Design for Success: Certification and Qualification Requirements for your Bluetooth -enabled Products

Design for Success: Certification and Qualification Requirements for your Bluetooth -enabled Products

The Bluetooth word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by LSR is under license. Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective owners. Information described herein is furnished for informational use only, is subject to change without notice, and should not be construed as a guarantee, commitment, condition or offer by LS Research.

Today s presenters Tom Smith Vice President EMC Test Services Dave Burleton Vice President Marketing Jueihsin (Jean) Chin Certified Bluetooth Qualification Expert (BQE) CEO of Global Certification, Inc.

What is a Certified BQE? BQE is an expert in understanding the qualification policy and process and is required to participate within the Bluetooth Technical Advisory Board (BTAB) BQE Services may include: Checking declarations and documents against the qualification and testing requirements Reviewing product test reports Assisting members in listing products in the official database of Bluetooth qualified products Bluetooth SIG members use of BQE assistance is encouraged by the Bluetooth SIG, but optional Members may contract directly with a BQE for qualification services https://www.bluetooth.org/en-us/test-qualification/qualification-overview/recognition-process-overview/bluetooth-qualification-expert LSR.com

Today s Agenda Overview of the Certification and Qualification Requirements for Bluetooth-enabled products The Bluetooth Qualification & Listing processes Industry Trend: SAR testing requirements and its impact on Bluetooth products Bringing it All Together Q & A LSR.com

Overview of the Certification & Qualification Requirements for Bluetooth-enabled Products 6

Three types of Bluetooth In 2011, Bluetooth SIG released Bluetooth v4.0, introducing Bluetooth Smart and Bluetooth Smart Ready brand extensions a.k.a. Bluetooth Classic Bluetooth Low Energy, BLE Dual-Mode Bluetooth application Streaming data-rich content (audio, video, etc.) Transmitting small amounts of data at low duty cycles (sensors, remotes, etc.) Ability to connect and interact with both BT and BT Smart peripherals examples Audio headsets, wireless speakers Sensors, Home automation, remote FOBs Smartphone Tablet Laptop

Certification & Qualification: 2 critical steps to bringing your Bluetooth-enabled product to market Your Bluetooth-enabled Product Design Your Target Markets Qualification License to market product with Bluetooth logo Regulatory Certification License to sell/market in a particular country

What are the FCC s testing requirements for my Bluetooth enabled products? 1. 2. 3. Verification Declaration of Conformance (DoC) Certification

General Emissions Testing Nearly every electronic product Intentional Radiation Testing 3. Any product design to transmit data wirelessly (e.g. BLE) $ $1-3K $ Certification $10-15K

Option 1: Full Product Certification Option 2: Modular Development Option 3: Pre-Certified Module Purchase Pre-Certified Module End Product Testing: $ End Product Testing: End Product Testing: General Emissions + Intentional Radiation (per product in line) $ General Emissions only (per product in line) $ General Emissions only (per product in line) $ Bluetooth Module Testing: $ Bluetooth Module Testing: General Emissions + Intentional Radiation $ NONE, if used within Certification approval Does not include $$$ cost for Bluetooth radio design efforts

Once FCC Certification Testing is completed Formal filing is presented to FCC or a TCB Filing must include Block Diagrams, Theory of Operations, Schematics, and Test Reports Once reviewed, FCC or TCB will issue a Grant of Authorization Grant of Authorization must be received before sale of the product can occur Product is identified by an FCC ID Number Unique to Manufacturer and Product

The Bluetooth Qualification & Declaration Processes 13

What changed in 2014? As of February 2014, new Listing Fee structure introduced, with amounts based on the size of the company and the membership status Declaration ID (DID) introduced, with fee amount based on membership level QDID is now used as project ID (assigned when project is created) New program Introduced: Innovation Incentive Program For companies with < $1MM USD annual revenue and no prior listings (Declaration, QDL, or EPL) Can declare up to 2 listings for introductory fee of $2,500 USD www.bluetooth.org/en-us/members/innovation-incentive-program Single online web portal for both Qualification and Listing Processes Source: Bluetooth.com

Membership and Listing Fees Membership Fees (Annual) Adopter Membership No Fee Associate Membership Based on Company s Annual Revenue $7,500 USD (under $100MM in Revenue) $35,000 USD (over $100MM in Revenue) Normal Listing Fees $8,000 USD $4,000 USD Listing Fees Innovation Incentive Program (company revenue under $1MM, no prior declarations) $2,500 USD Adopter Membership: FREE membership, provides license to use the patents of Bluetooth SIG to develop products and use Bluetooth branding Associate Membership: Paid membership, provides discounts on Listing Fees and Testing. Provides ability to influence and participate in Bluetooth SIG groups that develop specifications and policy Breakeven of submitting 2 or more product listings within a year Source: Bluetooth.com

Common Bluetooth Terms Qualification Helps to promote interoperability standards Verifies conformance to Bluetooth specifications Ensures the necessary testing has been completed Goal is to ensure an experience that meets consumers expectations for all Bluetoothbranded products Declaration Declaration is the (on-line) process for declaring compliance with the Bluetooth Trademark Agreement and Patent/Copyright Agreement Contains the following items: A Declaration ID * Qualified Design ID (QDID) List of product(s) using the Qualified Design * A Listing Fee is required to receive a Declaration ID, which acts as your proof of purchase https://www.bluetooth.org/en-us/bluetooth-brand/bluetooth-brand

Can I brand my product as Bluetooth? As part of the Bluetooth trademark license agreement, all Bluetooth SIG member companies are licensed to use the word mark and logos. The Bluetooth word mark and logos can only be used in relation to products that have passed the Bluetooth qualification and declaration process. https://www.bluetooth.org/en-us/bluetooth-brand/bluetooth-brand Bluetooth brand has over 90% consumer awareness globally (Source: Bluetooth SIG Brand Guide)

New or Modified Design? START HERE Declare Supported Features Develop Test Plan Perform Testing Upload Test Evidence or New product(s) with existing Qualified end product or sub-system design? START HERE Qualification & Product Listing Complete List Products & Complete Declaration Select QDID of Design being listed or referenced Pay Listing Fee Qualification Process Listing Process QDID becomes publicly listed Source: Bluetooth.org (March 2014 document)

New or Modified Design? START HERE Declare Supported Features Develop Test Plan Perform Testing Upload Test Evidence Depending on design, can inherit some or all of necessary test data to accelerate these steps Bluetooth-enabled Product Design that utilizes SaBLE-x module (QDID #66911) and TI BLE 2.0/2.1 stack (QDID #61713) can minimize testing & accelerate Listing Process Qualification & Product Listing Complete List Products & Complete Declaration Select QDID of Design being listed or referenced Pay Listing Fee Qualification Process Listing Process QDID becomes publicly listed

Develop Test Plan Perform Testing Upload Test Evidence Depending on design, can inherit some or all of necessary test data to accelerate these steps Bluetooth-enabled Product Design that utilizes SaBLE-x module (QDID #66911) and TI BLE 2.0/2.1 stack (QDID #61713) can minimize testing & accelerate Listing Process Key criteria Use SaBLE-x and certified antenna as defined in the module design guide No custom antenna (similar to FCC!) No changes to PHY layer Design does NOT utilize any Bluetooth profiles requiring Interoperability ( -I ) testing

Steps when utilizing SaBLE-x Module Create Account on Bluetooth.org Create a Project Combine with QDID(s) for SaBLE-x and TI BLE Stack Select BLE layers that apply to your design Generate & Download Test Plan Complete Testing (If Necessary) & Upload Test Plan and Test Report Start final Listing process Leveraging expertise and services of a BQE: Assign to BQE BQE manages the process on behalf of the product developer BQE approves project and transfers back to member

Industry Trend: FCC/IC SAR testing requirements for Bluetooth products References: RSS-102 Issue 5 March 2015 Radio Frequency (RF) Exposure Compliance of Radiocommunication Apparatus (All Frequency Bands) FCC KDB 447498 D01 General RF Exposure Guidance v05r02 22

FCC/IC RF Exposure and SAR requirements What s Changed? Previously all BT devices below 10dBm were exempt from SAR testing. Both FCC and IC have revised requirements in past year regarding exemptions Requirements for FCC and Industry Canada exemptions are no longer the same. Both have implemented limits based on frequency and minimum separation distance There are 2 different types of evaluation RF Exposure- for devices that required separation is >20cm from user SAR- for devices that are used 20cm, in some cases products may meet an exemption limit Failing to meet the exemption limits, does not indicate product is non-compliant, but rather does not meet the exemption requirements and therefore SAR testing is required. Evaluations also include multiple transmission scenarios

Definitions (per Industry Canada) Term Body-Worn Radio (aka Body-Mount Radio) Definition a wireless transceiver that is normally operated (or intended to be used) while it is placed in the pocket of a garment, or is maintained close to the body by means of a belt clip, holster, pouch, lanyard or similar mechanism. Body-Supported Device A device whose intended use includes transmitting with any portion of the device being held directly against a user s body. NOTE: This differs from a body-worn or body-mount radio in that it is not attached to a user s body by means of a carry accessory. A portable computer with an external antenna plug-in radio card (e.g. PCMCIA card) and a portable computer with an antenna located in the screen section are examples of body-supported devices. Limb-Worn Device Separation Distance (per the power exemption limits) A device containing one or more wireless transmitters or transceivers that is designed or intended for use on or to be operated only by the limbs. It includes being strapped to the arm or leg of the user while transmitting (except in idle mode). The minimum test separation distance based on the smallest distance between the antenna and radiating structures or the outer surface of the device, according to the most conservative exposure condition for the applicable module or host platform test procedure requirements, to any part of the body or extremity of a user or bystander (refer to Table 1 in RSS 102 issue 5).

FCC and Industry Canada SAR Limits Although FCC and Industry Canada SAR Limits are the same, the measurement procedure has changed. Industry Canada is using the latest procedure while the FCC is using an older version.

FCC Exemptions for Separation Distances 50 mm The 1-g and 10-g SAR test exclusion thresholds for 100 MHz to 6 GHz at test separation distances 50 mm are determined by: [(max. power of channel, including tune-up tolerance, mw)/(min. test separation distance, mm)] [ f(ghz)] 3.0 for 1-g SAR and 7.5 for 10-g extremity SAR,25 where f(ghz) is the RF channel transmit frequency in GHz Power and distance are rounded to the nearest mw and mm before calculation26 The result is rounded to one decimal place for comparison 3.0 and 7.5 are referred to as the numeric thresholds in the step 2 below

FCC Exemptions for Separation Distances > 50 mm At 100 MHz to 6 GHz and for test separation distances > 50 mm, the SAR test exclusion threshold is determined according to the following: [Power allowed at numeric threshold for 50 mm in step 1) + (test separation distance - 50 mm) 10] mw at > 1500 MHz and 6 GHz

IC Exemptions for SAR >20cm (RF Exposure) Conclusion: Since the maximum effective radiated power (ERP) is less than the applicable section limit, the Product is exempt from SAR/RF Evaluation

IC Exemption Table for <20cm (SAR) Based on Table 1: At a separation distance of 10mm the exemption limit is 7mW compared to FCC 19mW As a result some products that were previously exempt from SAR evaluation now require SAR testing.

Key Takeaways Concerning SARS Testing Changes FCC and Industry Canada currently are not using the same measurement procedure for SAR but have the same limits FCC measurements do not include antenna gain for calculations Industry Canada requires taking the worst case between conducted output power, conducted output power + antenna gain, and radiated output power Exemption levels to avoid SAR testing are based on both output power and separation distance Significant differences in the exemption levels between FCC and Industry Canada Although Industry Canada is not requiring reassessment of products that have obtained certification, LSR recommends you discuss and evaluate your current products with your certification partner in order to be prepared for future products.

Bringing it All Together 32

Cost Savings When using certified module Over $120K Cost Savings Bluetooth SIG Qualification Testing $10K - $15K FCC/IC/CE Certification A qualified & certified Bluetooth module solution minimizes your product design s: - Risk - Time-to-market - Costs $10K - $20K Capital Equipment for Testing ~ $50K Wireless Development $50K or more Bluetooth design

One partner with 3 divisions aligned to work seamlessly to meet customer needs RF Products Design Services EMC Compliance Testing

Want to learn more? Featured resource: Other helpful resources: LSR.com 3 Part Are you Bluetooth Smart video tutorial http://www.lsr.com/embeddedwireless-modules/bluetooth-module TI Wiki: How to Certify your Bluetooth product http://ti.com/ble-wiki FREE resource at www.lsr.com/testing Bluetooth Qualification and Declaration Processes https://www.bluetooth.org/en-us/testqualification/qualification-overview

Delivering an unmatched combination of BLE performance and software features New SaBLE-x 2.4 GHz BLE Module Over 2x Range improvement at nearly 1/3 the average power for 1 second connection interval vs. current BLE module Built upon the latest generation BLE Silicon (TI CC2640 Wireless MCU) Features dedicated ARM Cortex-M3 processor for host applications, M0 processor for BLE core, and Sensor Processor Engine Supports both Hosted and Hostless modes of operation Footprint compatible with current TiWi-uB1 BLE module : 11.6 mm x 17.9 mm Bluetooth 4.1 compliant and Bluetooth 4.2 capable (future) Bluetooth SIG qualified (QDID # 66911) FCC / IC / CE / Giteki / C-Tick Certification (C-Tick pending) Multiple certified antenna options On-board PCB trace, Dipole, FlexPIFA, and FlexNotch LSR offers in-house certification of additional antennas at little or no cost Learn more at www.lsr.com/sablex Product Milestones Samples & Dev Kits Available Now Production Volumes Order Now Pricing $6.99 MSRP at 10k Qty

SaBLE-x Kits get your BLE development started fast Maximize the development power of either Kit with 1 2 3 SaBLE-x Development Kit [Item # 450-0141] Contains: 2 SaBLE-x Dev Boards, TI EM Adapter, Arduino Adapter, Micro USB cable, and coin cell batteries (2) Use 1 Dev Board as Central, 1 as Peripheral MSRP: $199.99 SaBLE-x Evaluation Kit [Item # 450-0150] Contains: 1 SaBLE-x Dev Board w/ PCB Trace Antenna, Micro USB cable, and coin cell battery MSRP: $79.99 SaBLE-x Eval Kit + Antennas [Item # 450-0151] Contains: 1 SaBLE-x Dev Board with U.FL, 1 Dipole antenna, 1 FlexPIFA antenna, Micro USB cable, and coin cell battery MSRP: $79.99 LSR Developer Tool Suite PC desktop application featuring test tools, API documentation, and source code downloads to accelerate BLE development + ModuleLink for BLE app available on ios and Android stores. Both native and nonnative (Ionic) source code available as well.

Questions and Answers 38

Thank you for your time! Tom Smith tsmith@lsr.com Dave Burleton dburleton@lsr.com Jean Chin jeanchin@globcert.com www.lsr.com sales@lsr.com twitter.com/lsresearch