FCC regulations (USA)

davidsaunders

I am getting closer, every day, to the production of the MuAmi, as such I have the fallowing question.

What FCC regulations do I have to worry about in order to produce the MuAmi?
If I export to other countries are there any approvals needed from other regulatory commissions?

Thank you all in advance.

Leon

In the EU there are CE and RoHS. CE is tougher than FCC, as it covers immunity to external fields as well as emissions.

Zap-o

CE is expensive as well. It cost me around $8,000 to get testing done.

william chan

A lot of foreign manufacturers just printed CE on their product without having any testing done.

davidsaunders

I am not going to be able to afford big costs to get an approval, would distributing as a kit to EU customers get around the CE?

WBA Consulting

FCC can be tricky, but review the specs directly from the source first... http://www.fcc.gov/oet/info/rules/ Most CE marking on consumer products is done with the self certification process. Check out these threads for specifics:

http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?109903-Rohs-requirements-amp-FCC
http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?124449-Best-practices-and-basic-techniques-used-for-short-run-SMT-of-boards (see the last few sentences of my #4 post specifically)

Since the forums won't complete a search for 3 letter criteria (IE: FCC), do a site restricted Google search to find additional threads on FCC. In the Google search box, type in "FCC site:forums.parallax.com"

LoopyByteloose

Both the FCC and CE tend to create de facto trade barriers that large corporations are happy to have. They prevent a small shop from being able to afford compliant. As William Chan, mentions - some manufacturers just print CE on the device and never comply. I would suppose that indicates that CE enforcement is not as comprehensive as FCC or UL when it comes to import/export.

Many manufacturers join an association that helps them keep up with the compliances they must have. But I have doubts that these always do their job.

The recent European requirement for ROHS was a disaster for most that tried to follow consultants advise on how to comply. Everyone got on a bandwagon of setting up two production lines and separate inventory. Then reality sunk in and nearly everyone that wanted to export globally discarded their non-ROHS line as it is easier to just not have duplicate inventory and proof that components are being kept perfectly separate.

In sum, use your own common sense when you decide what you want to comply with. Following everyone else's can be very costly.

Erik Friesen

FCC isn't too bad. I had some testing done a while back, it cost me $600, although that is probably on the lowest side. I would suggest getting a spectrum analyzer and doing some pretesting first though, if the budget allows.

Leon

There is a CE logo meaning Made in China that is very similar to the EU's CE mark! They look identical unless they are examined carefully.

Testing for CE conformity where I used to work wasn't very expensive. We kept the cost down by hiring the facility for a 1/2 day, doing our own preliminary testing, and fixing any problems that arose. The formal testing was then just a formality.

davidsaunders

Thank you all, much.
After a bit of research, I have found that, as long as no issues are reported, there is no need to get FCC certification (this will give me the ability to get started [just must make sure that all Faraday shielding is complete]). As to the CE, it appears that may be a problem.

Leon

You will still need to get the unit tested, though.

Erik Friesen

You can make a small handful for test units, but to sell, you are supposed to test using a properly accredited lab, and file the results, although you don't need to get certification.

Leon

FCC testing here in the UK is more expensive than CE, although not so many tests are required (emissions only). It's probably because there is much less demand for it, and they need to set the equipment up specially.