1、 NEMA EM 1 EXIT SIGN VISIBILITY TESTING REQUIREMENTS FOR SAFETY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY NEMA Standards Publication EM 1-2010 Exit Sign Visibility Testing Requirements for Safety and Energy Efficiency Published by: National Electrical Manufacturers Association 1300 North 17th Street, Suite 1752 Rosslyn
2、, Virginia 22209 www.nema.org Copyright 2010 by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association. All rights, including translation into other languages, reserved under the Universal Copyright Convention, the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, and the International
3、and Pan American Copyright Conventions. NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER The information in this publication was considered technically sound by the consensus of persons engaged in the development and approval of the document at the time it was developed. Consensus does not necessarily mean that there is unani
4、mous agreement among every person participating in the development of this document. NEMA standards and guideline publications, of which the document contained herein is one, are developed through a voluntary consensus standards development process. This process brings together volunteers and/or see
5、ks out the views of persons who have an interest in the topic covered by this publication. While NEMA administers the process and establishes rules to promote fairness in the development of consensus, it does not write the document and it does not independently test, evaluate, or verify the accuracy
6、 or completeness of any information or the soundness of any judgments contained in its standards and guideline publications. NEMA disclaims liability for any personal injury, property, or other damages of any nature whatsoever, whether special, indirect, consequential, or compensatory, directly or i
7、ndirectly resulting from the publication, use of, application, or reliance on this document. NEMA disclaims and makes no guaranty or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of any information published herein, and disclaims and makes no warranty that the information in this
8、document will fulfill any of your particular purposes or needs. NEMA does not undertake to guarantee the performance of any individual manufacturer or sellers products or services by virtue of this standard or guide. In publishing and making this document available, NEMA is not undertaking to render
9、 professional or other services for or on behalf of any person or entity, nor is NEMA undertaking to perform any duty owed by any person or entity to someone else. Anyone using this document should rely on his or her own independent judgment or, as appropriate, seek the advice of a competent profess
10、ional in determining the exercise of reasonable care in any given circumstances. Information and other standards on the topic covered by this publication may be available from other sources, which the user may wish to consult for additional views or information not covered by this publication. NEMA
11、has no power, nor does it undertake to police or enforce compliance with the contents of this document. NEMA does not certify, test, or inspect products, designs, or installations for safety or health purposes. Any certification or other statement of compliance with any health or safetyrelated infor
12、mation in this document shall not be attributable to NEMA and is solely the responsibility of the certifier or maker of the statement. EM 1-2010 Page i CONTENTS Foreword iii 1 Scope1 2 Definitions .1 2.1 Chevron, or Directional Indicator1 2.2 Edgelit Sign.1 2.3 Exit Sign1 2.4 Legend1 2.5 Legibility1
13、 2.6 Luminance 1 2.7 Luminance Contrast1 2.8 Power Demand.2 2.9 Visibility.2 3 Referenced Publications.2 4 General Requirements2 4.1 Luminosity of Elements and Legend 2 4.2 Legends 2 4.2.1 General2 4.2.2 Aspect Ratios of Characters .3 4.3 Chevrons 3 4.3.1 Shape 3 4.3.2 Size4 4.3.3 Location.5 4.4 Lum
14、inous Background5 5 General Test and Equipment Requirements 6 5.1 Ambient Conditions.6 5.2 Energizing the Exit Sign .6 5.3 Power Supplies.6 5.3.1 AC Power Supply 6 5.3.2 DC Power Supply6 5.4 Test Instruments.6 5.4.1 Calibration and Read-Out6 5.4.2 Photometers 6 5.4.3 Electrical Instruments6 6 Lumina
15、nce Requirements.7 6.1 Exit Signs in the Non-Energized State .7 6.1.1 Test Conditions .7 6.1.2 Luminance Contrast 7 6.2 Exit Signs Using Normal AC Power7 6.2.1 Test Conditions .7 6.2.2 Luminance Uniformity within Legends and Chevrons.7 Copyright 2010 by the National Electrical Manufacturers Associat
16、ion. EM 1-2010 Page ii 6.2.3 Luminance Uniformity Across the Background .7 6.2.4 Luminance Contrast 8 6.2.5 Minimum Luminance of a Luminous Element .9 6.3 Exit Signs Using Emergency DC Power.10 6.3.1 Test Conditions .10 6.3.2 Luminance Uniformity within Legends and Chevrons.10 6.3.3 Luminance Unifor
17、mity across the Background .10 6.3.4 Luminance Contrast 10 6.3.5 Minimum Luminance of a Luminous Element .11 7 Luminance Measurements11 7.1 General .11 7.2 Illuminance Apparatus 11 7.3 Luminous Legend and Chevron .13 7.4 Background.18 8 Luminance Calculations18 8.1 Contrast Formula18 8.2 Mean Lumina
18、nce of the Legend.19 8.3 Mean Luminance of the Background19 9 NEMA Premium 19 9.1 Energy Measurement .19 9.2 Input Power Demand19 Copyright 2010 by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association. EM 1-2010 Page iii Foreword The purpose of this NEMA Standards Publication is to promote safety by se
19、tting forth visibility testing procedures and requirements for exit signs. These procedures and requirements are based on the best available objective research by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Lighting Research Center and on independent testing by CSA International. For
20、the purposes of this standard, the function of an exit sign is regarded as two-fold: for readability and to attract attention in an emergency situation. This standard is based largely on the work done by CSA International and participating companies and organizations in developing CAN/CSA Standard C
21、860-07, Performance of Internally Lighted Exit Signs. However, this NEMA Standards Publication is not intended for listing or certification of products covered in its scope. For listing and certification purposes, consult the appropriate publications of Underwriters Laboratories Inc. and/or CSA Inte
22、rnational. This standard includes energy-efficiency requirements for declaration as NEMA Premium rated products. All safety related requirements and energy-efficiency requirements shall be met for NEMA Premium ratings. In the preparation of this standards publication, input of users and other intere
23、sted parties was sought and evaluated. Inquiries, comments, and proposed or recommended revisions should be submitted to the Emergency Lighting Subdivision of NEMA by contacting: Vice President, Technical Services National Electrical Manufacturers Association 1300 North 17th Street, Suite 1752 Rossl
24、yn, Virginia 22209 The standards or guidelines presented in a NEMA standards publication are considered technically sound at the time they are approved for publication. They are not a substitute for a product sellers or users own judgment with respect to the particular product referenced in the stan
25、dard or guideline, and NEMA does not undertake to guarantee the performance of any individual manufacturers products by virtue of this standard or guide. Thus, NEMA expressly disclaims any responsibility for damages arising from the use, application, or reliance by others on the information containe
26、d in these standards or guidelines. The Emergency Lighting Section developed this standard. Section approval of the standard does not necessarily imply that all section members voted for its approval or participated in its development. At the time the standard was approved, the Emergency Lighting Se
27、ction was composed of the following members: Acuity Brands Lighting Cooper Lighting Gilbert Industries, Inc. Hubbell Lighting, Inc. Luraline Philips Lighting Ruud Lighting Inc. Schneider Electric/Square D Company Technical Consumer Products, Inc. Thomas that is, on the right side pointing right, on
28、the left side pointing left, or on each side of the legend, if appropriate. See Figure 2. Minimum 9.5 mm (3/8 in.)Figure 2 Minimum Distance between Directional Indicator and Legend 4.4 Luminous Background The distance between the outermost edge of any outline defining the shape of a character or che
29、vron and the outermost edge of the luminous background shall be greater than or equal to 19 mm (0.75 in.) for exit signs with luminous backgrounds. Copyright 2010 by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association. EM 1-2010 Page 6 5 General Test and Equipment Requirements 5.1 Ambient Conditions A
30、ll testing shall be performed at an ambient temperature of 25 5C. 5.2 Energizing the Exit Sign The sign shall be energized from the normal supply at rated voltage for at least 100 hr before testing procedures begin. For signs using separate light sources for the emergency mode, there shall be no sea
31、soning required for the emergency illuminants. Immediately prior to testing, the exit sign shall be energized for a time period specified by the manufacturer, but for greater than or equal to 20 min, under the required test conditions. 5.3 Power Supplies 5.3.1 AC Power Supply The voltage supplied to
32、 the sign or to an energizing light source by an ac regulated power supply shall have a wave shape such that the root mean square (rms) of the harmonic components does not exceed 5% THD. The supply voltage shall be regulated to within 0.5% of the test voltage. Frequency shall be 60 Hz. 5.3.2 DC Powe
33、r Supply The voltage supplied to the exit sign by a constant-voltage dc power supply shall be regulated to within 0.5% of the test voltage. 5.4 Test Instruments 5.4.1 Calibration and Read-Out All instruments shall be recently calibrated to a traceable standard at the National Institute of Standards
34、and Technology, or a recognized equivalent. Instruments with digital readouts are preferred. If analog instruments are used, the readout shall be within the upper one-third of the scale used. 5.4.2 Photometers Photometers used for measuring illuminance or luminance shall be color-corrected according
35、 to the 1931 CIE Spectral Luminous Efficiency (V) Curve. The photometer shall not deviate from the V() function by more than 3%, as given by the CIE error term f1, and shall have a value of f2(u) of less than or equal 5% when measured in accordance with CIE Technical Report 69. The photometric instr
36、ument is considered to be suitably corrected to the V() function if it is calibrated against another photometer having an f1 of 3% or less and the calibration is performed using the same spectral distribution (from the combined lamp, sign panels, and ambient lighting when present) as that to be meas
37、ured during the test. Photometers shall have an accuracy of 5% or better. The photometer shall be cosine-corrected if it is intended to be used for measuring illuminance. 5.4.3 Electrical Instruments Ammeters and voltmeters shall have an accuracy of 0.5% or better up to 800 Hz. Wattmeters shall have
38、 an accuracy of 0.75% or better up to 800 Hz. True rms meters shall be used to measure rms values. Copyright 2010 by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association. EM 1-2010 Page 7 6 Luminance Requirements 6.1 Exit Signs in the Non-Energized State 6.1.1 Test Conditions The sign shall not be ener
39、gized and the face of the sign shall be externally illuminated to 100 lx or 323 lx, in accordance with clause 7.2. 6.1.2 Luminance Contrast The luminance contrast of both legend and chevron(s) with the background shall be greater than or equal to 0.50:1, when calculated in accordance with clause 8.1
40、. 6.2 Exit Signs Using Normal AC Power 6.2.1 Test Conditions The sign shall be energized by a regulated power supply adjusted to the rated voltage for normal operation. The face of the sign shall be externally illuminated to 0 lx for luminance measurements, except as specified in Table 3 and clause
41、6.2.4. When specified in Table 3, energized signs shall be externally illuminated in accordance with clause 7.2. 6.2.2 Luminance Uniformity within Legends and Chevrons 6.2.2.1 Luminous Legends and Chevrons The ratio of the maximum luminance to the minimum luminance for the individual measurement poi
42、nts on all of the characters and chevron(s) that are internally lighted shall be less than or equal to 20.0:1, when determined in accordance with clause 7.3. 6.2.3 Luminance Uniformity Across the Background 6.2.3.1 Luminous Backgrounds When energized, the ratio of the maximum luminance to the minimu
43、m luminance on a background that transmits more than 1 cd/m2shall be less than or equal to 20.0:1, when determined in accordance with clause 7.4. Also, see Figure 3. Copyright 2010 by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association. EM 1-2010 Page 8 Maximum 25.4 mm (1 in.)Measurement areaFigure 3
44、Measurement Area for an Exit Sign with a Translucent Background 6.2.3.2 Non-Luminous Backgrounds When energized, the ratio of the maximum luminance to the minimum luminance on a background that transmits less than 1 cd/m2shall not require testing to the requirements of clause 6.2.3. 6.2.4 Luminance
45、Contrast The minimum luminance contrast of both the legend and the chevron(s) with the background shall comply with Table 3, when calculated in accordance with clause 8.1. Determination of contrast ratio is not required when all measured points on the background are less than 1 cd/m2. Edgelit signs
46、with transparent backgrounds shall be tested at both ambient conditions. When testing edgelit signs at 0 lx, the background shall be black, with a reflectance of + 5% and a gloss of 0 to 5%. When testing edgelit signs at 50 lx, the background shall be white, with a reflectance of 85 5% and a gloss o
47、f 0 to 5%. Signs with colored legends and achromatic backgrounds are exempt from testing at ambient lighting conditions of 50 lx. Edgelit exits with opaque achromatic separators are also exempted. NOTEWhite, black, gray, and silver metals such as brushed aluminum can be considered achromatic. Yellow
48、ish metals such as brass and copper cannot be considered achromatic. Copyright 2010 by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association. EM 1-2010 Page 9 Table 3 Luminance Contrast Type of sign Ambient light Minimum contrast ratio Legend or background opaque 50 lx 0.25 Legend and background luminou
49、s 0 lx 0.50 50 lx 0.25 Edgelit 0 lx 0.50 6.2.5 Minimum Luminance of a Luminous Element 6.2.5.1 If the legend is luminous and the background is opaque, the mean luminance and the uniformity of the legend shall comply with Figure 4, with a minimum mean luminance value of 15 cd/m2, when determined in accordance with clause 7.3. In addition, each individual measured luminance value shall be greater than or equal to 8.6 cd/m2. 2468101214161820222410 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 120(13,2.0)(15,2.5)(100,20)FailPassFailMean luminance, cd/m2Uniformityratio, UY = 0
