This European Standard identifies the functional characteristics of a general purpose eddy current equipment and provides methods for their measurement and verification. The evaluation of these characteristics permits a well defined description and comparability of an eddy current equipment. By careful choice of the characteristics, a consistent and effective eddy current examination system can be designed for a specific application. Where accessories are used, these should be characterised using the principles of this standard. This European Standard gives neither the extent of verification nor acceptance criteria for the characteristics. They are given in the application documents.