NWEMC

Oregon IEEE EMC Chapter Meeting Hosted by Northwest EMC

Jed — Sun, 13 May 2012 15:14:23 +0000

Northwest EMC will be hosting the May 23rd Oregon IEEE EMC Chapter meeting at their Hillsboro, Oregon facility.

Here are the details for the meeting:

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Topic: Introduction to SAR Testing and RF Exposure Regulatory Requirements

Summary: Presentation will cover the basics of SAR and RF exposure regulatory requirements along with demonstrations and a tour of Northwest EMC’s SAR chamber.

Speakers: Greg Kiemel, Director of Engineering and Jennifer Herrett, EMC Engineer of Northwest EMC.

Bio: Greg Kiemel is the Director of Engineering at Northwest EMC. Greg has been instrumental in the development of wireless testing, product certification, and global approvals capabilities at Northwest EMC. With more than 26 years of EMC experience, Greg is an iNARTE-certified EMC and ESD engineer, as well as a certified Master EMC Design Engineer. Recognized as an expert in wireless approvals, he is active in ANSI ASC C63, and recently served as Chair of the TCB Council. Greg completed a two-year term as a Distinguished Lecturer for the IEEE EMC Society, and has been published in various technical journals. Prior to his 18 years with Northwest EMC, he worked as the lead regulatory engineer in the personal computer division at Epson Portland, Inc. and as an EMC engineer at Tektronix, Inc. Greg earned his BS in Engineering from Weber State University and is a Senior Member of the IEEE.

Bio: Jennifer Herrett is an EMC Engineer at Northwest EMC, Inc. She has 15 years of experience in the field of electromagnetic compatibility and has been working in the Northwest EMC, Inc. SAR lab since its installation in late 2010. Starting as a student member, Jennifer has been a member of the IEEE for the last 20 years. She has a BSEE, with a focus in communications and electronics, from the University of Portland.

Location:
Northwest EMC Inc.
22975 NW Evergreen Pkwy Suite 400
Hillsboro, OR 97124

Map located at: http://www.nwemc.com/locations/

Time: 6:30 PM – Food, 7:00 PM – Meeting and Presentation
Please RSVP to Dave Britton – david.britton@hp.com or contact Alee Langford – alangford@nwemc.com for more information.

SAR Testing at Northwest EMC

Jed — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:22:51 +0000

Ensuring safety from Radio Frequency (RF) exposure for wireless devices has become a regulatory requirement for many manufacturers around the globe. Measured in terms of the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR), tests are conducted on devices used closer than 20 cm to the head or body. Devices determined to be “safe” have SAR levels at or below the limits decided upon by the FCC, Industry Canada, European Union or other regulatory bodies internationally.

In answer to growing requests for SAR Testing, NWEMC opened the doors to our SAR Testing lab in January of 2011 at Our Hillsboro, Oregon location. Our SAR chamber is 12 ft. wide by 16 ft. long x 8 ft. high with a dedicated HVAC unit that provides +/- 1 degree C temperature control. To ensure reliable measurement results we selected the DASY5 from government-preferred vendor, SPEG of Zurich, Switzerland. The DASY5 is equipped with all necessary equipment needed for testing, including probes and phantoms.

Initially required mostly for cellular phone devices, SAR testing today is often required for a variety of devices, including system integrators and medical devices with radios that are operated closer than 20 cm to the head or torso. As technology has improved and smaller, more lightweight devices are becoming available, devices requiring testing can also include devices small enough to fit into a coat pocket or belt clip.

Find out more about SAR Testing at Northwest EMC and see our list of available tests.

Northwest EMC is expanding! Find out more about our newest test facility in Bothell, Washington

Jed — Fri, 04 May 2012 23:38:33 +0000

Northwest EMC is expanding! We are hard at work on our newest EMC/EMI Test facility located in Bothell, Washington, just north of Seattle.

We are excited to be able to offer a full range of testing services at our second Washington location, including Wireless, RTCA DO-160, and MIL-STD 461, as well as all commercial EMC and EMI Testing.

Stay tuned for more details about our newest facility! Visit Northwest EMC’s Facebook page for all the most up-to-date information or check back here in the coming weeks!

Visit Northwest EMC at Del Mar Electronics and CTIA Wireless

Jed — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 22:53:02 +0000

We are excited to be attending the upcoming Del Mar Electronics Show in San Diego, California, and the CTIA Wireless show happening in New Orleans. We invite you to join us!

Northwest EMC staff members will be on hand to showcase Northwest EMC’s wireless testing and SAR Testing capabilities and to answer any questions about EMC/EMI Testing. The popular Del Mar Electronics show focuses on the promotion of the electronics industry and will include technical sessions, panel discussions and an exhibitors’ event.

Del Mar Electronics Show Event Details:
Dates: May 2-3, 2012
Location: Del Mar Fairgrounds, San Diego, CA
(Find out more about the Del Mar Electronics Show...)

The week after that, we’ll be exhibitors at the International CTIA Wireless 2012 event taking place in New Orleans, Louisiana. This year’s event, “All Things Mobile”, is set to explore the needs of the global wireless marketplace and more than 40,000 developers, distributors, and wireless service providers are expected to be in attendance.

CTIA Wireless Event Details:
Dates: May 8-10, 2012
Location: New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, LA
(Learn more about the CTIA Show...)

Attending a trade show event is a great opportunity for us to meet face to face with our customers as well as other members of our industry to share knowledge and stay up to date on new trends and technologies. We hope to see you there!

In Other News…

Northwest EMC is expanding! Our new location in Bothell, Washington, will offer Wireless, RTCA DO-160, MIL-STD 461 and all commercial EMC/EMI testing. Visit us on Facebook and find all the most up to date information about our new facility!

Update for ACMA Compliance

Jed — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 16:38:52 +0000

Additional information for the new single compliance mark – RCM.

Timetable for implementation
The changes are currently proposed to start on 1 July 2012 to align with the proposed commencement date for the Electrical Regulatory Authorities Council (ERAC) Electrical Equipment Safety System (EESS) (see below). This date may be postponed if there is a delay in the commencement of the EESS.

The current arrangements apply until the commencement date.

From 1 July 2012, the new arrangements will only apply to new suppliers—those not registered on the ACMA supplier database.

From 1 July 2015, the arrangements will apply to all suppliers.

Further information is available on the ACMA website www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_410297

Minnesota Testing Lab – A Look Back

Jed — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 21:38:17 +0000

It’s hard to believe our Minnesota testing lab has already been open for more than two years, but it’s true—we opened our doors way back in spring of 2009. Time flies!

Our Minnesota facility is fully equipped to handle all EMC and EMI testing with a 10 meter radiated emissions chamber (the only one in the area!) as well as a 3 meter emissions chamber. Between the two, Northwest continues to offer the most comprehensive EMC and EMI testing for the wireless, consumer electronics and medical device markets in the Midwest.

The new lab in Minnesota has hardly been the end of Northwest EMC growth and improvements. One year following the Minnesota lab’s opening, we opened our brand new SAR testing lab at our Hillsboro, Oregon location. SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) testing is conducted on devices used closer than 20 cm to the head and is a growing segment of wireless testing as more mobile device manufacturers strive to get their products to market. We have seen continued growth at the new lab since its opening in January 2011.

But don’t think for a second we’re done yet! Making sure we have the most up to date testing facility, equipment and testing knowledge is the key to Northwest EMC’s continued ability to provide highly accurate and reliable testing results for our clients. We are currently hard at work expanding our Irvine, California facility to equip the lab with a new 3M chamber to increase automotive EMC testing services. The new expansion is expected to be complete in late spring 2012.

(Get up to the minute updates on our progress at our Northwest EMC Facebook page!)

Notice of upcoming changes to the ACMA labelling arrangements (RCM)

Jed — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 17:46:14 +0000

The ACMA is consolidating the three existing compliance marks (C-Tick, A-Tick and RCM) into a single compliance mark—the RCM. This will indicate a device’s compliance with all applicable ACMA regulatory arrangements—that is, for telecommunications, radiocommunications, EMC and EME—and with applicable State and Territory electrical equipment safety requirements.

The C-Tick and A-Tick compliance marks are to be phased out. A new database will be established for all supplier registration and the supplier identification requirements removed from the labelling notices.

The changes are currently proposed to start on 1 July 2012 to align with the proposed commencement date for the Electrical Regulatory Authorities Council (ERAC) Electrical Equipment Safety System (EESS). The commencement of the new ACMA arrangements may be postponed if there is a delay in the commencement of the EESS.

The current ACMA labelling arrangements apply until the commencement date.

From 1 July 2012, the new arrangements will only apply to new suppliers—those not registered on the ACMA supplier database.

From 1 July 2015, the arrangements will apply to all suppliers.

Further information is available on the ACMA website www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_410297

One Year Anniversary of our SAR Lab!

Jed — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 23:30:21 +0000

Hard to believe it, but our SAR Lab has now been open for more than a year, having opened our doors back in January of 2011. It’s been quite a year!

SAR, or Specific Absorption Rate, is a measure of radio frequency (RF) energy absorbed by the head or body on devices used closer than 20 cm such as wireless communication devices like cell phones. As adoption of these devices soars, so has demand for reliable SAR Testing. The addition of the new SAR Lab at Northwest EMC has been a natural fit with our other wireless testing services.

Ongoing improvement is a way of life for us at Northwest EMC. We’ve also been hard at work expanding our EMC test facility in Irvine, California, to include a new 3-meter chamber. The new expansion is expected to conclude in late spring 2012.

Learn more about our Northwest EMC’s SAR Testing lab located at our Hillsboro, Oregon facility.

Korea Safety Requirement Update

Jed — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:24:00 +0000

Telecommunication Product Safety Approval will be mandatory beginning July 1st, 2012.
IT and Wireless Product Safety Approval will be mandatory beginning January 1st, 2013.

Please feel free to contact us for more information:
Alee Langford, Customer Service Manager.
Phone Number: 503-943-3122 or email at alangford@nwemc.com.

Medical Device Testing: NW EMC Begins Preparations for Medical Design & Manufacturing West

Jed — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 22:25:37 +0000

EMC testing of medical devices is a regular requested service at Northwest EMC, and staying on top of trends in the industry—from design to testing—is important to us. Which is why we are looking forward to the Medical Design & Manufacturing West conference taking place this February in Anaheim, California. The annual event (February 14-16, 2012) brings professionals from all areas of the medical device development industry together to share knowledge concerning new industry developments, and provide access to the tools necessary to bring new medical devices to market. EMC testing is a crucial step in this development process.

When it comes to medical devices, EMC testing becomes a matter not only of product reliability but also patient safety. Ensuring proper functioning of these devices can and does save lives, making testing a top priority.

Northwest EMC’s expert testing team has been providing reliable EMC testing services since 1992; our highly trained staff offers the comprehensive testing knowledge needed to ensure safe medical devices, and each of our five locations is fully equipped to provide a full suite of immunity and emissions testing.

At Northwest EMC we typically become a part of the development process once the device has been designed. Preparing for EMC testing, however, shouldn’t be an afterthought. By paying attention to compliance standards during the entire life cycle of the project, costly delays can be avoided when you’re nearing your product’s release date.

Whether you are a product designer, manufacturer or an outside consultant, Northwest EMC can help answer any questions you have about EMC testing and help you get your product on the market faster. If you have questions, contact Northwest EMC today and let our helpful test staff provide you with the information you need to complete your product development.