What is the withstand voltage test for Basic insulation?

According to International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 60950, the withstand voltage test for basic insulation is 2U + 1,000 VRMS, where U is the maximum operating voltage of a system. A manufacturer may need to apply a 4,242-V withstand voltage test when designing an 800-V system based on Equation 1:

Do I need a dielectric voltage withstand test?

However, even in cases where a device complies with the defined through-air and over-surface spacing requirements, the overall insulation system must be tested by the application of the dielectric voltage withstand test to the insulation system.

How does a test voltage break down a insulating material?

Simply stated, the test voltage breaks down the insulating properties of the material. The mechanism of dielectric breakdown begins with the application of a strong electric field to the insulating material by a high voltage. Different materials require different levels of electric field in order for dielectric breakdown to occur.

What is a DC test voltage?

When testing with DC voltage, the metered voltage must be set for a voltage equal to 1.414 times the AC test voltage, since the AC voltage measurement is an RMS value. The actual peak voltages from the AC wave are 1.414 times the metered AC RMS value. Thus, the DC test voltage is equal to the highest peak AC voltage.

When should a manufacturer apply a 4242 V withstand voltage test?

A manufacturer may need to apply a 4,242-V withstand voltage test when designing an 800-V system based on Equation 1: Figure 2 illustrates this withstand voltage test, taking the previous insulation monitoring configuration, removing the high-voltage battery, and applying 4,242 V across a terminal and chassis ground.

How does a voltage test work?

The test involves placing an extra-high voltage across the insulation barrier of the device for one minute. If the insulation holds the voltage, the device is deemed to have passed the test.