What is Radio Testing?
Radio testing, or Radio Frequency testing, assesses radio equipment to ensure there is no interference with the devices and users of the nearby RF environment.
Why do we test Radio devices?
Radio testing is required to demonstrate compliance to most worldwide markets. Depending on the market / region, various compliance regimes are in place and are required to be followed to allow placing on that market compliant radio equipment. Radio equipment testing ensures that a device efficiently uses radio spectrum and also does not interfere with other radio spectrum users.
Radio technologies such as 2.4 GHz / 5GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ZigBee, Radar, Short Range Devices (SRD’s), RFID, MillimetreWave, Cellular, to name just a few, have particular RF parameter test requirements to comply with, when it comes to assessing device/radio performance and the effective use of spectrum.
Compliance requirements for radio products is often different across worldwide markets, EU for instance is based on the requirements of the Radio Equipment Directive (RE-D), whilst USA (FCC), Canada (ISED), and Japan (MIC), have their own certification processes that must be followed, including special labelling and marking of radio equipment. Other countries, for example Australia / New Zealand also have their own requirements/processes for marketing radio devices.
If you manufacture / supply or incorporate wireless devices into your product, then to legally sell radio products into those markets, the relevant compliance regulations and processes must be adhered to.
Typical Radio tests
RF power (Radiated / Conducted)
Power Spectral Density
Frequency Stability / Error
Modulation/Channel/Occupied bandwidths
Transmitter Spurious emissions (Radiated / Conducted)
Spectrum Emission/OOB Masks
Radiated Band Edges
Adjacent Channel Power
Duty Cycle
Receiver sensitivity (Radiated / Conducted)
Receiver Blocking
Adjacent Channel Interference
Receiver Intermodulation
Receiver Spurious emissions (Radiated / Conducted)
Radio Testing and Certifications - How can we help?
At RN Electronics we have vast experience in ensuring legal compliance to meet local wireless regulations and our knowledgeable engineers are experts in radio / wireless product testing, including RF design troubleshooting, certifications / approvals, and antenna testing.
We also offer an Initial Assessment (Pre-compliance) service, where we can identify any problems that the equipment may have with certain key tests, prior to Full Testing. It is also used to ensure the equipment can be operated in modes that are suitable for the testing.
Our Full product testing can help you meet key requirements to support CE marking in Europe under the Radio Equipment Directive (RED), FCC (USA) and ISED (Canada). Many other countries reporting requirements can be covered with the same standards / rule parts, so please make contact for advice on specific countries.
RN Electronics can help you attain compliance for your products in the worldwide market. We can provide the required testing and certification services for the UK, EU, USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand markets. We can also assist with achieving the requirements of all other countries, through our global market access partner, including advice on local representation and in-country testing.
Find out more about our Radio testing services or contact RN Electronics an established, cost effective, knowledgeable and complete service solution.
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