If you’re bringing an electronic device to market, one of the most important steps in the process of achieving market access is ensuring your device complies with electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) standards.
All major markets have EMC standards and regulations for electronic devices. These standards exist to ensure that devices can operate effectively in a shared environment without interference caused by electromagnetic emissions.
These standards are what prevent your cell phone from interrupting your TV signal, for example, or other consumer electronics from affecting the Wi-Fi signal in your home.
Achieving compliance with EMC standards requires testing. While many manufacturers perform testing immediately before going to market, others take a more proactive approach and start the testing process during their product’s design and development phase.
This is referred to as EMC pre-compliance testing, and it’s an effective way to identify potential issues in your device — and, more importantly, to fix them — before your device goes through a complete series of lab tests for compliance with FCC Part 15 or the CE certification process.
As an accredited electronics testing lab, we can help you to complete pre-compliance tests for your device, as well as complete compliance testing before entering the market. To talk to our team or request a quote, contact us online or call us at 866-540-5287.
You can also learn more about EMC pre-compliance testing, including how the process works and common EMC standards and regulations, below.
What is EMC Pre-Compliance Testing?
EMC pre-compliance testing is a preliminary step in the product development process, which involves testing your device to ensure it’s likely to comply with EMC regulations in your target markets.
Most of the time, EMC pre-compliance testing is carried out to verify that a device meets the standards set under regulations such as FCC Part 15, FCC Part 18, or the European Union’s various directives for electronic devices.
You can think of it as like completing a practice exam before the real exam. While early tests won’t grant your device regulatory compliance, testing your device early can help you identify potential issues and fix them before you conduct formal lab testing.
This helps you save money by increasing your chances of successfully completing lab testing for your device the first time, without having to make design changes or re-test your device in the late stages of the development process.
Pre-compliance testing is usually conducted either in-house or using the services of an EMC testing lab, such as our ANSI-accredited facility.
Common EMC Standards & Regulations
There are numerous electromagnetic compatibility standards used around the world. A critical part of the pre-compliance testing process is identifying the EMC standards that apply to your device and the impact these standards may have on its design and function.
Common EMC standards and regulations include:
- FCC Part 15. This electromagnetic compatibility standard is mandatory for electronic devices sold in the United States. Testing for FCC Part 15 involves verifying that your device doesn’t emit excessive radio energy or suffer interference from other devices. We offer FCC Part 15 testing as part of our range of compliance testing services for electronic devices.
- FCC Part 18. This standard covers EMC requirements for devices used in industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) applications. Our guide to FCC Part 18 provides further information about the standard’s requirements and testing process.
- EU Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Directive. The European Union’s EMC Directive sets standards for electromagnetic interference and immunity. Harmonized standards are used to assess your device’s performance and compliance. We offer testing for the EMC Directive as part of our range of CE testing services for electronics.
- EU Radio Equipment Directive (RED). The Radio Equipment Directive is a separate European Union directive that applies to devices that use the radio spectrum, such as cell phones, Wi-Fi routers and Bluetooth devices. We offer testing for the Radio Equipment Directive. Our guide to RED testing explains more about the Radio Equipment Directive, its requirements, and the types of devices subject to this regulation.
In addition to the standards above, we offer pre-compliance and compliance testing for a wide range of international standards, which you can view on our Accredited Lab Scope page.
Contact Us About EMC Pre-Compliance Testing
As an accredited electronics testing lab, we’ve helped hundreds of electronics manufacturers, importers and distributors carry out testing for their devices and achieve compliance with FCC, CE and other key standards and regulations.
If you’re in the process of designing an electronic device and want expert help with compliance from the early stages of the process, if you’d like to schedule testing for your device, or if you’d simply like to ask our engineers a question, we’re more than happy to help you.
To talk to our team about your project, contact us online or call us at 866-540-5287 to speak to our engineers and compliance specialists.
