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A Question About XBee And FCC Regulations — Parallax Forums

A Question About XBee And FCC Regulations

idbruceidbruce Posts: 6,197
edited 2012-10-12 08:36 in General Discussion
Hello Everyone

I have a question about XBee and FCC regulations.

If I plug an XBee into the Propeller BOE and I attempt to sell the combination as a single product, does this product have to be approved by the FCC?

Digi International Inc. says their XBee modules are FCC certified, but referring to other RF modules, such as the 433 MHz RF Transceiver, which is sold by Parallax, there is a disclaimer on the bottom of the datasheet, which states:

FCC Notice and Liability Disclaimer
These modules (boards) are not FCC approved. They are designed to comply with FCC Part 15 Rules and Regulations. They are not in a finished product form. They are strictly intended for experimental purposes only. If you wish to use these modules in an actual product (a non-experimental capacity), the module must first be designed into the product then the whole product must be approved by the FCC.

Parallax, Inc. is not responsible for special, incidental, or consequential damages resulting from any breach of warranty, or under any legal theory, including lost profits, downtime, goodwill, damage to or replacement of equipment or property, and any costs of recovering, reprogramming, or reproducing any data stored in or used with Parallax products.

I am just curious.

Bruce

Comments

  • Paul Sr.Paul Sr. Posts: 435
    edited 2012-10-12 06:25
    I wouldn't even consider it a "finished product".....
  • idbruceidbruce Posts: 6,197
    edited 2012-10-12 06:57
    In case anyone is interested, here is a link to the Digi XBee 802.15.4 FCC approval certificate. And here is a link to government certifications for other Digi International Inc. products.
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2012-10-12 08:10
    idbruce wrote:
    If I plug an XBee into the Propeller BOE and I attempt to sell the combination as a single product, does this product have to be approved by the FCC?
    Maybe, but not because of the XBee. It depends upon whom you're selling it to and for what purpose. If it's a consumer item, then you will have to get a Part 15 registration due to the microcontroller and the frequencies at which it operates. It's considered an "unintentional radiator," and there are limits imposed as to the field strengths radiated at various frequencies under use. There are exceptions built into the regs for industrial and certain other uses. But you should check them yourself:

    I'm sure you'll find it fascinating reading.

    -Phil
  • idbruceidbruce Posts: 6,197
    edited 2012-10-12 08:36
    @Phil

    Thanks for your input. I did not realize that the microcontroller end would need to be certified. A real eye opener there.
    I'm sure you'll find it fascinating reading.

    Yea, I was already glancing at FCC 15 and it looks pretty complicated to comprehend, and appears more complicated than patent law, however I assume that once it is actually studied, it would become quite clear.

    Thanks Phil

    Bruce
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