Here are my thoughts on CB Certificates: I have gotten CB Certificates with the complete test report accepted in countries that were NOT members of the CB Scheme.
After they became readily available I have always requested a CB Certificate and complete test report before I approved the use of an alternate power supply or CD ROM drive. If a lab does a decent job of testing the power supply or the CD ROM drive they will have produced a test report anyway. So the addition of the certificate is not a big hit. I review the test report and ask that any omissions or mistakes are corrected, before I send it anywhere else. Usually there are some minor problems even from the very best labs. Consequently, the alternate power supplies or CD ROM drives are approved for use in a certified product with very little cost and effort - just send them the certificare, the test report and a sample. If you request the lab to test the laser output of the CD ROM drive during fault conditions. and find it can't exceed class I limits (per 825) and state that in the test report, it will cost very little extra and save the cost of translating all of the required laser safety messages. Regards, Lou Aiken <---- Begin Forwarded Message ----> Return-Path: <owner-emc-p...@majordomo.ieee.org> From: pe...@itl.co.il (Peter Merguerian) To: <ri...@sdd.hp.com>, ron_pick...@hypercom.com List-Post: emc-pstc@listserv.ieee.org Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1998 18:11:15 +0200 Subject: Re: Why are CB reports truly useful? CC: <emc-p...@majordomo.ieee.org> Reply-To: pe...@itl.co.il (Peter Merguerian) Ron Hi! In short, the new CB full Certification Scheme will allow acceptance by another CB member of BOTH the test results and construction. Under the present scheme, another CB member should accept test results but has the right to ask for sample(s) and other pertinent information for a construction evaluation. Based on my experience, CB could be a "pain in the neck". Here is one example: Consider a product with an Approved Switching Power Supply. Unless the power supply has a CB Test Report of its own (and most do not!) the certification agency must include an evaluation of the power supply. This means you have to contact the power supply manufacturer and ask him to provide all the necessary information and/or samples needed by the certification agency in order to issue the CB Certificate. Now imagine a manufacturer had more than one or altenate power supplies in his product. As we all know, most power supplies in the market today are UL Recognized and/or CSA Certified and TUV/VDE Approved. Therefore, it seems that the best approach to get a CB for a product with switching power supply(ies) is to go to UL/CSA/TUV or VDE, all who have a record of the power supply safety evaluation (including schematics, parts list, etc.). This really is not fair to the other CB certifiers who have paid lots of money to get their labs accredited under the CB program. Regards PETER MERGUERIAN <---- End Forwarded Message ----> Best Regards, Lou Aiken 27106 Palmetto Drive Orange Beach, AL 36561 USA tel 1 334 981 6786 fax 1 334 981 3054 --------- This message is coming from the emc-pstc discussion list. To cancel your subscription, send mail to majord...@ieee.org with the single line: "unsubscribe emc-pstc" (without the quotes). For help, send mail to ed.pr...@cubic.com, j...@gwmail.monarch.com, ri...@sdd.hp.com, or roger.volgst...@compaq.com (the list administrators).