International Acoustic Requirements forInformation Technology Equipment:A Case for Achieving Greater Harmonization

摘要

International standards for the uniform measurement and declaration of information technology equipment (ITE) noise emissions have existed for many years - e.g., ISO 7779, ISO 9296, ECMA-74, and ECMA-109. Many governments have adopted them. These standards resulted from world-wide cooperation of many individuals and companies over several years, and continue to evolve with new measurement technologies and the addition of new ITE categories. National andinternational acoustic criteria and limits have developed as part of eco-label certification programs(e.g., Germany: Blue Angel) or national procurement technical standards (such as, Sweden:Statskontoret Technical Standard TN 26:5).These criteria have contributed to the improvement of ITE acoustic performance. And to some extent,they reflect the underlying industry standards and technical inputs provided by industry expertsduring their development. However, the proliferation and independent development of these different noise emission criteria have resulted in variations between the requirements and deviations from the international testing standards. This tends to reduce their value to users or consumers of ITE, and greatly increases the effort and costs incurred by manufacturers in attempting to meet numerous unique requirements. This paper critiques current standards and international criteria, suggests a more coordinated approach for future requirements whereby international noise goals, product development and test efficiencies can be simultaneously satisfied.