UPS testing guide: safety, EMC and performance under IEC 62040 and the new GB/T 7260.2-2026

#Which standards apply

In the EU, UPS are assessed against EN IEC 62040-1 under the Low Voltage Directive and EN IEC 62040-2 under the EMC Directive. In the US, UPS are listed to UL 1778. For safety, an IECEE CB test report to IEC 62040-1 is the usual base for other markets.

#What changes with GB/T 7260.2-2026

The 2009 edition followed IEC 62040-2:2005. The 2026 edition is a modified adoption of IEC 62040-2:2016, so China now follows the IEC changes of that edition:

• Network port limits added to the emission tables and Annex C. SNMP cards, Ethernet and other wired communication ports are now measured.
• Category C3 quasi-peak limit changed, for consistency with other standards.
• Immunity performance criteria clarified in Table 4.
• Test configurations in Annex A revised.

Because the national text is a modified adoption, check its differences from the IEC text before planning tests.

#What changes in performance testing

IEC 62040-3:2021 and its Chinese counterpart GB/T 7260.3-2024 bring the following changes:

• Efficiency becomes pass/fail. Minimum efficiency values in Annex I are normative, based on active output power rating and weighting factors.
• Classification code shortened from 8 to 7 characters.
• Non-linear step load is no longer a type test.
• New requirements for UPS with multiple normal modes.
• Non-linear load requirements in Annex E relaxed.
• Environmental conditions aligned with IEC 62040-1; free-fall test aligned with ISO 4180.

Measure efficiency at partial loads early in development. A design that only reaches its figures at full load may now fail.

#Before you go to the lab

• Model family: choose the highest rating of each topology as the representative sample, and list all variants with their differences.
• Batteries: IEC 62040-2 covers UPS that include an energy storage device. Test with the batteries or battery cabinet used in service, and bring their data sheets.
• Communication cards: fit the network, SNMP and RS-485 cards as shipped, with representative cables, because these ports are tested.
• EMC category: state the category you claim and the user instructions that go with it.
• Documents: circuit diagrams, a list of critical components with their certificates, the user manual with warnings, label artwork, the declared classification code and efficiency values.
• Order of work: safety construction review first, an EMC pre-scan next, full performance tests last. Design changes after the performance run are the most expensive.