Overview
IEC 62868-1:2020 (consolidated edition 1.1 with Amendment 1) specifies general safety requirements and test methods for organic light emitting diode (OLED) light sources intended for general indoor lighting. It covers OLED tiles, panels and modules (rigid substrates and simple devices without active electronics) for use on DC or AC supplies up to 1 000 V (50 Hz / 60 Hz). This Part 1 sets the common baseline of safety requirements where specific product types are not covered by IEC 62868‑2 series parts.
Key topics and requirements
The standard defines mandatory subjects and test areas to verify safe construction and operation of OLED light sources, including:
- Scope and definitions for OLED light sources (tiles, panels, modules).
- Marking: required content, location, durability and legibility of labels.
- Construction & mechanical strength: general construction rules, vibration and mechanical tests.
- Internal short-circuit: methods to provoke and evaluate internal faults.
- Insulation and electrical tests: insulation resistance, electric strength and creepage/clearance requirements.
- Thermal stress: thermal performance and heat resistance requirements for components and assemblies.
- Resistance to dust, moisture and corrosion: environmental robustness considerations.
- Fire and heat resistance: resistance to ignition, flame and excessive heat.
- Photobiological safety: assessment related to human exposure to OLED emissions.
- Terminals, earthing and connections: safety of user-accessible parts, protective earthing, screws and current-carrying parts.
- Information for luminaire design: guidance for integrators to safely combine OLED sources into luminaires (referenced Annex B).
(Annexes include OLED panel construction examples, test methods for internal short circuits and classification guidance.)
Applications and users
IEC 62868‑1 is intended for:
- OLED manufacturers designing tiles, panels and modules for general indoor lighting.
- Product safety and compliance engineers performing safety assessments and type testing.
- Test laboratories and certification bodies executing the specified mechanical, electrical and thermal tests.
- Luminaire designers and integrators who use OLED sources as components (compatibility with IEC 60598 luminaires).
- Component suppliers and R&D teams ensuring new OLED designs meet baseline safety expectations.
Related standards
- IEC 62868‑2 (series): Part‑specific requirements for particular OLED product types (when published).
- IEC 60598 (luminaires): integration guidance for OLED light sources used as luminaires components.
- Other referenced IEC electrical safety and photobiological standards (see normative references).
Keywords: IEC 62868-1:2020, OLED light sources, OLED panels, OLED modules, safety requirements, electrical tests, thermal stress, photobiological safety, general lighting.