UL Regulations – UL 62368-1 July Release

New replacement standard for UL 60950 is released, 62368-1. If you manufacture, import, or certify AV/ICT products: Review your components for any continued reliance on legacy standards—these must be re-evaluated and potentially redesigned or re-tested. July 31, 2025 date.
 UL Regulations – UL 62368-1 July Release
Like

Share this post

Choose a social network to share with.

This is a representation of how your post may appear on social media. The actual post will vary between social networks

New replacement standard for UL 60950 is released, 62368-1.  Cost is $725 for PDF and UL doesn’t provide any list of changes from one edition to another. You do need to be running Windows so you can use their specific Adobe reader in order to access the information (or get a hardcopy).

Digital signage: Products like interactive displays, touchscreens, and digital signage systems for public information or advertising are squarely within the definition, since they are “display units” or “audio/video information technology”, being a natural extension of traditional monitors and projectors—all already listed as examples

Expect North America, EU, and major markets to enforce these changes rapidly after July 31, 2025.

Key Changes in the 4th Edition (July 2025) of 62368-1

1. End of Legacy Component Acceptance

  • Removal of Clause 4.1.1:
    Components or subassemblies certified only to legacy standards IEC 60950-1 (IT/communications) or IEC 60065 (AV) are no longer automatically accepted. ALL components must now be evaluated according to IEC/UL 62368-1 requirements, which may require retesting and recertification for many manufacturers12345.

2. Expanded and Clarified Scope

  • More precise definitions added for terms such as audio amplifier, liquid cooling terms, loudspeaker driver, subassembly, and several battery-related concepts. The scope is extended to clarify which types of products and cooling systems (notably for liquid cooling in data centers or high-performance equipment) fall under the standard65.

3. Battery Requirements

  • Annex M Revisions:
    All types of secondary lithium batteries are now included, regardless of whether they are portable or stationary. Specific safety requirements for stationary (non-portable) lithium battery systems are imposed—including design, charging, and enclosure requirements345.

4. Fire Protection & Ignition Sources

  • Clarifications on fire enclosure construction and the classification of potential ignition sources (PIS):

    • New provisions for controlling fire spread.

    • Specific mention that PS3 circuits are considered resistive PISs by default.

    • Removal of previous references/requirements (such as certain Annex Q and PS2 clauses), which may require re-evaluation of product fire safety strategies35.

5. Liquid-Filled Components and Cooling

  • Expanded and updated requirements for liquid-filled components and modular liquid-filled cooling (LFC) systems over 1 liter, to address the growth of direct liquid-cooling in modern electronics and data centers645.

6. External Circuit and Surge Protection

  • New table and updated requirements for external circuits, referencing IEC 61000-4-5 Installation Classes 0 and 1 for surge protection, particularly relevant for network and communication equipment3.

7. Other Editorial Updates

  • Editorial clarifications throughout, including how accessibility is handled for users needing to open enclosures with tools, and small wording changes to improve testability and implementation35.

Summary Table: Major 4th Edition Changes

Change Summary Impact
Legacy component exemption removed Retesting/replacement likely for old IEC 60950-1/60065 components1245
Battery safety/Annex M upgraded Stricter, wider coverage for all lithium systems345
Liquid cooling requirements added New tests for systems >1L, modular cooling components645
Definitions/terminology clarified Eases global interpretation and compliance65
Fire hazard/protection rules enhanced New PIS classification and enclosure standards35
External circuit/surge standards updated New network and surge protection clarifications3

What to Do Next

  • If you manufacture, import, or certify AV/ICT products:
    Review your components for any continued reliance on legacy standards—these must be re-evaluated and potentially redesigned or re-tested.

  • Special focus if you use lithium batteries, liquid cooling, or high-power networks:
    New requirements may mandate substantial documentation and structural changes.

  • Expect North America, EU, and major markets to enforce these changes rapidly after July 31, 2025.

This edition is a major shift for ongoing safety compliance and product design within the electronics sector7145.

Please sign in or register for FREE

If you are a registered user on AVIXA Xchange, please sign in