Trends in WLAN Regulatory Test

As wireless LAN (WLAN) devices are becoming widespread and regulations governing the use of the WLAN 6 GHz band are being established, a variety of regulatory tests are being updated, along with new developments taking place. The trends in major regulatory tests, the latest standard of the ETSI EMC tests, the FCC 47 Code of Federal Regulations Part 15, which is the FCC requirements for WLAN devices, and the recent trends in EN303 687, the ETSI test standard for 6 GHz band devices, are introduced here.

ETSI’s latest standard is in force from July 2022 onward and introduction of a WLAN tester will help you meet the requirements smoothly.

ETSI EMC Tests

The ETSI EMC standard EN 301 489-17 V3.2.4 was revised in September 2020, and Packet Error Rate (PER) has been newly added as performance criteria. PER measurement will be mandatory for EMC tests from July 2022 when the latest version of the standard comes into force. As a result of this revision, PER measurement will be required for the tests for conformance to the CE marking of WLAN devices. Thus, a testing environment (with a newly introduced WLAN tester) is needed that allows PER measurement to be conducted efficiently in a wireless connection state.

Click here for the ideal instrument for measuring the TRx performance of WLAN products.

FCC 47 Code of Federal Regulations Part 15 Subpart E

In North America, WLAN devices are classified by the FCC as shown in Figure 1. Each group has different requirements and regulations. At this time (December 2021), Auto Frequency Coordination (AFC) is not regulated and certification currently does not require AFC functionality in devices. Certification started with devices not requiring AFC functions. Testing of the group in the 5.925 to 7.125 GHz frequency band described in the following table has started in 2020, but enforcement is slated to start November 22, 2022.

FCC 47 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) part15 Subpart E

The following table is part of the FCC standards on required wireless signal quality for devices starting certification.

The following table shows the requirements for devices that are designed with AFC functionality.

ETSI EN 303 687 6 GHz Band Legal Regulatory Test

At ETSI, development of EN 303 687 has been under way as a testing standard for wireless devices supporting the 6 GHz band.
The final version was approved in March 2022 and subsequently distributed as the mature draft to relevant organizations^*.
Its enforcement (publication) is planned for around March 2023.

With the enforcement planned to begin November 22, 2022, it is necessary to prepare facilities and test environments to meet the new requirements. Are you ready for 6 GHz band testing?

The 6 GHz band test items have not been published yet but these items are expected to be similar to the 2.4/5 GHz band regulatory tests. If Receiver Blocking is determined for the 6 GHz band as the test standards for both bands, performance can be evaluated very easily and efficiently using WLAN testers to measure the Packet Error Rate (PER).

RF testing for 2.4 GHz band: EN 300 328 4.3.2.11 Receiver Blocking
RF testing for 5 GHz band: EN 300 893 4.2.8 Receiver Blocking

Anritsu’s Wireless Connectivity Test Set MT8862A is the ideal instrument for measuring the TRx performance of finished WLAN products.

In addition to easily testing PER measurements required by the immunity test, the MT8862A also supports the various parameter settings for the test standard measurement procedure.

Anritsu Wireless Connectivity Test Set MT8862A

To learn more about test items and measurement methods for the regulatory tests, download the PER Measurements for WLAN Devices leaflet and the WLAN Product Evaluation Guide.

Download Leaflet Download Guide