What is BS EN IEC 60263- Plotting frequency characteristics and polar diagrams about?

BS EN IEC 60263 specifies standard aspect ratios for logarithmic or level characteristics expressed in decibels versus a logarithmic frequency axis and ranges for the radius of polar diagrams of level.

Applications include hard copy printouts, electronic files (e.g., PDF files), scientific publications, screen displays in computer programs and apps, as well as graphs in standards.

Who is BS EN IEC 60263- Plotting frequency characteristics and polar diagrams for?

BS EN IEC 60263 on plotting frequency characteristics and polar diagrams is beneficial for:

Astronomers
Scientists

Why should you use BS EN IEC 60263 - Plotting frequency characteristics and polar diagrams?

Historically, on analogue level recorders, 1 dB was represented by 1 mm, 2 mm, or 5 mm, corresponding to level ranges of 50 dB, 25 dB, and 10 dB, respectively. One of these three level ranges were equal in length to 1 decade on the logarithmic frequency scale of the paper used for the plot, limiting the available aspect ratios.

BS EN IEC 60263represents a graphical summary that is convenient for communicating via a report or other publication where one does not wish to list out the entire data set. This further emphasizes the importance of visual representation.

BS EN IEC 60263 assists the user with analogous characteristics that are measured and plotted for the mechanical vibration of structures.

Overall, BS EN IEC 60263 is helpful as the use of BS EN IEC 60263 makes it feasible to compare graphs from diverse sources or to view the same data displayed on different sized displays. Polar level diagrams depict level as increasing outward versus radius.

What’s changed since the last update?

BS EN BS EN IEC 60263:2020 supersedes BS 6397:1983, which is withdrawn. BS EN BS EN IEC 60263:2020 includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous edition:

The scope is expanded to include electronic files (e.g., PDF), scientific publications, graphs in other standards, and screen displays in programs and apps
Terms and Definitions clause has been added
Aspect ratios of 20 dB/decade, and 0,5, 1, 1,25, and 2,5 decades/decade have been added
Ranges of 60 dB or 30 dB are specified for polar plots of absolute level; a 30 dB range is
specified for polar plots of the relative level
As most graphs are now computer-generated, tolerances and sizes have been removed

BS EN IEC 60263:2020

Scales and sizes for plotting frequency characteristics and polar diagrams

Current

Published:

30 Sep 2020