Is FCC certification necessary for speaker transducers that are sold as assembled units in their housings?
I found information on active speakers needing fcc certification, but what about passive speakers that use external amplifiers? What about UL certification?
Loudspeaker transducer FCC certification
amplifieraudiofccradio
Related Solutions
I'm no lawyer, but have been thru the FCC testing process a few times. For a ordinary device that doesn't deliberately transmit (called "unintentional radiator" by the FCC), there is no legal requirement for certifcation. There are legal requirements for what it is allowed to emit, but it up to you how to make sure your device works within the rules.
You can simply sell a unintentionally radiating device without testing. However, if someone files a complaint and the device is found to exceed the legal radiation limits, you're in deep doodoo. If you had the device tested by a accredited test lab and they determined it was within the limits, your legal case will be much better. The FCC still has the right to force you to withdraw the product and even confiscate every unit out there, but if you can show you followed accepted practices of testing then there will be much less of a issue of punative actions.
Intentional radiators are a different story. You do have to have FCC certification to legally sell one in the United States. When the device is certified, you get a certification ID, and that ID generally has to be indicated somewhere on the outside of the device where others can see it.
In the case of a bluetooth module, most likely the module vendor has gotten the certification for the module. If not, I wouldn't go near it. Even if so though, you are still on the hook for the product as a whole. The module will also be certified with some restrictions, like a specific list of antennas that it is certified with. If you attach a different antenna, for example, the module is no longer certified and you're on your own.
If you're trying to sell a intentionally radiating product, you'd better talk to a expert early in the process. You can wing it a bit with unitnentional radiators, but you really don't want to play games with intentional radiators, even if you're using a certified module that does all the intentional radiating.
It might be a good idea to talk to a testing house. They generally will know all the rules. Just keep in mind they sell testing services, and their answers may a bit biased towards you needing a lot of testing.
CE also Comes in different classes (A-E, I think)
No it doesn't but, some of the sub-testing/approvals (as specified by applicable EU directives) such as the EMC directive, have certain sub-classes i.e. part A and B emissions etc..
Blow is what this site says about FCC part 15 (Electromagnetic interference): -
What about the new FCC Part 15 Self Declaration Procedures?
Under the new procedures for DoC/Self Declaration there is no longer a need to submit/certify computing devices and peripherals with the FCC.
The manufacture simply has the testing performed at a A2LA approved OATS, applies the new FCC label to there product, and issues a Declaration of Conformity to be shipped with the product. The real benefit is that there is longer a submittal to the FCC, so a product can hit the market as soon as it is shown to be in compliance, saving several weeks in the overall process.
I'm in the UK and I read this as meaning you just can't rely on any CE technical documents for short-cutting the procedure in the US especially for EMI. Furthermore, the same link clarifies this a bit about testing: -
Differences in emissions limits?
I have heard that the emissions requirements for Europe, Japan, the US and several other countries are all very similar. Is it possible to perform one test that covers several markets for emissions?
Depending on the type of product that you manufacture, it may be possible to perform one emissions test, generally based on the CISPR 22 limits, and only perform deviations for the other markets.
However, it is important to confirm that your test lab is qualified and accredited to perform testing for these different markets. For example, the VCCI (Japan) requires that the testing laboratory be a member, and if you are going to self declare a computing device to meet FCC Part 15 requirements, the lab must be A2LA accredited. PSE holds both of these accreditations.
Keep in mind that whether you are trying to meet EMC or safety standards, it is always important to define all intended markets before testing begins. PSE always strives to meet our client's needs in the most cost effective and time efficient course possible. By having a clear understanding of which markets you are seeking, we will be in a better position to satisfy your needs.
The key point is that if the UK or overseas (outside the US) lab has A2LA accreditation then this makes it an easier exercise.
Best Answer
Since a passive speaker doesn't emit EMI by itself, I can't see how the FCC would care. FCC rules would cover the entire system, from amp to cables to speaker, if sold as a whole system. Since it would be unintentional radiator, certification is not mandatory, but you'd better be within the limits if they decide to look (quite unlikely) due to some incident or complaint.
There are probably a number of standards UL could certify a speaker to, like flammability and the like. However none of that is legally required. Some resellers won't carry products without UL or similar certification to particular standards, depending on what the product is.