UL, cUL, TUV, FCC, CISPR

The alphabet soup of safety and emission agency approvals. What's required and where? We can help. We are experienced with the requirements and can facilitate the testing of your product to meet the appropriate agency approvals both domestically and internationally.

There are three aspects to regulatory testing approvals required by most countries,

• Safety - The more common ones are UL, CSA, and TUV approvals
• Emissions - FCC and CISPR
• Immunity - ESD, Radiated, and Conducted Testing

Safety testing and approval means exactly that. These agencies test the product to a set of standards to make sure that your product is both electrically and mechanically safe. In the United States, the governing body is Underwriter Laboratory, UL. Unfortunately, the other countries have their own agencies. Fortunately, the world is starting to come together. Countries are beginning to accept data and test reports from agencies other than their own. For example, UL can now grant a cUL approval which is accepted by Canada. The European community seems to be converging around the CE mark which combines safety, emissions, and immunity testing requirements.

Emission testing measures the amount of conducted and radiated energy emanating from a product. The agencies have set limits on this energy to insure products don't interfere with other equipment, radios, televisions, etc. in the area. In the United States, the FCC dictates the limits, in other countries, most follow CISPR or EN55022 requirements.

Immunity testing is a relatively new requirement. This involves what used to be known as the IEC 801- series of tests which include ESD, Radiated, and Conducted Susceptibility. Immunity testing is required to obtain a CE mark.

The world of Regulatory Agency Approvals is an ever moving target. We can assist you in determining what's required in what country, help design your product to meet these requirements, and assist you in testing your product to obtain the various approvals.