EEVblog Electronics Community Forum
Electronics => Projects, Designs, and Technical Stuff => Topic started by: Yaro on March 17, 2016, 10:35:46 am
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Hi all,
I've recently read something about FCC certification and some of products like WiFi, BLE and RF modules claiming to have it. But I've some dubts about how FCC works. Here some questions I've:
- I want to ask why some development board do FCC certification. Since FCC is necessary to use this boards in product that goes on market, this means that this boards aren't just developing boards?
- If I use this RF modules(SMD versions) with onboard antennas and I solder them on another PCB, it's necessary to do again FCC certification on assembled board?
About modules that don't include an antenna and this should be mounted on main PCB(like ceramic or PCB antenna) or modules that have an RF connector to an external physical antenna, how this works:
- In the first case it's useless to certificate this modules becouse it's necessary to do again certifications on assembled board with antenna?
- In second case it's necessary to do FCC?
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- I want to ask why some development board do FCC certification. Since FCC is necessary to use this boards in product that goes on market, this means that this boards aren't just developing boards?
If you do a development board for anything wireless you have to be sure that if customer copies the board, they will be able to pass certification. So manufacturers will do at least FCC-prescan. And from prescan to getting a real certificate is just a small sum of money, so you might get it as well.
- If I use this RF modules(SMD versions) with onboard antennas and I solder them on another PCB, it's necessary to do again FCC certification on assembled board?
If you have only one intentional radiator in your device, then you can transfer module's FCC certification to your product. There is some specific text you need to put on a package.
The module must have modular certification. You can't get another finished device, disassemble it, and put parts into your product. That will not work.
About modules that don't include an antenna and this should be mounted on main PCB(like ceramic or PCB antenna) or modules that have an RF connector to an external physical antenna, how this works:
- In the first case it's useless to certificate this modules becouse it's necessary to do again certifications on assembled board with antenna?
- In second case it's necessary to do FCC?
That's sketchy. Certification with external antennas specify directionality and gain of the antenna. Your design must use the same type and then you are in the clear. But I don't know how this works for PCB antennas.