What is the role of IEC 60945?

IEC 60945 "Maritime navigation and radiocommunication equipment and systems, General requirements" is the horizontal standard that sets out the environmental, mechanical and electromagnetic compatibility requirements for navigation and radiocommunication equipment installed on board ships. It is referenced in the European Marine Equipment Directive 2014/90/EU (MED) to grant the so-called Wheelmark, and in the conventions of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), in particular SOLAS chapters IV and V. It is also recognised by the main national maritime regulators in their type-approval procedures, including the US Coast Guard.

What is the difference between Class A and Class B under IEC 60945?

The standard divides equipment into two installation categories according to environmental exposure. Class A covers equipment installed inside the ship, protected from the weather (bridge, climate-controlled technical rooms). Class B covers equipment installed outdoors, exposed to the weather (antennas, deck sensors, signalling lights, superstructure equipment). The thresholds of the climatic tests (temperature, humidity, salt mist) are more demanding for Class B. The manufacturer must declare the targeted class in the product documentation, and the test report must explicitly cover that class.

How does IEC 60945 connect to Marine Equipment Directive 2014/90/EU?

The MED lists, through implementing regulations published in the Official Journal of the European Union, the marine equipment subject to conformity assessment and the standards applicable to each. For the vast majority of electronic navigation and radiocommunication equipment, IEC 60945 is among the cited standards, generally combined with a specific performance standard (for example IEC 61108 for marine GNSS receivers, IEC 61097 for GMDSS equipment). Application of conformity-assessment modules B, D, E, F, G or H by a MED notified body leads to the affixing of the Wheelmark on the product.

What tests are included in the IEC 60945 sequence?

The typical sequence combines environmental tests and electromagnetic compatibility tests. The environmental side covers vibration, dry heat, damp heat, low temperature, salt mist and, depending on the version, water sprinkling and immersion. The EMC side refers to the IEC 61000 family (conducted and radiated immunity, electrostatic discharge, fast transients, surge) and to emissions measurements using the CISPR 16 methodology. The levels retained by IEC 60945 are generally more stringent than those for terrestrial industrial equipment, in particular for radiated RF immunity, because of the dense radio-frequency environment on board a ship (radars, HF/VHF/UHF communications, satellite).

Does CE marking replace the Wheelmark?

No. The general CE marking does not apply to equipment covered by the MED, which has a separate marking regime. A marine product subject to the MED carries the Wheelmark (steering-wheel symbol), accompanied by the identification number of the notified body and the year of affixing. CE marking under other directives (for example low voltage, general EMC) cannot be affixed on a product falling under the MED, and vice versa. For the general frame see [CE marking](/en/ce/) and [certification timeline](/en/guides/certification-timeline/).

What is the relation between IEC 60945 and the IEC 61162 family?

IEC 61162 is the family of standards that specifies digital interfaces for maritime equipment: IEC 61162-1 (low-speed serial single-listener interface, derived from NMEA 0183), IEC 61162-2 (high speed), IEC 61162-3 (CAN bus for bridge networks, aligned with NMEA 2000), IEC 61162-450 and 61162-460 (maritime Ethernet). IEC 60945 sets the environmental and EMC requirements applicable to the connector and cable; IEC 61162 specifies the protocol and the electrical layer of the links. Both families are cited together in almost every MED implementing regulation for navigation equipment.

How does the US Coast Guard certify equivalent marine equipment?

The US Coast Guard grants a so-called Type Approval under Code of Federal Regulations title 46 (Shipping) and title 47 (Telecommunication) depending on the equipment type. The procedure requires tests in a recognised Independent Laboratory (IL), often the same laboratories that perform MED testing, and submission of a technical file to the USCG. The cited references are generally aligned with IMO conventions and include IEC 60945, but the assessment scheme, the certificate numbering and the marking obligations differ. Equipment intended for both markets must plan two distinct approval files.

IEC 60945: maritime navigation + radiocomm

Q: Does IEC 60945 also cover the electrical installation of the ship?

No. IEC 60945 is an equipment standard: it applies to a product taken in isolation, such as a navigation console or a VHF transmitter. The ship-wide electrical installation, its cabling, switchboards and bonding scheme, falls under IEC 60533 (EMC of electrical and electronic installations in ships), which is an installation and system standard. The two are complementary: equipment compliant with IEC 60945 may still cause excessive EMC disturbance once installed if the general installation does not respect IEC 60533, and conversely.

Author Hugues Orgitello Last updated 27 May 2026 ~11 min read

Guide · IEC 60945

IEC 60945 is the horizontal standard that sets out the environmental, mechanical and electromagnetic compatibility requirements for navigation and radiocommunication equipment installed on board ships. Published by the International Electrotechnical Commission and maintained by Technical Committee TC 80 ("Maritime navigation and radiocommunication equipment and systems"), it provides the common technical base cited by the European Marine Equipment Directive 2014/90/EU, by IMO conventions (SOLAS, COLREG) and by the national regulators that grant maritime type approvals. This page describes the scope of the standard, its Class A and Class B equipment categories, the test sequence, its articulation with the European Wheelmark scheme and comparable national schemes (US Coast Guard and others), as well as its relation to IEC 60533 (EMC of installation) and the IEC 61162 family (maritime digital interfaces).

The scope covers electronic equipment intended for installation on board ships subject to IMO requirements. Typical targets include:

navigation equipment: radar, gyrocompass, GNSS receiver, echo sounder, log, AIS (Automatic Identification System), Voyage Data Recorder (VDR),
radiocommunication equipment: marine VHF, MF/HF, satellite terminals (Inmarsat, Iridium), NAVTEX receivers, Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) equipment,
Integrated Bridge Systems (IBS) and Integrated Navigation Systems (INS), which combine several pieces of equipment in a single bridge console,
ancillary bridge equipment: signalling lights, rudder indicators, heading repeaters, Bridge Navigational Watch Alarm Systems (BNWAS).

The standard does not cover propulsion equipment, main engines, mechanical deck equipment (winches, cranes) or cargo equipment. Nor does it cover, taken alone, the ship's general electrical installation, which falls under other standards (IEC 60092 for marine electrical installations, IEC 60533 for installation-level EMC).

The driving idea is to provide a common environmental and EMC frame for all these equipment families, completed for each type by a specific performance standard. A marine GNSS receiver will thus be declared compliant with both IEC 60945 (environment, EMC) and IEC 61108-1 (performance requirements for a marine GPS receiver), the two references being cited in parallel in the corresponding MED implementing regulation.

Class A and Class B: weather exposure

The standard splits equipment into two exposure categories.

Criterion	Class A (protected)	Class B (exposed)
Typical location	Bridge, climate-controlled technical rooms, crew accommodation	Open deck, mast, superstructure, antennas, signalling lights
Weather protection	Protected	Not protected; exposed to rain, spray, sun, wind
Test temperature range	Narrower	Extended towards cold (typically below zero) and heat (solar load)
Salt mist	Standard test	Severe test, extended duration
Ingress protection	According to installation	Higher, typically IPx6 or above, validated by sprinkling tests
Documentation	Class declared in the test report and in the product datasheet	Class declared, plus the targeted IP rating

The class declaration is made by the manufacturer based on the intended use of the product and binds the assessment: equipment declared as Class B must pass the Class B test sequence, not the Class A sequence. An unauthorised redeployment (for example, installing outdoors a piece of equipment assessed as Class A only) constitutes use outside the certified scope.

Environmental test sequence

The typical sequence combines vibration, climatic tests, salt mist and the EMC battery referenced to the relevant basic test standards. The precise values (durations, amplitudes, immunity levels) appear in the body of the standard and may evolve between editions.

Family	Test	Test reference	Notes
Vibration	Sinusoidal vibration, frequency sweep	IEC 60068-2-6	Level and duration depend on the installation (machinery, deck)
Climatic	Dry heat	IEC 60068-2-2	Sustained high temperature
Climatic	Damp heat	IEC 60068-2-30 or IEC 60068-2-78	Humidity cycling with or without condensation depending on the variant
Climatic	Cold	IEC 60068-2-1	Lower bounds for Class B
Salt mist	Neutral salt mist	IEC 60068-2-52	Extended duration for Class B; representative of marine air
Mechanical	Shock	IEC 60068-2-27	Resistance to transport and handling
Ingress	Sprinkling / water	IEC 60529 (IPx)	For outdoor Class B, validation of a declared IP rating
EMC emissions	Conducted and radiated emissions	CISPR 16 methodology; limits per IEC 60945 (and CISPR 32 where relevant)	Maritime limits more stringent than generic above certain bands
EMC immunity	Electrostatic discharge (ESD)	IEC 61000-4-2	Maritime level generally high (6 kV contact typical)
EMC immunity	Radiated RF field	IEC 61000-4-3	High level over an extended range to cover shipboard radars and radios
EMC immunity	Electrical fast transients (burst)	IEC 61000-4-4	Capacitive coupling on power and signal cables
EMC immunity	Surge	IEC 61000-4-5	Power lines, marine coupling conditions
EMC immunity	Conducted RF	IEC 61000-4-6	HF/VHF band for antenna environment
EMC immunity	Power-frequency magnetic field	IEC 61000-4-8	Proximity to machinery and generators
Power supply	DC and AC variations, transients, faults	IEC 60945 directly	24 Vdc shipboard network, 110/220 Vac depending on installation

The sequence is not a mere administrative breakdown. Several tests are run in a fixed order: equipment goes through climatic tests, then vibration, then salt mist, before the EMC battery, the idea being to verify that the environmental sequence has not degraded the EMC performance. The exact order is set out in the test plan accepted by the laboratory and, where applicable, by the MED notified body.

Wheelmark: MED 2014/90/EU and notified bodies

Directive 2014/90/EU (Marine Equipment Directive, MED) replaced directive 96/98/EC from 2016. It organises a conformity-assessment scheme for marine equipment intended for installation on board ships flying the flag of a Member State, in transposition of IMO requirements. The equipment in scope is listed in an implementing regulation of the European Commission, updated periodically, which cites for each equipment type the applicable international standards (typically IEC 60945 plus one or more performance standards).

Assessment is carried out by a notified body (NB) under the MED, designated by a Member State and notified to the Commission. The official list is maintained in the Commission's NANDO database, and the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) maintains a database of MED-certified equipment. The applicable modules come from Decision 768/2008/EC:

Module	Phase	Description
B	Design (EU type-examination)	Examination of a representative specimen by the notified body. The EU type-examination certificate is the cornerstone of the MED file.
D	Production	Conformity to type based on quality assurance of the production process, audit of the quality system by the notified body.
E	Products	Conformity to type based on product quality assurance, control of finished products.
F	Verification	Conformity to type based on product verification, unit-by-unit or statistical control.
G	Unit verification	Conformity based on unit verification, for very low production runs or special equipment.
H	Full quality assurance	Conformity based on full quality assurance (design and production), extended audit of the quality system.

In practice, the most common combination for a serial electronic product is B + D or B + E. For low-volume series or special equipment, B + F or G are seen. H is reserved for manufacturers running a complete, documented and auditable quality system. The Wheelmark is affixed at the end of the production phase: it carries the steering-wheel symbol, the identification number of the notified body that issued the production certificate, and the year of affixing. It is followed where relevant by the references of the MED certificate.

SOLAS and carriage requirements

The SOLAS convention (Safety of Life at Sea), adopted by the IMO, sets the carriage requirements for navigation and radiocommunication equipment according to ship type, size and area of operation. The relevant chapters are:

Chapter IV (Radiocommunications): requires the carriage of GMDSS equipment according to sea areas A1, A2, A3, A4. The technical references typically refer to the IEC 61097 family.
Chapter V (Safety of navigation): requires the carriage of navigation equipment (radar, AIS, gyrocompass, GNSS, echo sounder, log, ECDIS for larger ships, VDR for passenger ships and cargo ships above certain tonnages). The technical references typically refer to IEC 60945 and to the relevant performance standard.

The MED transposes these requirements for ships flying EU flags: equipment compliant with the MED and carrying the Wheelmark is deemed to satisfy the corresponding SOLAS requirement for the flag State. Non-EU flag States apply their own type-approval scheme, generally aligned on the same IEC references but with a different administrative procedure.

The articulation can be read as follows: SOLAS sets out what must be installed, IEC 60945 (plus the applicable performance standard) sets out how equipment must be built and tested, and MED (or USCG, or another national regulator) organises the assessment procedure and marking.

Comparison: Wheelmark, USCG and other regional schemes

Scheme	Territory	Marking	Typical procedure
MED Wheelmark	EU and EU-flagged ships	Steering-wheel symbol + NB number + year	Module B + D/E/F/G/H by notified body
USCG Type Approval	United States (USCG)	USCG Approval Number	Tests in a recognised Independent Laboratory (IL) then file submitted to the USCG Marine Safety Center
Transport Canada	Canada	Transport Canada approval	National procedure, generally aligned on the same IEC references
MCA UK	United Kingdom	MCA approval	Since the UK left the EU, a national scheme that remains close to MED references
Class Society (DNV, Lloyd's Register, BV, ABS, ClassNK, RINA, KR, etc.)	Worldwide	Type Approval Certificate of the class society	Audit and tests under class society rules; complementary to state approvals; required by many ship owners

A single piece of equipment intended for several markets must, in practice, accumulate several certificates: MED Wheelmark for the EU, USCG type approval for the United States, and at least one Type Approval Certificate from a recognised class society to facilitate acceptance by international ship owners. The common technical base (IEC 60945 plus performance standard) limits redundant testing, but the administrative procedures are distinct and billed separately. See certification timeline for the typical sequencing of a multi-market project.

Relation to IEC 60533: equipment vs installation

IEC 60533 ("Electrical and electronic installations in ships, Electromagnetic compatibility") is the other structural standard in the maritime EMC domain. The distinction with IEC 60945 is clear:

IEC 60945 is an equipment standard: it applies to an individual product, assessed in isolation in a laboratory, and conditions its placing on the market or its type approval.
IEC 60533 is an installation and system standard: it applies to the ship's general electrical installation, its cabling, switchboards, earthing, routing, and conditions the acceptance of the installation by the class society or the maritime authority.

Equipment compliant with IEC 60945 may still cause excessive disturbance once installed if the general installation violates IEC 60533 (power cables routed alongside signal cables, multiple ground points creating loops, poorly terminated shields). Conversely, an impeccable installation in the IEC 60533 sense will not rescue equipment that has failed the IEC 60945 tests. The two standards are complementary: the first guarantees the intrinsic quality of the delivered product, the second guarantees that the on-board integration does not degrade the individual performance.

From the equipment manufacturer's standpoint, the direct perimeter is IEC 60945. Knowledge of IEC 60533 is useful in drafting installation documentation (routing, shielding, bonding recommendations) that helps the integrator respect the installation standard without degrading product compliance.

IEC 61162: maritime digital interfaces

The IEC 61162 family specifies digital interfaces between bridge equipment. It is cited alongside IEC 60945 in almost every MED implementing regulation, because modern navigation equipment exchanges data continuously (heading, position, speed, alarms).

Part	Topic	Industrial equivalent
IEC 61162-1	Low-speed single-listener serial interface (typically 4800 baud)	Aligned with NMEA 0183
IEC 61162-2	High-speed serial interface (typically 38400 baud)	High-speed extension of NMEA 0183
IEC 61162-3	CAN bus for bridge networks	Aligned with NMEA 2000
IEC 61162-450	Maritime Ethernet, UDP multicast	Modern bridge-integration standard
IEC 61162-460	Secure maritime Ethernet	450 + cybersecurity and redundancy requirements

For the manufacturer, the articulation is clear: IEC 60945 specifies the requirements applicable to the connector, cable and electrical layer of the interface port (EMC immunity, ingress protection, temperature range). IEC 61162 specifies the protocol, the application sentences and the transport layers. Both levels must be met together. A non-conformity with IEC 61162 (incorrect sentence formatting, wrong baud rate) does not translate into a failure of the IEC 60945 tests; it translates into a refusal of interoperability with the other bridge equipment at integration or at the audit of the integrated system.

IMO: SOLAS, MARPOL, COLREG

Three main IMO conventions frame the regulatory environment of marine equipment:

SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea), already mentioned, sets carriage requirements for navigation and radiocommunication.
MARPOL (Marine Pollution) sets pollution-prevention requirements. It concerns treatment equipment (bilge, sewage, exhaust gas) more directly than bridge electronic equipment, but some electronic systems fall within its scope (discharge monitoring, EGCS systems for scrubbers).
COLREG (Collision Regulations, international rules to prevent collisions at sea) sets the rules of the road and the characteristics of lights and signals. Technically it translates into requirements on navigation lights, their visibility and photometry, an area partly covered by IEC 60945 for the environmental aspects of signalling lights and indicators.

For the manufacturer of electronic navigation equipment, the primary anchor is SOLAS, transposed by the MED. MARPOL and COLREG come in through specific performance standards (for example performance standards for discharge-monitoring systems, for navigation lights), which cite IEC 60945 for environment and EMC.

Common pitfalls

Mixing up Class A and Class B: equipment assessed as Class A and then installed outdoors falls outside its type-approval scope. The class declaration must match the intended use.
Underestimating salt mist: on a product with conventional metal connectors, salt mist quickly reveals corrosion points that did not appear in dry climatic tests. Material selection and surface treatment are design decisions, not late-stage tweaks.
Undersizing RF immunity: IEC 60945 immunity levels are higher than those of generic terrestrial industrial products. Electronics dimensioned for generic industrial EMC (IEC 61000-6-2) do not necessarily pass the maritime thresholds.
Forgetting IEC 61162: environmental and EMC compliance is not enough if the equipment does not speak correctly with the bridge network. An IEC 61162 test bench must be part of the test plan.
Confusing Wheelmark and generic CE marking: a MED product does not carry the CE marking of other directives. Affixing a generic CE marking on equipment in scope of the MED is a non-conformity. For the RED frame see the RED page.
Underestimating MED notified-body lead times: MED notified bodies are few in number, their lead times can be extended, and the B phase (EU type-examination) requires a complete technical file before tests are engaged. Project planning must reflect this.