Interference-Causing Equipment Standards

Interference-Causing Equipment Standard General (ICES-Gen) sets out general requirements that are common and applicable to all categories of interference-causing equipment, unless stated otherwise in the corresponding ICES standard. This standard should be consulted in parallel with any other applicable ICES standard at the time equipment is being evaluated. ICES-Gen also sets out common definitions that are used in other ICES documents. Administrative requirements such as test reports, labelling, and other matters are also described in ICES-Gen.

Equipment covered by ICES standards are not subject to formal certification nor licensing, but are instead subject to a self declaration of compliance (SDoC). As such, equipment shall bear a label, which represents the manufacturer’s or importer’s SDoC with the applicable ICES, prior to being marketed in Canada or imported into Canada.

Interference-Causing Equipment Standard 001 (ICES-001) sets out limits and methods of measurements of radio frequency emissions, as well as administrative requirements applicable to equipment that generate and/or uses radio frequency energy locally for industrial, scientific, medical, domestic or similar purposes, excluding applications in the field of telecommunication, information technology and other applications covered by other Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) standards.

Examples of common applicable devices:

• Industrial, scientific and medical (ISM);
• Domestic or similar appliances, such as ultrasonic humidifier or induction cooking appliance.

Interference-Causing Equipment Standard 002 (ICES-002) sets out limits and methods of measurements of radio frequency emissions, as well as administrative requirements applicable to vehicles, boats and other devices equipped with internal combustion engines, traction batteries, or both. This includes outboard boat engines that are marketed independently.

Examples of commen applicable devices:

• Vehicle;
• boat (up to 15 m in length);
• outboard boat engine;
• lawn mower;
• snow blower;
• irrigation pump;
• power generator;
• chainsaw, etc.

Interference-Causing Equipment Standard 003 (ICES-003) sets out limits and methods of measurements of radio frequency emissions, as well as administrative requirements applicable to information technology equipment (ITE), including digital apparatus. This includes devices or systems that generate and/or use timing signals or pulses having a rate of at least 9 kHz and employ digital techniques for purposes such as computation, display, control, data processing and storage.

• information technology equipment (ITE);
• digital apparatus.

Interference-Causing Equipment Standard 004 (ICES-004) sets out limits and methods of measurements of radio frequency emissions, as well as administrative requirements for alternating current high power systems. Also it advises interested parties on the technical criteria upon which determinations regarding harmful interference complaints involving such interference-causing equipment will generally be based on.

There are some specific cases where this standard does not apply. These include:

• underground power systems
• radio noise associated with power line carrier current transmissions
• high voltage direct current components of a power system in which the design for the construction of the direct current components of the system was initiated before January 1, 1991

Interference-Causing Equipment Standard 005 (ICES-005) sets out limits and methods of measurements of radiated or conducted radio frequency emissions produced by lighting equipment, as well as administrative requirements.

Examples of lighting equipment that fall under this standard:

• Lighting fixtures and lamps;
• Ultraviolet and infrared radiation apparatus;
• Advertising signs (i.e. neon tubes, exit signs, etc.)
• Decorative and entertaining lighting

Interference-Causing Equipment Standard 006 (ICES-006) sets out limits and methods of measurements of radiated or conducted radio frequency emissions produced by AC wire carrier current devices, as well as administrative requirements

Interference-Causing Equipment Standard 008 (ICES-008) sets out limits and methods of measurements of radio frequency emissions, as well as administrative requirements applicable to cable distribution networks operating under all environmental conditions.