In the US, we need UL (safety) and FCC (radiation) approvals. The two
testing needs are divergent, but solve two different needs.

If the product is uses less than15V AND cannot deliver more than 8A into a
short circuit, UL approval is automatic UNLESS there is another issue with
flammability. For example, if nylon underwear does NOT self-quench when
brought to ignition temperature, it won't pass the UL test for safety,
which has nothing to do with electronics. UL is strictly a SAFETY issue.
The question answered is "will this product be safe to use in normal
circumstances, and won't burn down the house or harm anyone?" While in many
instances UL approval is not obtained and nothing comes of it, the fact
that it was obtained means a fortune when an accident occurs and someone
dies. The lawyers look to use the person who didn't bother to get the
product safety certified. Its really a protection for the company who
manufactures it. Lawyers very rarely will sue a person whose product passed
UL approval, because US juries are so convinced that the UL label means
that it is SAFE.

Now, FCC testing is a totally different animal. If you sell a product
without FCC certification, and if its operation aboard an aircraft
interferes with its autopilot, you can be charged criminally by the US
Federal Government and you WON'T win. Not only that, electronic products
having a certain clock frequency or above (100Khz I think) are exempt
because radiation below that frequency can't radiate at a high-enough level
to cause problems.  But US Federal employees tend to be somewhat rigid, and
it's better to have an FCC certification label than NOT have one. The FCC
has been known to arrest and severely fine companies who sell an electronic
product without FCC certification.

CE is even more stringent than FCC or UL tests, in that CE requires the
product to pass handling ESD tests, some of which are considerable. For
example, the front panel of an instrument might have to be able to
withstand a corona discharge of 5KV at 0.1uA on each switch input for
example. We wound up having to place an MOV on all exposed switch surfaces
to ensure CE certification.  And it goes on and on.

Tell your client to budget about $6000 US for US approvals, and about $9000
for EU (CE) appprovals.  That's what I tell 'em.

--Bob

At 09:26 AM 7/28/2003 +0300, you wrote:
>I remember reading somewhere that any product that works on batteries "by
>design" is CE approved.  Could this be true?
>
>--
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>ways.  See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.

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