunts
• Series resistors and impedance elements
• Combination of the instruments and the accessories provided that the adjustments have

been made for the combination

• Direct acting indicating electrical measuring instrument whose scale marks do not

correspond directly to its electrical input quantity, provided that the relationship between them is known

• Instruments and accessories having electronic devices in their measuring and/or auxiliary circuits

Note 1: BS EN 60051‑1 do not apply to:

• Special purpose instruments which are covered by their own IEC standards
• Special purpose devices which are covered by their own IEC standards when they are used as accessories

Note 2: BS EN 60051‑1 does not specify requirements concerning dimensions of instruments or accessories (for the former, see IEC 60473).

Who is BS EN 60051‑1- Instruments and accessories for analogue electrical measurement for?

BS EN 60051‑1 on direct acting indicating electrical measuring instruments and accessories is relevant to:

• Manufacturers of ammeters and voltmeters
• Manufacturers of wattmeters and varmeters
• Manufacturers of frequency meters of pointer and vibrating-reed types
• Manufacturers of phasemeters, power-factor meters, and synchroscopes
• Manufacturers of ohmmeters (impedance meters) and conductance meters
• Testing authorities
• Manufacturers of multifunction calibrators
• Electromagnetic engineers
• Electrical engineers
• Electricians

Why should you use BS EN 60051‑1-  Instruments and accessories for analogue electrical measurement?

IEC 60051 is published in separate parts under the general title direct acting indicating analogue electrical measuring instruments and their accessories.

BS EN 60051‑1 provides definitions and general requirements common to all parts. BS EN 60051‑1 assists the user with the electrical safety requirements and definitions of its instruments and parts, for example, electrical measuring instrument, analogue display instrument, indicating instrument, direct acting indicating instrument, multi-function instrument, fixed instrument etc.

Overall, BS EN 60051‑1 is useful as it assists with instruments that operate by the interaction of the magnetic field due to a current in a movable coil with the field of a fixed permanent magnet.

What’s changed since the last update?

BS EN 60051‑1:2017 supersedes BS EN 60051‑1:1999, which is withdrawn.

BS EN 60051‑1:2017 replaces the fifth edition published in 1997. BS EN 60051‑1:2017 constitutes a technical revision.

BS EN 60051‑1:2017 includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous edition:

• Adding the EMC requirements
• Updating the safety symbols and requirements according to the new IEC 61010 series
• Replacing the concept of “error” with the concept of “uncertainty”
• Adding service environment classification and classification by the method of operation, mechanical condition and the degrees of protection
• Adding the requirements for transport and storage of instruments and accessories according to IEC 60359