[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 47, Volume 1]
[Revised as of October 1, 2001]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 47CFR15.31]
[Page 677-681]
TITLE 47--TELECOMMUNICATION
CHAPTER I--FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
PART 15--RADIO FREQUENCY DEVICES--Table of Contents
Subpart A--General
Sec. 15.31 Measurement standards.
(a) The following measurement procedures are used by the Commission
to determine compliance with the technical requirements in this part.
Except where noted, copies of these procedures are available from the
Commission's current duplicating contractor whose name and address are
available from the Commission's Consumer Assistance Office at 202-632-
7000.
(1) FCC/OET MP-1: FCC Methods of Measurements for Determining
Compliance of Radio Control and Security Alarm Devices and Associated
Receivers. Note: This procedure may be used only for testing devices for
which verification is obtained, or for which an application for
equipment authorization is filed before June 1, 1995. For compliance
testing of these devices after that date, see paragraph (a)(6) of this
section.
(2) FCC/OET MP-2: Measurement of UHF Noise Figures of TV Receivers.
(3) FCC/OET MP-3: FCC Methods of Measurements of Output Signal
Level, Output Terminal Conducted Spurious Emissions, Transfer Switch
Characteristics, and Radio Noise Emissions from TV Interface Devices.
Note: This procedure may be used only for testing devices for which
verification is obtained, or for which an application for equipment
authorization is filed before June 1, 1995. For compliance testing of
these devices after that date, see paragraph (a)(6) of this section.
(4) FCC/OET MP-4 (1987): FCC Procedure for Measuring RF Emissions
from Computing Devices. Note: This procedure may be used only for
testing digital devices for which verification is obtained, or for which
an application for equipment authorization is filed before May 1, 1994.
For compliance testing of digital devices on or after May 1, 1994, see
paragraph (a)(6) of this section.
(5) FCC/OET MP-9: FCC Procedure for Measuring Cable Television
Switch Isolation. Note: This procedure may be used only for testing
devices for which verification is obtained, or for which an application
for equipment authorization is filed before June 1, 1995. For compliance
testing of these devices after that date, see paragraph (a)(6) of this
section.
(6) Digital devices authorized by verification, Declaration of
Conformity, or for which an application for equipment authorization is
filed on or after May 1, 1994, and intentional and other unintentional
radiators for which verification is obtained, or for which
[[Page 678]]
an application for equipment authorization is filed on or after June 1,
1995 are to be measured for compliance using the following procedure
excluding section 5.7, section 9 and section 14: American National
Standards Institute (ANSI) C63.4-1992, entitled ``Methods of Measurement
of Radio-Noise Emissions from Low-Voltage Electrical and Electronic
Equipment in the Range of 9 kHz to 40 GHz,'' published by the Institute
of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Inc. on July 17, 1992 as
document number SH15180. This incorporation by reference was approved by
the Director of the Federal Register in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a)
and 1 CFR part 51. The Commission encourages the use of this procedure
for testing digital devices, intentional radiators, and other
unintentional radiators as soon as practical. Copies of ANSI C63.4-1992
may be obtained from: IEEE Standards Department, 455 Hoes Lane, P.O. Box
1331, Piscataway, NJ 08855-1331, telephone 1-800-678-4333. Copies of
C63.4-1992 may be inspected during normal business hours at the
following locations:
(i) Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street, SW., Office
of Engineering and Technology, Washington, DC 20554,
(ii) Federal Communications Commission Laboratory, 7435 Oakland
Mills Road, Columbia, MD 21046, or
(iii) Office of the Federal Register, 800 North Capitol Street, NW.,
suite 700, Washington, DC.
Note: Digital devices tested to show compliance with the provisions
of Secs. 15.107(e) and 15.109(g) must be tested following the ANSI C63.4
procedure described in paragraph (a)(6) of this section.
(b) All parties making compliance measurements on equipment subject
to the requirements of this part are urged to use these measurement
procedures. Any party using other procedures should ensure that such
other procedures can be relied on to produce measurement results
compatible with the FCC measurement procedures. The description of the
measurement procedure used in testing the equipment for compliance and a
list of the test equipment actually employed shall be made part of an
application for certification or included with the data required to be
retained by the party responsible for devices authorized pursuant to a
Declaration of Conformity or devices subject to verification.
(c) For swept frequency equipment, measurements shall be made with
the frequency sweep stopped at those frequencies chosen for the
measurements to be reported.
(d) Field strength measurements shall be made, to the extent
possible, on an open field site. Test sites other than open field sites
may be employed if they are properly calibrated so that the measurement
results correspond to what would be obtained from an open field site. In
the case of equipment for which measurements can be performed only at
the installation site, such as perimeter protection systems, carrier
current systems, and systems employing a ``leaky'' coaxial cable as an
antenna, measurements for verification or for obtaining a grant of
equipment authorizaton shall be performed at a minimum of three
installations that can be demonstrated to be representative of typical
installation sites.
(e) For intentional radiators, measurements of the variation of the
input power or the radiated signal level of the fundamental frequency
component of the emission, as appropriate, shall be performed with the
supply voltage varied between 85% and 115% of the nominal rated supply
voltage. For battery operated equipment, the equipment tests shall be
performed using a new battery.
(f) To the extent practicable, the device under test shall be
measured at the distance specified in the appropriate rule section. The
distance specified corresponds to the horizontal distance between the
measurement antenna and the closest point of the equipment under test,
support equipment or interconnecting cables as determined by the
boundary defined by an imaginary straight line periphery describing a
simple geometric configuration enclosing the system containing the
equipment under test. The equipment under test, support equipment and
any interconnecting cables shall be included within this boundary.
(1) At frequencies at or above 30 MHz, measurements may be performed
at a distance other than what is specified
[[Page 679]]
provided: measurements are not made in the near field except where it
can be shown that near field measurements are appropriate due to the
characteristics of the device; and it can be demonstrated that the
signal levels needed to be measured at the distance employed can be
detected by the measurement equipment. Measurements shall not be
performed at a distance greater than 30 meters unless it can be further
demonstrated that measurements at a distance of 30 meters or less are
impractical. When performing measurements at a distance other than that
specified, the results shall be extrapolated to the specified distance
using an extrapolation factor of 20 dB/decade (inverse linear-distance
for field strength measurements; inverse-linear-distance-squared for
power density measurements).
(2) At frequencies below 30 MHz, measurements may be performed at a
distance closer than that specified in the regulations; however, an
attempt should be made to avoid making measurements in the near field.
Pending the development of an appropriate measurement procedure for
measurements performed below 30 MHz, when performing measurements at a
closer distance than specified, the results shall be extrapolated to the
specified distance by either making measurements at a minimum of two
distances on at least one radial to determine the proper extrapolation
factor or by using the square of an inverse linear distance
extrapolation factor (40 dB/decade).
(3) The applicant for a grant of certification shall specify the
extrapolation method used in the application filed with the Commission.
For equipment subject to Declaration of Conformity or verification, this
information shall be retained with the measurement data.
(4) When measurement distances of 30 meters or less are specified in
the regulations, the Commission will test the equipment at the distance
specified unless measurement at that distance results in measurements
being performed in the near field. When measurement distances of greater
than 30 meters are specified in the regulations, the Commission will
test the equipment at a closer distance, usually 30 meters,
extrapolating the measured field strength to the specified distance
using the methods shown in this section.
(5) Measurements shall be performed at a sufficient number of
radials around the equipment under test to determine the radial at which
the field strength values of the radiated emissions are maximized. The
maximum field strength at the frequency being measured shall be reported
in an application for certification.
(g) Equipment under test shall be adjusted, using those controls
that are readily accessible to or are intended to be accessible to the
consumer, in such a manner as to maximize the level of the emissions.
For those devices to which wire leads may be attached by the consumer,
tests shall be performed with wire leads attached. The wire leads shall
be of the length to be used with the equipment if that length is known.
Otherwise, wire leads one meter in length shall be attached to the
equipment. Longer wire leads may be employed if necessary to
interconnect to associated peripherals.
(h) For a composite system that incorporates devices contained
either in a single enclosure or in separate enclosures connected by wire
or cable, testing for compliance with the standards in this part shall
be performed with all of the devices in the system functioning. If an
intentional radiator incorporates more than one antenna or other
radiating source and these radiating sources are designed to emit at the
same time, measurements of conducted and radiated emissions shall be
performed with all radiating sources that are to be employed emitting. A
device which incorporates a carrier current system shall be tested as if
the carrier current system were incorporated in a separate device; that
is, the device shall be tested for compliance with whatever rules would
apply to the device were the carrier current system not incorporated,
and the carrier current system shall be tested for compliance with the
rules applicable to carrier current systems.
(i) If the device under test provides for the connection of external
accessories, including external electrical input signals, the device
shall be tested
[[Page 680]]
with the accessories attached. The device under test shall be fully
exercised with these external accessories. The emission tests shall be
performed with the device and accessories configured in a manner that
tends to produce maximized emissions within the range of variations that
can be expected under normal operating conditions. In the case of
multiple accessory external ports, an external accessory shall be
connected to one of each type of port. Only one test using peripherals
or external accessories that are representative of the devices that will
be employed with the equipment under test is required. All possible
equipment combinations do not need to be tested. The accessories or
peripherals connected to the device being tested shall be unmodified,
commercially available equipment.
(j) If the equipment under test consists of a central control unit
and an external or internal accessory(ies) (peripheral) and the party
verifying the equipment or applying for a grant of equipment
authorization manufactures or assembles the central control unit and at
least one of the accessory devices that can be used with that control
unit, testing of the control unit and/or the accessory(ies) must be
performed using the devices manufactured or assembled by that party, in
addition to any other needed devices which the party does not
manufacture or assemble. If the party verifying the equipment or
applying for a grant of equipment authorization does not manufacture or
assemble the central control unit and at least one of the accessory
devices that can be used with that control unit or the party can
demonstrate that the central control unit or accessory(ies) normally
would be marketed or used with equipment from a different entity,
testing of the central control unit and/or the accessory(ies) must be
performed using the specific combination of equipment which is intended
to be marketed or used together. Only one test using peripherals or
accessories that are representatve of the devices that will be employed
with the equipment under test is required. All possible equipment
combinations are not required to be tested. The accessories or
peripherals connected to the device being tested shall be unmodified,
commercially available equipment.
(k) A composite system is a system that incorporates different
devices contained either in a single enclosure or in separate enclosures
connected by wire or cable. If the individual devices in a composite
system are subject to different technical standards, each such device
must comply with its specific standards. In no event may the measured
emissions of the composite system exceed the highest level permitted for
an individual component. For digital devices which consist of a
combination of Class A and Class B devices, the total combination of
which results in a Class A digital device, it is only necessary to
demonstrate that the equipment combination complies with the limits for
a Class A device. This equipment combination may not be employed for
obtaining a grant of equipment authorization or verifying a Class B
digital device. However, if the digital device combination consists of a
Class B central control unit, e.g., a personal computer, and a Class A
internal peripheral(s), it must be demonstrated that the Class B central
control unit continues to comply with the limits for a Class B digital
device with the Class A internal peripheral(s) installed but not active.
(l) Measurements of radio frequency emissions conducted to the
public utility power lines shall be performed using a 50 ohm/50 uH line-
impedance stabilization network (LISN).
Note: Receivers tested under the transition provisions contained in
Sec. 15.37 may be tested with a 50 ohm/5 <greek-m>H LISN.
(m) Measurements on intentional radiators or receivers, other than
TV broadcast receivers, shall be performed and, if required, reported
for each band in which the device can be operated with the device
operating at the number of frequencies in each band specified in the
following table:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Frequency range over which device Number of Location in the range
operates frequencies of operation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 MHz or less...................... 1 Middle.
1 to 10 MHz........................ 2 1 near top and 1 near
bottom.
[[Page 681]]
More than 10 MHz................... 3 1 near top, 1 near
middle and 1 near
bottom.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(n) Measurements on TV broadcast receivers shall be performed with
the receiver tuned to each VHF frequency and also shall include the
following oscillator frequencies: 520, 550, 600, 650, 700, 750, 800,
850, 900 and 931 MHz. If measurements cannot be made on one or more of
the latter UHF frequencies because of the presence of signals from
licensed radio stations or for other reasons to be detailed in the
measurement report, measurements shall be made with the receiver
oscillator at a nearby frequency. If the receiver is not capable of
receiving channels above 806 MHz, the measurements employing the
oscillator frequencies 900 and 931 MHz may be omitted.
(o) The amplitude of spurious emissions from intentional radiators
and emissions from unintentional radiators which are attenuated more
than 20 dB below the permissible value need not be reported unless
specifically required elsewhere in this part.
(p) In those cases where the provisions in this section conflict
with the measurement procedures in paragraph (a) of this section and the
procedures were implemented after June 23, 1989, the provisions
contained in the measurement procedures shall take precedence.
[54 FR 17714, Apr. 25, 1989, as amended at 56 FR 13083, Mar. 29, 1991;
57 FR 24990, June 12, 1992; 57 FR 33448, July 29, 1992; 58 FR 37430,
July 12, 1993; 58 FR 51249, Oct. 1, 1993; 61 FR 14502, Apr. 2, 1996; 62
FR 41881, Aug. 4, 1997; 62 FR 45333, Aug. 27, 1997; 63 FR 36602, July 7,
1998; 63 FR 42278, Aug. 7, 1998; 65 FR 58466, Sept. 29, 2000]