Achieving certification for countries that don't have a strong test infrastructure

Many countries have their own specific requirements for certification of products, but don't always have the infrastructure to test to these standards. This presents a problem - how can you get certified if no one in the country can test your product?

One example is Brazil, where telecommunication equipment is subject to Anatel (Agencia Nacional de Telecomunicacoes) certification in Brazil. These regulations state that telecommunication products should be tested by a suitable Brazilian third party test laboratory, but the services offered by these laboratories are limited.

Regulation of energy efficiency presents new certification challenges

There is a huge drive to improve energy efficiency from customers wishing to save on running costs, manufacturers trying to gain competitive advantage and also from governments.

The number of international energy efficiency standards is growing requiring manufacturers to not only think about efficiency during design, but also ensure that appropriate certifications are obtained.

Although regulation and encouragement of energy efficiency by governments dates back many years, with the American Energy Star initiative being probably the best known, new regulation is flooding onto the market.

And you thought your EMC tests were difficult!

All electronics engineers are familiar with EMC testing, generally viewing it as yet another challenge to be overcome by good design.

However,it's not just small electronic products that are affected: EMC is becoming an increasingly important element of large infrastructure projects.

In industries such as transportation infrastructure and power generation, the equipment can be physically large, the regulations stringent and the cost of failure pretty terrifying.

Can the CB scheme help your wireless product to market?

CB or not CB: that is the question. When you have worked in the telecoms and electronics approvals industry for many years, I think you tend to forget that to some people the compliance and approvals process can appear to be very complex. That's usually because it can be!

Take the manufacturer of a Bluetooth or ZigBee product. These radio modules are now incorporated into thousands of different product types, with a truly global market reach. So when it comes to compliance testing, the manufacturer usually knows that it needs to go through EMC and radio testing, but the safety aspect of the testing can often be overlooked; and when it comes to marketing the product in various countries around the world the proverbial brick wall can be encountered. This can be particularly frustrating as many different countries around the world have

Seven Reasons to Conduct Pre-Compliance EMC Testing

Many of our customers are choosing to conduct pre-compliance EMC testing throughout the design stage.

Here are seven reasons why it's a good idea:

TRaC extends vibration testing with low-frequency test rig

TRaC, the environmental and standards-compliance test house, has extended its capabilities in low-frequency mechanical vibration testing by commissioning a new low-frequency test rig at its Warwick laboratory. The new rig  is one of the few commercially available systems that can apply a wide range of vibration tests, such as the demanding European Naval specifications, to large and/or heavy products and systems.

The test system comprises a vibration platform measuring 1.3 x 1.3m, that can carry a test-piece load of up to 2 tonnes. The system is single-axis; that is, the platform's actuator moves it back-and-forth in one plane or direction, subjecting a unit-under-test (UUT) to vibration over a calibrated frequency range that extends as low as 0.1Hz, and up to 150Hz. UUTs can be subjected to a maximum acceleration of 5g at a frequency

Designing for ZigBee - Understand the standards before developing wireless products

In a rapidly advancing world that appears to rely more and more on technology, it is evident that wireless technology is becoming one of the most essential of them all.

Wireless devices are now found everywhere, from mobile phones to the headsets used to connect them. They are also found in automotive remote keyfobs, antitheft devices, home alarm systems, and the growing number of wireless modems in homes that provide access to the ubiquitous internet. These are only a few of the products which many have come to take for granted in the 21st century.

With wireless capabilities being incorporated into an increasing number of different types of products, there has been a concurrent growth in the different types of wireless technologies available, each of which may be better suited for different applications.

ZigBee is one of those wireless technologies that have emerged to cater

TRaC North West Open Day - FREE CE Compliance Workshop

Open Day: CE Mark and Compliance Workshop - Presenting different aspects of compliance and regulatory applications in order to meet the CE marking requirements to your products. The workshop will include information about your legal obligations with an overview of the ATEX, EMC and R&TTE Directives. Individual topics will also address the worldwide requirements for global product approval outside of the European Union.

Join us on Wednesday 14th July 2010 at TRaC North West, Unit 1, Pendle Place, Skelmersdale, West Lancs, WN8 9PN.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to obtain free advice from leading industry experts, and notified bodies for electromagnetic compatibility, radio and explosive atmosphere approvals.

We will start at 09.30 (registration) and finish at 15.00. Delegates will also get an opportunity to take a tour of TRaC's new test facilities which

DVD 2010 Millbrook, 23th - 24th June 2010

DVD 2010 is one of the most important events in the defence equipment calendar. It is a two-day event, organised by the MoD, for vehicle, battlefield infrastructure and related support services industries with an interest in the defence sector.

DVD 2010 will cover a vast range of equipment and service support, from vehicles and systems to construction plant and camouflage, including protected mobility and support vehicles.

TRaC will offer buyers, manufacturers and specifiers visiting the exhibition the chance to discuss the very latest testing, regulatory and compliance requirements and the solutions to assist in combining military, commercial, aerospace and CE marking testing.

Talk to our EMC, Safety, Environmental and Analysis experts at Stand 44-45 at the DVD Annual Exhibition 2010 that will take place on 23th and 24th June 2010 at Millbrook. Visit

Radio Module Integration - What do I need to do for compliance?

Technology is advancing at an incredible pace and this is particularly evident in the world of radio technology. Radio devices are being incorporated into all manner of products to provide a wide range of benefits and applications; from smart metering so that a consumer can monitor the amount of electricity they (or members of their family!) are using, to medical devices sending remotely gathered patient data, to a near field device that allows you to pay for your train ride.

And this isn't even scratching the surface. So clearly radio technology is permeating all facets of life and makes us wonder what we would have done without it!

We as consumers now take this for granted. We think nothing of what really operates the keyfob for our cars, the wireless controller