Achieving EMC certification for wireless and intentional radiators involves more than meeting test limits. It demands careful RF engineering, targeted regulatory insight, and an efficient path through certification. MiCOM Labs brings over two decades of specialized experience and ISO 17025-accredited processes to simplify certification, automating routine tasks and proactively managing global compliance. With deep expertise in wireless communications, medical technology, automotive, and commercial electronics, MiCOM Labs helps manufacturers minimize risk, eliminate costly delays, and launch their intentional RF products smoothly into global markets.
Or call our U.S. headquarters at +1 (925) 462-0304.
MiCOM Labs delivers targeted EMC testing for RF equipment, including emissions and immunity tests. Emissions tests focus on RF energy measurements and power‑line disturbances, while immunity evaluations assess device resilience under defined electrical stressors. Below are our test offerings and their reference methods:
| Category | Tests | Test Methods |
|---|---|---|
| Emissions | Radiated emissions, conducted emissions, harmonic current emissions, voltage fluctuations & flicker | FCC Part 15 Subpart B (§15.109 Radiated, §15.107 Conducted) & Subpart C (§15.205/15.207 field‑strength); EN 55032/55033; CISPR 22/32; IEC 61000‑3‑2/3 |
| Immunity | Radiated immunity, conducted Immunity, electrostatic discharge (ESD), Surge, electrical fast transients (EFT), magnetic fields, voltage dips & interruptions (VDI) | IEC 61000‑4‑2/3/4/5/6/8/11; MIL‑STD‑461; ISO 11452 |
MiCOM Labs ensures compliance with leading international certification requirements, including:
| FCC | CE | ISED | UKCA | VCCI | SRRC |
Choosing the right EMC certification partner is critical to bringing products to market efficiently and without costly delays. MiCOM Labs combines technical expertise, automated systems, and global regulatory insight to simplify the certification process and help manufacturers achieve consistent compliance.
With over 20 years of experience, MiCOM Labs has supported manufacturers in industries including commercial electronics, automotive, and medical devices. As an ISO 17025-accredited lab, MiCOM follows internationally recognized standards for test accuracy and consistency—ensuring that results are reliable and accepted by certification bodies worldwide.
EMC regulations are constantly evolving, and staying compliant requires up-to-date knowledge. Through MiComms™, manufacturers receive timely updates on changes to global certification standards and guidance on how to adapt product designs to remain compliant. This proactive approach helps avoid last-minute failures and costly redesigns.
Managing multiple certifications across different markets is complex. MiPassport® provides a single platform for tracking approvals, managing renewal deadlines, and preparing for changing regulations. This reduces administrative workload and helps manufacturers maintain consistent compliance across markets.
Our proprietary MiTest® platform automates key parts of the certification process, including test execution and report generation. Manufacturers have real-time access to test results and compliance data, allowing for faster decision-making and quicker paths to market.
With headquarters in California and offices in China and India, MiCOM Labs provides manufacturers with expert guidance tailored to regional testing methods and regulatory expectations. This helps manufacturers navigate the complexities of multi-market certification more efficiently.
Achieving EMC certification requires more than just passing a set of tests—it demands strategic design decisions, efficient problem-solving, and a deep understanding of regulatory frameworks. Below are five high-level best practices that experienced manufacturers follow to minimize compliance risks and improve product reliability.
| Treat EMC Design as a Core Engineering Function | |
|---|---|
| Issue | Solution |
| EMC failures often stem from initial design choices rather than manufacturing flaws. Late-stage fixes to emissions or immunity problems can lead to expensive redesigns and delays. | Integrate EMC considerations directly into RF and wireless design phases, setting clear targets for transmitter performance, frequency stability, power output, and immunity levels. Establish clear design targets for immunity and susceptibility based on the strictest applicable standards. Use simulation tools and pre-compliance testing to catch issues early. |
| Balance Radiated and Conducted Performance | |
|---|---|
| Issue | Solution |
| Optimizing radiated and conducted emissions separately in intentional RF transmitters can result in unexpected certification failures due to performance conflicts. | Evaluate radiated and conducted emissions together from the outset. Use RF design simulations and near-field scanning during development to ensure that tuning or filtering solutions do not degrade transmitter performance. |
| Design for Immunity Beyond Regulatory Minimums | |
|---|---|
| Issue | Solution |
| Devices that pass immunity tests in controlled environments may fail under real-world RF interference, transient surges, or electrostatic discharge events. | Build additional performance margin into immunity design to account for unpredictable interference. Test at higher-than-required field strengths and across a range of environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity). Incorporate multi-layered protection, including transient voltage suppression, ESD protection, and line filtering. |
| Plan for Global Certification Variability | |
|---|---|
| Issue | Solution |
| Intentional RF transmitters face significant differences in certification tests globally, including variances in frequency allocations, channel usage, modulation limits, and test conditions. | Design intentional radiators to meet the strictest global requirements from the beginning, especially for frequency stability, modulation techniques, and emission bandwidths. Conduct pre-compliance testing tailored specifically to intentional transmitter standards in target markets. |
| Control EMI at the Source, Not Through Fixes | |
|---|---|
| Issue | Solution |
| Addressing RF emission issues in intentional transmitters late in the process can significantly affect product performance and lead to costly redesigns. | Minimize unwanted emissions and harmonic issues at the source through strategic PCB layout, controlled RF trace routing, proper grounding, and careful selection of components. Utilize shielding and filtering only as supplementary measures. |
Pre-compliance testing for intentional transmitters often uses idealized settings that don’t account fully for frequency drift, modulation errors, or real-world environmental effects. Formal certification tests evaluate transmitters under stricter scenarios, including comprehensive frequency stability checks, simultaneous multi-channel transmissions, and stringent modulation performance.
For intentional radiators, global markets may differ in frequency bands, allowed modulation methods, channel allocations, power output limits, and required bandwidths. Products must be designed with these variations in mind to avoid failures when certifying in different countries.
Common EMC failures in intentional radiators include frequency drift, inadequate RF filtering, unintended harmonic emissions, and modulation inaccuracies. Early-stage pre-compliance testing specific to intentional transmitter requirements, careful RF circuit design, and proper shielding can prevent these issues.
Multi-band devices introduce unique EMC challenges because different frequency bands can create cross-interference and harmonic issues. Testing should account for intermodulation distortion and out-of-band emissions across all supported bands. Separate testing at individual band levels is not sufficient, combined testing that simulates real-world simultaneous transmission and reception is critical.
EMC standards are updated regularly to address new technologies and interference challenges. Designing with a performance buffer above current limits can provide protection against future tightening of standards. Following emerging guidelines from bodies like the FCC, CE, and CISPR ensures that products are more likely to meet new requirements without requiring redesigns. Continuous monitoring of regulatory changes (through services like MiComms™) helps manufacturers stay ahead of the curve.
Achieving EMC certification requires more than just technical know-how: it demands precision, efficiency, and a clear understanding of global regulations. MiCOM Labs combines over 20 years of experience with ISO 17025-accredited testing to help manufacturers navigate complex certification requirements and bring products to market faster.
