Accredited testing of radio characteristics
One of the requirements for CE-marking radio equipment is that the equipment must meet the ”effective use of spectrum” requirement in the Directive. One way of checking this is to test the equipment in accordance with harmonised standards, published by ETSI (the European Telecommunications Standards Institute).
SP can provide accredited testing of both analogue and digital radio equipment over the 9 kHz ‑ 40 GHz range, in accordance with the commonest ETSI standards
The main purpose of testing radio equipment is to protect the radio spectrum from unnecessary interference. Most regions (EU, USA, Asia etc.) have technical requirements that must be fulfilled before radio equipment can be sold or used. Transmitter characteristics, such as carrier wave frequency, power, signal purity etc., must be measured and either be stated in the manufacturer's declaration of conformity or be submitted to the approval authority. Different countries and regions often have different technical requirements for radio transmitters.
SP can also assist in the characterisation of antennas for radio equipment, such as antenna diagram measurements, efficiency measurement, antenna gain measurement etc.
SP is approved for testing for the USA market
All radio transmitters for use in the USA must be certified or type-approved by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC). SP is approved for FCC testing of the commonest radio equipment over the 9 kHz 40 GHz range.
SP is the only test organisation in Sweden that has been appointed by the FCC as a Telecommunication Certification Body (TCB). This means that we can perform the testing of radio transmitters required by the FCC, and thereby also issue the necessary approvals for use in the American market.
The R&TTE Directive
The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) develops and publishes the EMC standards for radio equipment. The Institute's EN 301 489 series prescribes the requirements for various types of radio equipment. Although the series covers most types of radio equipment, there are some exceptions, and so there may be separate product standards for such equipment.
Accredited EMC testing
EMC testing of transmitters consists of two parts: emission requirements, which specify the permissible limits for what the equipment may generate in terms of undesired emissions via cables and power supplies, and immunity requirements, which specify the required immunity of the equipment to external interference.
SP can perform accredited EMC testing in accordance with the commonest parts of the ETSI EN 301 489 standards and other international EMC standards. We also have many years' experience of EMC testing for specific applications such as military equipment or automotive electronics.
Emission measurements
International EMC requirements outside Europe generally specify requirements only for emission measurements, with most regions and countries tending to follow the CISPR standards for emissions. Immunity requirements are not usually mandatory, but may be a requirement for certain industries or activities, such as the telecommunications industry, hospitals, public administrations etc. For the USA market, EMC requirements consist only of emission measurements.
Electrical safety - the Low Voltage Directive
The R&TTE Directive also includes requirements in respect of health and safety protection for the user. One of these is that the equipment must fulfil the requirements of the Low Voltage Directive. Although one of the points of the Low Voltage Directive is that certain equipment is excepted from the requirements if it operates at voltages below a certain value, the R&TTE Directive expressly annuls this exception, with the result that all radio equipment must meet the electrical safety requirements regardless of its operating voltage.
The harmonised standards for radio equipment are EN 60 950-1 and EN 60 215. SP is accredited for testing in accordance with both these standard, and can provide full electrical safety evaluation and testing for radio equipment.
Electrical safety requirements for the US market
Electrical safety requirements for the US market are specified by various bodies, one of which is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). It specifies that equipment used in workplaces must be safe and must be certified by a body recognised by OSHA. Other specifiers of safety requirements include insurance companies and local authorities. There are no voltage limits similar to those in the EU Low Voltage Directive.
We therefore always recommend that our customers should include an electrical safety review of products intended for the American market. If this is done in conjunction with an inspection for the EU market, the additional cost is minimal. To this must be added the costs for certification and manufacturing inspection. The IEC 60 950-1/UL 60 950-1 telecommunication product standards are very similar to the EU EN 60 950-1 standard.