Understanding the need for certification

Every electrical product must undergo certification. The specific certification required depends on the country in which the product will be sold. Just as you design with manufacturing in mind, you must also design with certification in mind.

You need to wait until your product is ready for market before you certify it. Any changes to the product, including the enclosure, will normally require recertification.

While certification will be done at the end, it is important to consult a certification expert at the point of preliminary production design.

Here are some certification bodies to be aware of:

• Federal Communications Commission: This US-based regulator certifies all electronic products, making sure that the electromagnetic radiation from those products is within acceptable levels and doesn’t interfere with the operation of other wireless communication devices.
• Underwriters Laboratories (UL) or Canadian Standards...