Hey,

A very small company which i work for developed electronic products which are now to pass compliance with CE and FCC.
These products comprises radio communication (GHz Wireless communication), and they are mains operated.

I'm to meet tomorrow a constultant for standards (the boss assigned me to meet with him), and i was wondering what important questions could i ask him?

I'm lack of experience in that field so i'd appreciate your help.

Thanks a lot.

 

Here are just some quick comments.

Make sure you get a list of all of the standards with which you must comply. What are the major functional areas within the standards?

Depending on customers, are there any customer requirements above and beyond the CE and FCC?

What are some of the trouble areas?

Do you know where you are sending your product to be tested?

Can you do some preliminary testing in house or at the test site? What preliminary testing would he recommend before sending the product out?

How long does the testing typically take?

How is the testing handled if there is a modification required on the board to pass? Do you have to fully retest the new board??

After the meeting. Definitely get a copy of the standards and familiarize yourself with them. It makes the calls from the testing facility go much easier if there is some issue. The first time through is always a real joy! You will learn a lot and will definitely come up with more questions as you enter and go through the process.

You may be amazed at what types of things they test. When I worked for a telecommunications manufacturer providing equipment to telephone companies, we always liked to see the first run videos of some of the flammability tests.

They actually drilled a hole in the front of our unit, which was plastic because marketing wanted it that way, and pumped (?) liters/minute of a flammable gas into it. Then they ignite it and watch it burn. Well, it really just melted from the heat. Although it brought a big laugh through engineering, the managers were not that impressed. . . . . . We did fix it in the end.

 

Wow!
Thank you so much for your kind help.

Your experience is worth gold to me

Thanks a lot!

 

Good luck in your meeting and with the entire certification process!

You always feel really good when they are done.

 

It is a nightmare.

Basically, what was stated above, but add in every single lawsuit filed, and you need to design around users. Usually, it amounts to a complete re-packaging if it didn't start out as a certified product.