This standard applies to surge protectors for application on multiconductor balanced or unbalanced data,
communications, and signaling circuits with voltages equal to or less than 1000 V rms, or 1200 V dc. These
surge protectors are designed to limit voltage surges, current surges, or both.
This standard describes the methods of testing and criteria for determining the end of life of electrical surge
protectors used in low-voltage data, communications, and signaling circuits. The surge protectors covered
are multiple-component series or parallel combinations of linear or nonlinear elements, packaged for the
purpose of limiting voltage, current, or both.
This standard is not intended to cover packaged single gas tube, air gap, varistor, or avalanche junction
surge-protective devices, which are included in IEEE Std C62.31-1987,1 IEEE Std C62.32-1981, IEEE Std
C62.33-1982, and IEEE Std C62.35-1987, respectively. Specifically excluded from this standard are test
methods for low-voltage power circuit applications. For protection of wire-line communication facilities
under the specialized conditions found at power stations, consult IEEE Std 487-1992.
The tests in this standard are intended as design tests, as defined in the IEEE Dictionary [B1]2, and provide a
means of comparison among various multiple-component surge protectors.
The test criteria and definitions of this standard provide a common engineering language beneficial to users
and manufacturers of multiple-component surge protectors.