FCC publishes rules on use of new measurement standard for Part 15 devices; it’s official.

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The FCC released today, Public Notice DA 09-2478, clarifying the use of ANSI measurement standards for Part 15 devices.

For many years now ANSI C63.4 has been the measurement standard for Part 15 devices, covering both unintentional and intentional radiators. This is now changing.

If you’ve been following the EMC and Regulatory Compliance blog, you may recall the post made on September 15th regarding the publication of the new ANSI C63.10-2009 measurement standard for unlicensed wireless devices. Not to over simplify the process, but that publication was only the first part, of a two part process required to make it official; the FCC would need to publish the new standard in the rules and allow its use.

Public Notice DA 09-2478 provides for the following;

For unintentional radiators, subject to Part15.31(a)(3), you may use either ANSI C63.4 2003, or 2009.

For intentional radiators subject to Part 15.31(a)(3), measurements may be made using ANSI C63.4 2003 or 2009, or, the new ANSI C63.10 2009 standard.

In any event, the standard employed must be identified consistent with 47 C.F.R. § 2.947 (b).

This step now allows the faster pace, rapidly evolving world of wireless devices to be treated individually with respect to testing, and not lumped together with the simpler unintentional radiators. The new rules give clearer guidance on how to test specific types of radio devices, and this also lays the groundwork with respect to testing future developments in wireless technology.

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IEEE EMCs Lecture - An Overview of Chip Level EMC Problems

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Join the Orange County IEEE EMC Society chapter in December, when Dr. Sergiu Radu, Principal Engineer at Sun Microsystems, will present “An Overview of Chip Level EMC Problems”

The CPUs and the VLSI chips are the primary sources of electromagnetic noise in all electronic equipment. Reducing the electromagnetic noise at source level is usually the best and the most economical solution. The presentation discusses typical interference mechanisms associated with CPU/VLSI, as well as mitigation methods at die-level and package level. Among the aspects discussed are some power distribution issues, on-die decoupling, package capacitors, routing aspects, the impact of back-bias and forward-bias, and the impact of die-shrinks on the EMI performance of the VLSI chips.

Visit http://ieee.org/oc-emc for more information on this invaluable free lecture.

Or Contact jklinger@ieee.org for details.

ISN for ITE telecom line testing

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On November 11^th, 2009, the VCCI Council of Japan issued notice describing the restrictions on the use of Impedance Stabilization Network (ISN) to be used for the measurement of telecommunication ports conducted EMI. Although this information is published in the current CISPR standard, the VCCI Council will only begin to deal with the filing of reports on telecommunication port conducted emission from April 2010. Currently, a great deal of confusion abounds on the proper selection of the ISN for telecom measurements. This notice helps to clear up some of that confusion.

As implied, the document describes the acceptable types of ISN, suitable for the measurement of telecom line conducted EMI. Most notably, the document comes with warning notes about using certain types of ISNs with certain quantity of balanced pairs. Get a copy of the notice.

> 1GHz testing for Japan

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It’s known for several months now, that the European Union has deferred implementation of EN55022:2006 +A1:2007 until October 2011.  But what about others that implement CISPR standards for EMC

EN55022 is the emissions specification for Information Technology Equipment, or ITE. It is a derivative if CISPR22. The A1:2007 amendment adds the requirement for testing from 1GHz to 18GHz, depending on the operating frequency of the product under test.

However, in Japan, the current Voluntary Control Council for Interference by Information Technology Equipment (VCCI Council) rules call for mandatory compliance with the CISPR 1GHz to 18GHz test band by October 2010. The news here is that, so that Japan can be harmonized with Europe and other countries, It has been presented at a meeting in London, that the intent of the VCCI is to defer the 1-18 GHz requirements until October 2011.

 

FCC Seeks focused comment on the sufficiency of current spectrum allocations

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From DA 09-2100, Sept 23, 2009;

“ In this public notice, we seek focused comment on the sufficiency of current spectrum allocations in spectrum bands, including but not limited to the prime spectrum bands below 3.7 GHz, for purposes of the Commission’s development of a National Broadband Plan (Plan) pursuant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act), and for related purposes.”

Get the full Public Notice

For information on FCC certification, or to file an equipment authorization grant, please visit our domestic certification page.

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ANSI standard published for testing unlicensed wireless devices.

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From the IEEE Web store;

C63.10-2009 American National Standard for Testing Unlicensed Wireless Devices

This standard is intended to cover procedures for testing the compliance of a wide variety of unlicensed wireless devices (also called unlicensed intentional radiators) including but not limited to: remote control and security unlicensed wireless devices, frequency hopping and direct sequence spread spectrum devices, anti-pilferage devices, cordless telephones, wireless medical unlicensed wireless devices, Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure devices, intrusion detectors, unlicensed wireless devices operating on frequencies below 30 MHz, automatic vehicle identification systems, and other unlicensed wireless devices authorized by a radio regulatory authority. The test procedures for new technology wireless devices will be added to future editions of this standard as soon as practical after consensus is achieved for compliance testing methods of the new devices. However, this standard excludes test procedures for unlicensed wireless devices already covered in other published standards, e.g., Unlicensed Personal Communication Services (UPCS) devices.

web site:

http://standards.ieee.org/prod-serv/index.html

EN55022:1998, ITE Emissions Standard Extended for Two Years.

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The European union published in the official journal today, a postponement of the cessation of presumption of conformity for EN55022:1998 with amendments A1 and A2.

The new date is set at October 1, 2011.

Essentially what this means is that EN55022:1998 and it amendments are valid for another two years, until 10/1/11, and that testing above 1 GHz will now be required in late 2011, instead of late 2010. With this extension, it is a real possibility that the requirements for above 1 GHz testing, as well as the site verification method can change significantly.

Several competing standards are on the horizon, one of which is a new standard for multimedia equipment CISPR 32 forecasted for publication by the IEC November 2010, which could potentially reduce the amount of product that falls within the scope of EN55022, and require significantly different test levels and methods.

For a link to the official journal publication on the extension of EN55022:1998;

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2009:197:0003:0003:EN:PDF

Or, download a copy of the official journal publication from our European conformity assessment page.