How are these little startups dealing with the FCC regulation of consumer products that are classified "intentional radiators"? I'd really like to get back into this so this is a question I really would like to find an answer to.
The last time I looked into adding wireless to a device we were building, I was advised that any little nit that burps a frequency above 9Khz intentionally should expect an 8 week $30,000 trip through independent testing and regulation purgatory to get an FCC ID # and permission to sell to the general public. Not doing so and selling anyway was serious federal crime territory.
Granted this was years ago, but nowadays it seems that every other technical kickstarter is a whole bag full of different (which would be different models) "ninja boxes"(1) that tweet wireless data. How are they clearing (or sidestepping) this regulatory hurdle?
A module from Microchip that looks relatively easy for someone who already monkeys with micros to add low speed wireless to a project for about $8/unit. Very Nice.
I think it was more like a month, their distributor/manufactures did it for them and most especially, pis are not intentional radiators. They left off wifi partly for this very reason.
The last time I looked into adding wireless to a device we were building, I was advised that any little nit that burps a frequency above 9Khz intentionally should expect an 8 week $30,000 trip through independent testing and regulation purgatory to get an FCC ID # and permission to sell to the general public. Not doing so and selling anyway was serious federal crime territory.
Granted this was years ago, but nowadays it seems that every other technical kickstarter is a whole bag full of different (which would be different models) "ninja boxes"(1) that tweet wireless data. How are they clearing (or sidestepping) this regulatory hurdle?
(1) A real product, virtually identical http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ninja/ninja-blocks-conne.... Funded huge.