Radio Test Example to perform FCC certification

[msalmankhan334]

We have a device that will be launched soon in the market, but before launching we need that device should pass FCC certification.
To do this I have searched on the online forum, in order to pass the FCC certification Radio Test is the best place to start testing the device.

Unfortunately, I don't have a spectrum analyzer to see the results, but the good thing is that this can be done with two boards having the same Radio example flashed.

Test Board 1: configurations
uart_cli:~$ parameters_print
Parameters:
Data rate: NRF_RADIO_MODE_BLE_1MBIT
TX power: NRF_RADIO_TXPOWER_0DBM
Transmission pattern: TRANSMIT_PATTERN_11001100
Start Channel: 0
End Channel: 80
Time on each channel: 10 ms
Duty cycle: 50 percent
uart_cli:~$

Test Board 2: configurations
uart_cli:~$ parameters_print
Parameters:
Data rate: NRF_RADIO_MODE_BLE_1MBIT
TX power: NRF_RADIO_TXPOWER_0DBM
Transmission pattern: TRANSMIT_PATTERN_11001100
Start Channel: 0
End Channel: 80
Time on each channel: 10 ms
Duty cycle: 50 percent
uart_cli:~$

When a use print_rx command I get this:

Data: 0
Data: 0
Data: 0
Data: 0
Data: 0
Data: 0
Data: 0
Data: 0
Data: 0
Data: 0
Data: 0
Data: 0
Data: 0
Data: 0
Data: 0
Data: 0
Data: 0
Data: 0
Data: 0
Number of packets: 0

I have no idea what's going ON

Please guide me on how to perform these test steps

Thanks

[Håkon Alseth]

Hi,

 

I would recommend that you use the random pattern for actual RX/TX communication between two kits instead of the 0xCC pattern, but it will work regardless.

 

On the receiver kit #1:

/*Set same RF channel, modulation, etc. on BOTH RX and TX */
transmit_pattern pattern_11001100
start_rx

 

On the transmitter kit #2:

transmit_pattern pattern_11001100
start_tx_modulated_carrier

 

Now, I print the payload on the RX side, ie. kit #1:

uart:~$ print_rx
Received payload:
00000000: ff cc cc cc cc cc cc cc  cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc |........ ........|
00000010: cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc  cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc |........ ........|
00000020: cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc  cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc |........ ........|
00000030: cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc  cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc |........ ........|
00000040: cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc  cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc |........ ........|
00000050: cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc  cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc |........ ........|
00000060: cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc  cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc |........ ........|
00000070: cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc  cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc |........ ........|
00000080: cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc  cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc |........ ........|
00000090: cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc  cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc |........ ........|
000000A0: cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc  cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc |........ ........|
000000B0: cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc  cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc |........ ........|
000000C0: cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc  cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc |........ ........|
000000D0: cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc  cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc |........ ........|
000000E0: cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc  cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc |........ ........|
000000F0: cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc  cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc |........ ........|
Number of packets: 3464

 

Kind regards,

Håkon

[msalmankhan334]

Thanks for the reply!
It worked! I am able to exchange data between the two test kits.

Now the basic is done, I have worked on the last two-year developing product, It is based on BLE-Mesh Network.

Now that it's completed I need to test the device which will pass the FFC test, especially FCC Part 15 Subpart C

The documents seem scarce to me.

The test setup so far contains:
RSSI viewer from the nrfConnect Application, which shows the BLE channels and their power in dBm's.

And two test kits.

I did try the commands and performed some tests!

Can you please guide me on how to use the Radio Test example to perform the tests to pass the certification? Do I need to modify the Radio Test example?

Please guide me on this, what steps do I need to take?

Thanks, Salman

[Håkon Alseth]

Hi Salman,

 

It is usually requested by the test house that you provide them some way of setting up to transmit modulated carrier and RX on low/mid/high channels.

So you either modify or provide the test house with direct commands via the radio_test sample to setup the following modes:

* TX 2

* TX 40

* TX 80

* RX 2

* RX 40

* RX 80

  

You can ofcourse send an inquiry to the test house and ask if there's anything else they need.

 

Kind regards,

Håkon

[msalmankhan334]

Okay!

Some follow-up questions it would be great to answer these questions

You mentioned 

* TX 2

* TX 40

* TX 80

* RX 2

* RX 40

* RX 80

Does the number represent the channel numbers?

Does the Radio test example specifically for testing the radio to pass the FCC certification?

Would I need this example to integrate it into the BLE-Mesh firmware? or it does not require it? 

NOTE: BLE-Mesh Network is using an insta-burst feature.

Thanks!
Regards Salman.

[Håkon Alseth]

Hi,

 

msalmankhan334 said:

Does the number represent the channel numbers?

Yes, channel 2 = 2402 MHz etc.

msalmankhan334 said:

Does the Radio test example specifically for testing the radio to pass the FCC certification?

radio_test is specifically targeted for RF PHY evaluation. This is used for teleregulatory certification (ETSI/FCC/etc) 

msalmankhan334 said:

Would I need this example to integrate it into the BLE-Mesh firmware? or it does not require it? 

No, it can be a standalone firmware. It is your design that is being evaluated in this process.

 

Kind regards,

Håkon

[msalmankhan334]

Thanks

[Håkon Alseth]

Happy to help out. Hope you have a wonderful day!

 

Kind regards,

Håkon