Industrial process control relies heavily on hardware precision, including control valves, actuators, positioners, and controllers. To make valid device comparisons, testing must happen under identical, tightly regulated environments known as .
: The standard provides updated criteria that eliminate ambiguity when certifying modern digital-analog hybrid hardware.
It specifies general methods for testing and reporting performance characteristics for process instrumentation, specifically excluding Process Measurement Transmitters (PMT) , which are now standardized under the IEC 62828 series .
Detailed methods for selecting test ranges, preconditioning cycles, and presenting error curves and accuracy metrics. Industry Impact
: Standardized time windows to evaluate material aging and stability under consistent ambient conditions. Direct Impact on Industry Stakeholders iec 612982 new
The revision work is progressing in parallel. Draft versions for Part 1 (prEN IEC 61298-1:2024) and Part 3 (prEN IEC 61298-3:2024) are currently available as draft standards. In Germany, these draft standards were published as "Norm-Entwurf" (draft standard) as of May 2025.
The lag or difference in output when an input is approached from opposite directions.
: Standardized procedures for frequency response and step-response testing, essential for control system stability.
| Stage | Code | Date | Status | |---|---|---|---| | CDV (Committee Draft for Vote) | 65B/1270/CDV | 2024 | Completed | | prEN (preliminary European Norm) | prEN IEC 61298-2:2024 | May 2025 | Draft published | | FDIS (Final Draft International Standard) | 40.99 | Apr 4, 2025 | Full report circulated; DIS approved | | Proof sent to secretariat | 50.20 | Mar 20, 2026 | Proof sent to secretariat or FDIS ballot initiated | | Publication | – | Mar 20, 2026 | Published | It specifies general methods for testing and reporting
: It guarantees that datasheets for competitive products use identical testing parameters under reference conditions, enabling accurate, apple-to-apples procurement decisions.
, entitled "Process measurement and control devices - General methods and procedures for evaluating performance - Part 2: Tests under reference conditions," is a crucial document for validating the performance of sensors, transmitters, and controllers.
Staying compliant requires active adjustment as the standard moves toward official adoption. Step 1: Gap Analysis
Averaging techniques are used to isolate random electronic noise from systematic hardware flaws. 3. Hysteresis and Dead Band Quantifying Direct Impact on Industry Stakeholders The revision work
Evaluating dead band and mechanical play demands a meticulous upscale and downscale profile. The system drives an incoming variable forward to target points without allowing any overshooting, holds for stabilization, logs metrics, pushes to 100% capacity, and retraces downscale. The resulting delta highlights hidden structural friction, loop lagging, and tracking drift. 3. Repeatability and Reproducibility Arrays
The most significant scope shift in the new standard is the explicit exclusion of Process Measurement Transmitters. Performance evaluations for PMTs (such as pressure, temperature, and flow transmitters) are now fully managed under the . This narrows the focus of IEC 61298-2 strictly to other core process instrumentation and control elements. 2. Advanced Digital Instrumentation Integration
If you are referring to a version after 2008, note that as of 2025–2026, the core performance evaluation framework remains IEC 61298-2:2008. However, there may be:
Before testing, devices are subjected to established reference conditions (e.g., ) for a designated period to ensure thermal stability. Calibration Cycle: A five-point minimum calibration test ( of span) is performed to measure intrinsic error.