FAQ

Type of device	Equipment authorization required
TV broadcast receiver	Verification.
FM broadcast receiver	Verification.
CB receiver	Declaration of Conformity or Certification.
Superregenerative receiver	Declaration of Conformity or Certification.
Scanning receiver	Certification.
All other receivers subject to part 15.	Declaration of Conformity or Certification.
TV interface device	Declaration of Conformity or Certification.
Cable system terminal device	Declaration of Conformity.
Stand-alone cable input selector switch	Verification.
Class B personal computers and peripherals.	Declaration of Conformity or Certification
CPU boards and internal power supplies used with Class B personal computers.	Declaration of Conformity or Certification
Class B personal computers assembled using authorized CPU boards or power supplies.	Declaration of Conformity.
Class B external switching power supplies	Verification.
Other Class B digital devices and peripherals.	Verification.
Class A digital devices, peripherals and external switching power supplies.	Verification.
All other devices.	Verification.

Note to table: Where the above table indicates more than one category of authorization for a device, the party responsible for compliance has the option to select the type of authorization. Applications for this equipment will no longer be accepted by the Commission once domestic Telecommunication Certification Bodies are available to certificate the equipment. See Sec. 2.960 of CFR 47.

How do I determine whether my Product is Class A or Class B?

Class A digital device. A digital device that is marketed for use in a commercial, industrial or business environment, exclusive of a device which is marketed for use by the general public or is intended to be used in the home.

Class B digital device. A digital device that is marketed for use in a residential environment notwithstanding use in commercial, business and industrial environments. Examples of such devices include, but are not limited to, personal computers, calculators, and similar electronic devices that are marketed for use by the general public.

Note: The responsible party may also qualify a device intended to be marketed in a commercial, business or industrial environment as a Class B device, and in fact is encouraged to do so, provided the device complies with the technical specifications for a Class B digital device. In the event that a particular type of device has been found to repeatedly cause harmful interference to radio communications, the Commission may classify such a digital device as a Class B digital device, regardless of its intended use.

What is the FCC Declaration of Conformity and how does this work?

Manufacturers of certain kinds of equipment may self declare under the DoC, provided the manufacturer tests at an Accredited Laboratory. Acme Testing is an accredited lab and therefore assists with this process. The types of equipment eligible for DoC include:

v Computers and computer peripherals

v CSTD

v Most Receivers

v TV Interface Device

v Consumer ISM (Part 18)

In order to comply with the Federal Communications Commission's Declaration of Conformity equipment authorization procedures you must:

Include the following compliance information with the device or in the manual:

Identification of the specific product covered by the declaration (e.g.: by trade name and model number).
A statement that the product complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Such as:

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

Identification by name, address and telephone number of the manufacturer, importer or other party located within the United States that is responsible for ensuring compliance.

The device must have the following label permanently affixed, containing a unique identifier that will not be confused with a FCC ID number.

The user's manual or instructions manual for an intentional or unintentional radiator shall caution the user that changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.
If your device requires special accessories, (i.e. shielded cables, ferrites on cables, etc.) it is important that you read and follow the following guidelines:

Equipment marketed to a consumer must be capable of complying with the necessary regulations in the configuration in which the equipment is marketed. Where special accessories, such as shielded cables and/or special connectors, are required to enable an unintentional or intentional radiator to comply with the emission limits in this part, the equipment must be marketed with (i.e. shipped and sold with) those special accessories. However, in lieu of shipping or packaging the special accessories with the unintentional or intentional radiator, the responsible party may employ other methods of ensuring that the special accessories are provided to the consumer, without additional charge, at the time of purchase. Information detailing any alternative method used to supply the special accessories shall be included in the application for a grant of equipment authorization or retained in the verification records, as appropriate. The party responsible for the equipment, as detailed in ¤ 2.909 of this chapter, shall ensure that these special accessories are provided with the equipment. The instruction manual for such devices shall include appropriate instructions on the first page of the text concerned with the installation of the device that these special accessories must be used with the device. It is the responsibility of the user to use the needed special accessories supplied with the equipment.
If a device requiring special accessories is installed by or under the supervision of the party marketing the device, it is the responsibility of that party to install the equipment using the special accessories. For equipment requiring professional installation, it is not necessary for the responsible party to market the special accessories with the equipment. However, the need to use the special accessories must be detailed in the instruction manual, and it is the responsibility of the installer to provide and to install the required accessories.
Accessory items that can be readily obtained from multiple retail outlet are not considered to be special accessories and are not required to be marketed with the equipment. The manual included with the equipment must specify what additional components or accessories are required to be used in order to ensure compliance with this part, and it is the responsibility of the user to provide and use those components and accessories.
The resulting system, including any accessories or components marketed with the equipment, must comply with the regulations.

For a Class B digital device or peripheral, the instructions furnished to the user shall include the following or similar statement, placed in a prominent location in the text of the manual:

NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna
Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver
Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected
Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help

What Information do I need to include in the User Manual?

For a Class A digital device or peripheral, the instructions furnished the user shall include the following or similar statement, placed in a prominent location in the text of the manual:

Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.

For a Class B digital device or peripheral, the instructions furnished the user shall include the following or similar statement, placed in a prominent location in the text of the manual:

Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

--Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

--Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

--Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

--Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

The provisions of paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section do not apply to digital devices exempted from the technical standards under the provisions of Sec. 15.103. For systems incorporating several digital devices, the statement shown in paragraph (a) or (b) of this section needs to be contained only in the instruction manual for the main control unit.

What Devices are Exempt from FCC Regulation?

Sec. 15.103 Exempted devices.

The following devices are subject only to the general conditions of operation in Secs. 15.5 and 15.29 and are exempt from the specific technical standards and other requirements contained in this part. The operator of the exempted device shall be required to stop operating the device upon a finding by the Commission or its representative that the device is causing harmful interference. Operation shall not resume until the condition causing the harmful interference has been corrected. Although not mandatory, it is strongly recommended that the manufacturer of an exempted device endeavor to have the device meet the specific technical standards in this part.

(a) A digital device utilized exclusively in any transportation vehicle including motor vehicles and aircraft.

(b) A digital device used exclusively as an electronic control or power system utilized by a public utility or in an industrial plant. The term public utility includes equipment only to the extent that it is in a dedicated building or large room owned or leased by the utility and does not extend to equipment installed in a subscriber's facility.

(d) A digital device utilized exclusively in an appliance, e.g., microwave oven, dishwasher, clothes dryer, air conditioner (central or window), etc.

(e) Specialized medical digital devices (generally used at the direction of or under the supervision of a licensed health care practitioner) whether used in a patient's home or a health care facility. Non-specialized medical devices, i.e., devices marketed through retail channels for use by the general public, are not exempted.

This exemption also does not apply to digital devices used for record keeping or any purpose not directly connected with medical treatment. (f) Digital devices that have a power consumption not exceeding 6 nW.

(g) Joystick controllers or similar devices, such as a mouse, used with digital devices but which contain only non-digital circuitry or a simple circuit to convert the signal to the format required (e.g., an integrated circuit for analog to digital conversion) are viewed as passive add-on devices, not themselves directly subject to the technical standards or the equipment authorization requirements.

(h) Digital devices in which both the highest frequency generated and the highest frequency used are less than 1.705 MHz and which do not operate from the AC power lines or contain provisions for operation while connected to the AC power lines. Digital devices that include, or make provision for the use of, battery eliminators, AC adaptors or battery chargers which permit operation while charging or that connect to the AC power lines indirectly, obtaining their power through another device which is connected to the AC power lines, do not fall under this exemption.

(i) Responsible parties should note that equipment containing more than one device is not exempt from the technical standards in this part unless all of the devices in the equipment meet the criteria for exemption. If only one of the included devices qualifies for exemption, the remainder of the equipment must comply with any applicable regulations. If a device performs more than one function and all of those functions do not meet the criteria for exemption, the device does not qualify for inclusion under the exemptions.

What information goes on the FCC label?

Compliance for Europe (CE Mark)

What is the EMC directive?

The Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive

Purpose

The EMC Directive has been introduced to ensure a harmonized standard of product safety, and performance, in respect to radio interference for electrical equipment offered in the European Union.

Scope

The Directive is one of the widest in its application and all electrical products must comply. The only exceptions are for components or sub assemblies with no intrinsic function (i.e. their use cannot be defined unless they are combined with other components) and certain electrical products and systems that are already covered by other directives. Examples of products, which do not need to comply, are plugs and sockets, capacitors, resistors and integrated circuits. More complex sub-assemblies such as thermostats, power supplies and micro-controllers do have to comply but would normally only be considered as parts of a complete product or system. Medical Devices, military, automotive and certain agricultural equipment are all excluded from the scope of the EMC Directive itself because they are subject to more specific directives containing equivalent EMC provisions but almost all other apparatus, whether it is mains or battery powered, must comply. This includes the simplest hand held system (e.g. a battery powered torch) right up to the most complex installation (even a power station or chemical factory!).

Equipment intended for connection to the terrestrial telecommunications network ("Telecommunications Terminal Equipment, TTE) or for communication via satellite (Satellite Earth Station Equipment, SESE) is excluded from the EMC Directive but subject to the R&TTE Directive as is Radio-communications apparatus.

Requirements

In essence the requirements of the Directive are very simple - it basically states that products must not emit unwanted electromagnetic pollution (interference). Because there is a certain amount of electromagnetic pollution in the environment, the Directive also states that products must be immune to a reasonable amount of interference. The Directive itself gives no figures or guidelines on what the required level of emissions or immunity are, nor does it state the frequency band limits. This interpretation of the Directive's requirements is left to the standards that are used to demonstrate compliance with the Directive.

Implementation date

The Directive came fully into force on 1 January 1996 and all equipment, which comes within its scope, MUST comply with its provisions.

Demonstrating compliance

The Directive allows three routes to compliance. Of these, the EC type examination route, which requires full testing to recognized standards, is only mandatory for telecommunications (i.e. transmitting) apparatus. For other equipment there is the Manufacturer's Declaration of Conformity or the Technical Construction File.

The Manufacturers Declaration of Conformity allows the manufacturer to compare the performance of the equipment with the requirements of the relevant standards, and if they are sure that the standards are met, the manufacturer makes a declaration that the Directive has been complied with. Testing may be required in order to demonstrate that the appliance does meet the requirements of the standard, but this is not mandatory.

The Technical Construction File route to compliance is designed for equipment for which there is no clearly applicable standard - or which is of such a size that testing in a normal laboratory facility is not possible. The manufacturer creates a file that provides a range of information, and draws it together to form the conclusion that the product meets the requirements of the EMC Directive. This conclusion is then audited by a Conformity Assessment Body, which takes responsibility for ensuring that the logic used to justify the declaration of compliance is valid and accurate and issues a certificate accordingly.

Administrative requirements under the Directive

While the essence of the Directive is, of course, to ensure that products meet the essential protection requirements of immunity and emissions, there are two other requirements that the Directive makes of manufacturers or importers. These are to assist officials charged with responsibility for enforcing the Directive. One is that the product, its instructions or packaging, be marked with the CE logo. The other is that the manufacturer or importer must make an official pronouncement of the product's compliance with the Directive, known as a Declaration of Conformity.

What are the labeling specifications for the CE Mark?

The CE Mark

The CE Mark must be affixed (in order of preference) to the product, its instruction manual or to its packaging. It must be at least 5mm high. The Declaration of Conformity must be signed by a person of authority within the company responsible for the product (usually a Director). It must include a list of any standards used to justify the claim of compliance with the Directive. For further advice on this, see our Declaration of Conformity page.

The European Union consists of 15 member states (see below). These member states require that a CE mark be affixed on all Electronic devices placed on the market in the European Union. The CE Mark is essentially the manufacturer declaring that they meet the essential elements required by the EMC Directive.

· Austria

· Belgium

· Denmark

· Finland

· France

· Germany

· Greece

· Ireland

· Italy

· Luxembourg

· Netherlands

· Portugal

· Spain

· Sweden

· United Kingdom

What Information needs to be contained in a Manufacturers Declaration of Conformity?

DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY

according to ISO/IEC Guide 22 and EN 45014

Manufacturer's Name: Your Company Name

Manufacturer's Address: Your Company Address

declares that the product (s):

Product Name: Your Trade Name

Model Numbers: Your Model Numbers

Product Options: All

conforms to the following Product Specifications:

EMC:

EN 55022:1994 Test Name
EN 50082-1:1992 Test Name
EN 61000-4-2 Test Name
EN 61000-4-3 Test Name
EN 61000-4-4 Test Name

Supplementary Information

The product(s) herewith comply with the requirements of the EMC Directive 89/336/EEC. The product(s) were tested in a typical configuration.

Name of Responsible Party

Title of Responsible Party

Signature of Responsible Party

European Contact: Your European Contact

Address of Your European Contact

Telephone & Fax numbers of Your European Contact

Where can I find a copy of the EMC Directive?

http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/newapproach/standardization/harmstds/reflist/emc.html

Where can I find details on the Low Voltage Directive?

http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/newapproach/standardization/harmstds/reflist/lvd.html

What is the Mutual Recognition Agreement between the US & EU?