Fcc, Ce And Delivery Dates

[basicmicro]

I haven't heard any mention of FCC or CE certifications? You can't ship a product like this to several countries including USA without certain certifications. Provide all goes well, that takes around 2 to 6 weeks. Rarely does a device pass on first round testing.

If you don't get these certifications and say a competitor turns you in, its big fines. We weren't aware of this until we received a certified notice from the FCC ;-) Just some FYI.

Also every mold I have been involved in which is many since I do product design for a living has taken 6 to 10 weeks not including any issues you have with first article samples. Where is the 2 to 4 week numbers coming from? Just curious....

 

[stustaff]

I haven't heard any mention of FCC or CE certifications? You can't ship a product like this to several countries including USA without certain certifications. Provide all goes well, that takes around 2 to 6 weeks. Rarely does a device pass on first round testing.

If you don't get these certifications and say a competitor turns you in, its big fines. We weren't aware of this until we received a certified notice from the FCC ;-) Just some FYI.

Also every mold I have been involved in which is many since I do product design for a living has taken 6 to 10 weeks not including any issues you have with first article samples. Where is the 2 to 4 week numbers coming from? Just curious....

Well electric devices and stuff manafactured in the Uk or China do not go through the FCC testing process because its a US thing.
They only go through it if they are going to be sold in the US!

The Pandora is not being sold in the US end of FCC issue.

As far as i am aware I have never bought a computer made by the bloke down the road that has been CE tested! the power unit has to be and Pandoras plug will comply but the unit doesnt have to.

 

[gruso]

Some discussion here (no definitive answer though):

http://www.gp32x.de/board/lofiversion/index.php/t43621.html

 

[basicmicro]

I haven't heard any mention of FCC or CE certifications? You can't ship a product like this to several countries including USA without certain certifications. Provide all goes well, that takes around 2 to 6 weeks. Rarely does a device pass on first round testing.

If you don't get these certifications and say a competitor turns you in, its big fines. We weren't aware of this until we received a certified notice from the FCC ;-) Just some FYI.

Also every mold I have been involved in which is many since I do product design for a living has taken 6 to 10 weeks not including any issues you have with first article samples. Where is the 2 to 4 week numbers coming from? Just curious....

Well electric devices and stuff manafactured in the Uk or China do not go through the FCC testing process because its a US thing.
They only go through it if they are going to be sold in the US!

The Pandora is not being sold in the US end of FCC issue.

As far as i am aware I have never bought a computer made by the bloke down the road that has been CE tested! the power unit has to be and Pandoras plug will comply but the unit doesnt have to.


Every country has their own. We had to get 7 of them for our markets. Australia has their own. Japan has its own. EU has CE certs and so on and yes FCC is US only but each country has the same just under a different name. Look at the back of any electronic gagdet you have.

 

[Sdw]

Also every mold I have been involved in which is many since I do product design for a living has taken 6 to 10 weeks not including any issues you have with first article samples. Where is the 2 to 4 week numbers coming from? Just curious....

Yeah, I can only agree with this. I also have some experience from similar manufacturing process, and the time it takes to send the first design to China, get sample, make adjustments, get new sample etc. until you have a case that is perfect takes way more than a couple of weeks.

Then you have the time needed to test the final product once you have the finalized boards and cases etc.
If they are going to ship a thoroughly tested project, it is probably 3+ months away.

This is something that has been through the whole Pandora project. I remember early last year when they announced that they would be shipping units in august or whatever. Seeing the state the project was in back then I could immediately see that there was no way they would be shipping anything in 2008, let alone august.

I don't know if they just are naively optimistic, or just give these unrealistic timelines just to try and calm people down.

I think it would be better if they had been upfront already last year and said that a realistic shipping would be Q2/Q3 2009.

 

[basicmicro]

I think Q4 is more like it. Haven't heard a word on a test fixture for PCBs. You can't produce and test 3000pcbs without it. Test fixtures in some case are as big of a project as original pcb and take time...

Well didn't want to stir anything up. Have been wanting one and I was just wondering if I was just imagining things ;-)

 

[gruso]

Well, we never hear from MWeston anyway. He could build a time machine and we wouldn't know until someone accidentally shipped the flux capacitor to Fatih. So don't worry too much about what you haven't heard.

Also, as far as I know, manufacturing is taking place in Nth America, not China. Not sure if that applies to PCB, case, or both.

 

[MDave]

So this can only mean more delays. And huge ones at that?

Maybe the rules are different because of the nature of the device and how it will be distributed?

I'm sure MWeston would of known about this, since this is his field of expertise on the team. Or EvilDragon because of his involvment with the Wiz?

 

[Squidge]

MWeston already knows about all the certification testing, and has known for a good while. I don't know what can be said regarding it, so I'll let Michael comment himself, should he feel he needs to.

 

[gruso]

So this can only mean more delays. And huge ones at that?
For god's sake, no. Two random guys on the forums have speculated about what has and hasn't happened behind the scenes, and you're about to be convinced that there are huge delays. See how easily the panic gets started?

Let's stop this here, and as Squidge said, let MW address it. Although I'd rather he just kept doing what he was doing.

 

[RajTakhar]

This thread does pose some intresting questions

On PCB test rig, i'm sure they would of created the base rig based on MK2 PCB and then simply fine tuned the testing software as the PCB design in terms of inputs and outputs has remained unchanged (thats what I used to do back in the day when I ran a contracts electronics division)

On the certification, some form of certification will probably eventually take place, and as to how much of existing process has been completed only MWeston is best placed to answer that question.

 

[nubie]

http://www.cclab.com/ce-testing.htm

QUOTE
Low voltage for the purposes of this directive is defined in Article 1 as any electrical equipment designed for use with a voltage rating between 50 and 1000 V for alternating current and between 75 and 1500 V for direct current


I think we are OK because only the charger is connected to the mains (or you can use a USB charger.)

The transmitter should have a physical switch, I don't know that we do, although I guess one could be installed.


On the subject of PC testing, I am sure that the cases, power supplies, and motherboards (and add-in cards and drives) have all got separate CE qualifications. Besides the only part that has high voltage is the power supply, and they are supposedly "sealed" (I don't care, I replace the fans, I won't junk a PSU for lack of a $3-5 fan, stupid computer people.)

 

[Bosbeetle]

CE and FCC is mentioned in the new blog by evildragon

 

[stustaff]

Anybody know for a FACT how long this testing takes? as it seems they will be sending it to them in what two weeks? so then add the FCC EC review time on gives us...?

 

[Chip]

Anybody know for a FACT how long this testing takes? as it seems they will be sending it to them in what two weeks? so then add the FCC EC review time on gives us...?
The testing facilities I've looked into quote 2-4 weeks.

 

[Alpha2]

Any reason it cant be sent out NOW? I mean the only thing missing is the case, surely it can be tested but the CE/FCC without being housed in MP plastic right?

 

[stustaff]

Thanks chip seems reasonable, and in line with the timeline.

Alpha2- im pretty sure it would have to include everything eg if the case had a hole in where electrics could be reached with a paperclip the EC FCC may have an issue with that!

 

[Chip]

Any reason it cant be sent out NOW? I mean the only thing missing is the case, surely it can be tested but the CE/FCC without being housed in MP plastic right?
It needs to be pretty damn final. Any difference between what we send them and what comes off the assembly line has to be detailed in writing, and the more differences there are the higher the chance it fails and has to go back again. We'll have to wait for the CNC case at least.

 

[Alpha2]

I see. Yeah I suppose after that LiPo battery video posted yesterday it'd make sense to see if the case itself would be a hazzard. I just fear it's going to cause more complaints after springing a new step on them that you guys never mentioned before.

 

[TaG]

Does this change the roadmap or the 'less than two months' you mentioned yesterday? If it does I think it best to just publish an update and if people don't like it at least it reflects reality. If it doesn't change anything then cut any speculation off before it starts.