Modern Standards for Lamp Controlgear and Wireless Power Communications: A Practical Guide
- Valentina Bosenko
- Feb 4
- 8 min read
Lamps and the equipment that powers them lie at the heart of our modern, energy-efficient environments—from smart offices and industrial plants to homes and infrastructure. Ensuring the safety, interoperability, and technology edge of these systems is more critical than ever for electrical engineering businesses, smart device manufacturers, lighting OEMs, and public infrastructure operators. This comprehensive guide spotlights two pivotal global standards: SIST EN IEC 61347-1:2025 (for lamp controlgear safety) and SIST EN IEC 63563-6:2026 (for Qi wireless power communication protocol). Mastery and implementation of these standards have become strategic imperatives for organizations seeking to increase productivity, future-proof their products, boost customer confidence, rapidly scale, and maintain regulatory compliance in rapidly changing global markets.
Overview / Introduction
The electrical engineering field has witnessed incredible technological pivots in lamping, lighting controlgear, and wireless power transmission. Where once simple wired control and lighting sufficed, the modern workspace, smart home, and next-gen consumer electronics demand advanced safety, seamless interoperability, and robust performance—often over wireless links. International standards provide the technical foundation and legal assurance for this innovation.
Lamps and related equipment, from fluorescent ballast controlgear to integrated LED modules and cutting-edge wireless charging pads, must pass stringent safety and communication interoperability benchmarks.
These standards, created by leading standardization bodies and industry alliances, drive:
Global market access and regulatory compliance
Reduction of operational risks, such as electrical hazards and fire
Seamless technology adoption (e.g., wireless charging or smart lighting)
Consistency in manufacturing, quality control, and supply chains
In this article, you’ll learn:
The essential content, scope, and stakeholder relevance of SIST EN IEC 61347-1:2025 and SIST EN IEC 63563-6:2026
How each standard shapes modern engineering, product design, and business operations
Best practices for implementation and compliance
Why standards adoption is now key to productivity, security, and market scalability
Detailed Standards Coverage
SIST EN IEC 61347-1:2025 – General Safety Requirements for Lamp Controlgear
Controlgear for Electric Light Sources – Safety – Part 1: General requirements (IEC 61347-1:2024)
Scope and Overview: SIST EN IEC 61347-1:2025 is the foundational international safety standard for controlgear used with electric light sources. “Controlgear” refers to critical components—like ballasts, drivers, transformers—that regulate voltage and current for various lamp types (incandescent, fluorescent, LED, HID, etc.). The standard applies to controlgear using DC supplies up to 1500V or AC supplies up to 1000V at 50 or 60 Hz, covering a wide landscape from public buildings to private homes, industry, and street lighting.
As the latest fourth edition, this version presents a technical overhaul from its predecessor. It merges many safety, testing, and marking requirements and reflects new insights in insulation, fire resistance, and controlgear-lamp interface design. The update responds to changes in technology (such as LED and digital controlgear), the evolution of installation scenarios (e.g., PWM lighting, DC-microgrids), and a new wave of safety thinking (like PELV, emergency lighting, and touch current limits).
Key Requirements and Specifications:
Markings and Information: Enhanced and expanded marking obligations to support traceability and safety during installation and service
Insulation and Touch Protection: Strict definitions of insulation categories (basic, double, reinforced), minimum creepage and clearance distances, and detailed touch current limits, covering evolving low-voltage and SELV/PELV/PWM systems
Fault Conditions: Rigorous fault-testing procedures, including electric strength, circuit fault simulation, and PCB component stress-resistance
Construction: Stringent constructional rules, including for transformer-integrated gear, mechanisms for earthing, and enclosure criteria
Thermal and Fire Resistance: Specified glow-wire and needle-flame test methods for enclosures and printed circuit boards; compliance with IEC 60695 series
Routine and Type Testing: Methodical guidance for routine quality control and additional requirements for coated or potted components
Emergency Lighting and Special Applications: Provisions for protected emergency lighting controlgear and minimized touch voltages/currents in pulsed applications, with new annexes for specialized testing and measurements
Who Needs to Comply:
Lighting controlgear manufacturers (LED driver and ballast OEMs)
Luminaire and integrated lighting fixture manufacturers
Contractors and installers for residential, commercial, and industrial lighting
Facility managers and technical safety inspectors
Electrical design engineers and architects specifying or approving lighting installations
Practical Implications:
Meeting local and international electrical safety codes for installation approval and product certification
Preventing electrical shocks, fire incidents, and liability events
Accelerating product entry to global markets by ensuring multi-national compliance
Facilitating sustainable supply chains with uniform safety benchmarks
Notable Features: This edition introduces or updates:
Enhanced insulation marking and documentation
Provisions for alternative DC electric strength testing
New fire hazard testing clarifications and documentation
Touch current/voltage measurement protocols (Annex N)
Integration of safety isolating controlgear rules into main body for clarity and ease
Key highlights:
Broad coverage for AC/DC controlgear and wide voltage ranges
Up-to-date with technology and materials for emerging lamp types
Comprehensive testing (thermal, insulation, fault, mechanical, fire) for end-to-end safety
Access the full standard: View SIST EN IEC 61347-1:2025 on iTeh Standards
SIST EN IEC 63563-6:2026 – Qi Wireless Power Communication Protocol
Qi Specification Version 2.0 – Part 6: Communications Protocol (IEC 63563-6:2025)
Scope and Overview: Wireless power delivery is revolutionizing not only consumer electronics but also industrial, automotive, and public space applications. The Qi standard, originally introduced by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC), underpins nearly every mainstream wireless charging product—from smartphones and wearables to next-gen controls in smart hotels and offices.
SIST EN IEC 63563-6:2026 codifies Qi Specification 2.0 Part 6, which rigorously defines the two-way communication protocol between a Power Transmitter (such as a charging pad) and a Power Receiver (such as a phone or lamp). This protocol ensures not only reliable power handshaking and transfer, but also secures data transport for advanced features like Authentication, NFC tag protection, calibration, and Foreign Object Detection (FOD).
Key Requirements and Specifications:
Messaging and Timing: Defines the order and timing of messages for all protocol phases—Ping, Configuration, Negotiation, and Power Transfer
Packet Structures: Detailed packet types, data formats (including byte order, padding, status queries)
Power Transfer Contracts: Mechanisms for negotiation, renegotiation, and dynamic adjustment of power levels (including baseline vs. extended protocol differences)
Security & Authentication: Support for secure exchanges and device authentication via high-level messages
Data Streams: Support for passing system configuration or diagnostics outside basic power needs (e.g., cloud sync, telemetry)
Backward Compatibility: Protections ensuring interoperability with previous Qi versions; smooth upgrade and device integration paths
Who Needs to Comply:
OEMs of wireless charging products (both transmitters and receivers)
Developers of IoT/Smart Home/Smart Lighting products that integrate wireless power
Automotive and public infrastructure designers implementing pads or embedded wireless systems
Quality control and compliance engineers for authorized test labs
Practical Implications:
Seamless pairing and safe charging for countless consumer and professional applications
Resilience to errors (such as communication dropouts or foreign object detection)
Essential for innovation in environments where plug-free, automated charging or controls are prerequisites (hotels, office desks, medical devices, etc.)
Notable Features:
2.0 version enables advanced security, more robust device identification, and improved FOD
Clearly segmented protocol phases, each with distinct state and error-handling mechanisms
Designed for both current Qi-certified products and forward-compatible upgrades
Key highlights:
Formalizes all wireless charging communication, reducing interoperability/support issues
Mandatory for smart devices seeking Qi certification and broad ecosystem compatibility
Tracks and supports future-proof features (e.g., cloud authentication, extended diagnostics)
Access the full standard: View SIST EN IEC 63563-6:2026 on iTeh Standards
Industry Impact & Compliance
How These Standards Affect Businesses
In the dynamic realm of lighting and smart device integration, both safety and user experience are non-negotiable. These standards form the core of regulatory compliance worldwide—be it for a new LED luminaire in an office complex, or a plug-free wireless charging solution in a luxury hotel. Their coverage directly translates into:
Market Access: Proven compliance with global standards leads to faster product certifications and wider geographic reach. Accessing markets like the EU, US, or Asia frequently hinges on conforming to these exact requirements.
Operational Risk Mitigation: Strict electrical and fire safety rules help businesses prevent catastrophic incidents, reduce recalls, and avoid liability claims.
Customer Confidence: Products bearing trusted certifications (obtained through these standards) are far more likely to be chosen for public procurement, projects, and consumer use.
Innovation Enablement: Qi-compliant communications open doors to wireless, scalable, and secure device ecosystems that can support rapidly evolving IoT and smart-building environments.
Scalability: Uniform specifications and interoperability allow large-scale rollouts (e.g., city-wide smart lighting or smart workspace roll-ins) without post-implementation surprises.
Compliance Considerations
Legal Requirements: For most developed regions, adherence to recognized international standards like these is a legal prerequisite for sale and installation. Non-compliance can halt project approvals or shipments.
Certification and Testing: Accredited labs, certification bodies, and notified organizations will use standard-based test routines for approval.
Ongoing Surveillance: As standards evolve, businesses must run periodic reviews and product updates to stay in line with current norms and keep certifications valid.
Benefits of Adopting These Standards
Enhanced Safety: Protects users, technicians, and facilities from electric shock, fire, or equipment failure
Boosted Productivity: Proven, reliable systems reduce maintenance downtime and costly repairs
Faster Innovation Adoption: Standardized interfaces accelerate the rollout of new functions, services, and products
Business Growth: Builds reputation, fosters trust with clients, and creates a competitive edge via quality and safety leadership
Risks of Non-Compliance
Regulatory penalties, import/export holdups
Increased insurance premiums or denial of coverage
Loss of brand reputation and customer trust
Product recalls and legal claims arising from failures or incidents
Restrictions on bidding for large infrastructure projects
Implementation Guidance
Common Implementation Approaches
Gap Assessment:
Audit existing products or infrastructure against current requirements of each standard
Flag any deviations and prioritize corrective actions
Integrated Product Design:
Embed standard compliance into product architecture from the outset
For example, design safe insulation distances, monitor for fire resistance, and use standardized data packet structures
Supplier and Supply Chain Alignment:
Ensure that component and sub-system suppliers also adhere to relevant clauses
Require test reports, certifications, or declarations of conformity
Certification and Testing:
Partner with notified bodies for testing, certification, and recertification as needed
Documentation and Marking:
Implement full marking, traceability, and user documentation per the requirements
Ongoing Training:
Conduct regular training for engineers, maintenance staff, and procurement teams on both standards and their updates
Best Practices
Early Design Review: Get expert review of early designs for standard compliance—prevents expensive redesigns
Version Control: Always reference the most recent edition of a standard—standards like IEC 61347-1 and Qi 2.0 evolve to account for the latest technologies and field data
Cross-Industry Monitoring: For products bridging multiple sectors (lighting + IoT + automotive), track and harmonize compliance
Continuous Improvement: Treat compliance as a continuous process—not a one-off task
Stakeholder Engagement: Liaise with certification bodies, standardization working groups, and user communities for interpretations, evolution, and best practice sharing
Resources for Organizations
Online access to full and detailed standards documentation via recognized platforms such as iTeh Standards
Webinars and technical workshops by standardization bodies and trade groups
Accredited labs providing compliance and pre-compliance test services
Industry trade associations for updates, guidance, and advocacy
Conclusion / Next Steps
The landscape of lamp controlgear and wireless power-enabled devices is being rewritten by both new hazards (digital, interconnected, AI-driven environments) and new opportunities (smarter energy usage, seamless device ecosystems). Implementation of the latest versions of SIST EN IEC 61347-1:2025 and SIST EN IEC 63563-6:2026 gives businesses, engineers, and project managers the assurance, flexibility, and market access they need to thrive amid rapid change.
Key takeaways:
Adopting these standards is now the gold standard for safety, security, scalability, and productivity in lighting, smart device, and wireless charging domains
Global compliance is not optional—it’s a driver of innovation, user satisfaction, and regulatory peace of mind
The guidance, practical steps, and industry best practices described here are proven tools for strategic growth and organizational excellence
Recommendations for organizations:
Make immediate assessment of current products and installations for compliance gaps
Engage with the latest standards, certify upcoming products/projects, and join industry technical forums
Visit authoritative resources like iTeh Standards to access, monitor, and implement these standards
Explore, implement, and stay up-to-date—ensuring your business or project stands at the forefront of safety, quality, and innovation!
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