CE approval using a few Parallax IC's???

grasshopper

I am not sure if anyone out there has the information I need, but so far I am impressed with the people that support the forums here.

I want to know everything about gaining CE approval on a unit I designed for my company that uses some parallax IC’s. I did a Google search, but I am seeking people that can answer specific questions.

First…is it a difficult procedure? My boss is eager and we are selling units over seas that need CE approval. He is willing to spend and get it accomplished.

Second...Do I need to provide a schematic and build process?

Third… Can the board be modified differently from the schematic?

Fourth… The board can be modified 3 different ways depending on customer request. Can I populate the board fully and if it passes, still keep the certification even if I populate the board differently i.e. populating it as an USB or populating it to be a serial communications board.

Any help will be appreciated.

JonnyMac

It's been a long time since I've been through that process, but you can usually find a lab that will handle all the major marks (UL, CSA, CE). Make sure you have all of your design documentation in order as that will make the process go more smoothly.

grasshopper

Do you know any labs that are repeatable?

JonnyMac

Like I said, it's been a very long time and I don't remember the name of the lab that we (when I was at Toro) used. A web search (try the phrase "UL testing" should give you something to start with).

Tracy Allen

I don't have a lot of experience with this, but had to look into it recently by request of a distributer in the EU. Still pending.

This is a site I found helpful for general information:
www.ce-marking.nl/helpdesk/directives.html

I'm attaching a copy of the Guide to the EMC directive, which is the one most likely to be applicable to what you are doing. It deals with interference your device may cause to other equipment, and also the susceptibility of your device to disruption by electromagnetic fields. Of course, the quantitative aspects of this are quite technical and wrapped in techno-legalese that only a certain strangelove type of mind could celebrate. One of the finest lines in the directive is whether the thing you make is going to be used and perhaps installed by an "end user" or whether it is a component that will be incorporated and presumably CE certified by an OEM.

There are directives for all sorts of things, but many of them are quite specialized, for example, medical devices or waste treatment or toys, etc. etc. The site above can guide you in that respect. Some that might seem applicable may not be on closer inspection, for example, the Low Voltage Directive applies to equipment operating on 50-1000 Vac or 75-1500 Vdc, but not to equipment that contains voltages lower than that.

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Tracy Allen
www.emesystems.com