FCC Categories of Wireless Devices
There are 5 main categories that the FCC groups wireless products under
- Incidental Radiators
- Unintentional Radiators
- Intentional Radiators
- Industrial, Scientific, and Medical Equipment
- Equipment Operating in Licensed Radio Services
These categories correspond to different parts and specifications of the FCC rules that a device must adhere to. Depending on your product, you need to meet these specifications to be compliant with FCC rules.
What is an RF Device?
The FCC defines a wireless product or device as an item capable of emitting radio frequency (RF) energy by radiation, conduction, or another means. Products producing this energy could potentially cause radio interference with other services (GPS, military, and other protected frequencies) operating in the range of 9 kHz to 3000 GHz. For reference, Wi-Fi operates in the 2.4 and/or 5 GHz RF bands.
A wireless device could be anything from a basic radio transmitter on a printed circuit board to a mass-produced smartphone or tablet. Most products with any type of radio module incorporated will fall under FCC regulation. Be sure to check with your compliance professional to confirm what rules apply to your specific device. The rules are different depending on what FCC category your product falls under.
FCC Categories of Radio Devices
1. Incidental Radiators (FCC Rules Part 15, Subpart A)
An Incidental Radiator is a device that is not designed to intentionally emit or generate radio frequencies above 9 kHz. These could include AC or DC motors, mechanical light switches, and basic electrical power tools that don’t contain a form of digital logic like LEDs, buttons, or controllers.
These products actually don’t need to go through the equipment authorization process with the FCC. You should be mindful if your product falls under this category, however. The FCC recommends using good engineering judgment to verify there is no interference generated when these devices are in operation.
2. Unintentional Radiators (FCC Rules Part 15, Subparts B and G)
Your life is filled with unintentional radiators. Coffee makers, digital watches, TVs, personal computers and universal remote controls are all examples of unintentional radiators. The FCC classifies these products as devices that could “unintentionally” cause interference because they operate within the FCC-regulated frequency zones.
Most electronic devices nowadays have some sort of digital logic or transmit radio frequencies that operate between 9kHz and 3000 GHz (Wi-Fi and Bluetooth fall in this range). These types of products are not intended to transmit RF energy (Hence, “Unintentional”). Most wireless devices in your home have likely been tested by the FCC against the unintentional radiator specification.
3. Intentional Radiators (FCC Rules Part 15, Subparts C through F and H)
Wireless devices that are categorized as Intentional radiators purposefully transmit RF energy. Think Bluetooth speakers, smartphones, or wi-fi routers. These are all products whose primary function is to transmit wireless signals. If you are designing a device that will primarily be used via wireless technology, make sure to check out this section of the FCC rules.
4. Industrial, Scientific, and Medical Equipment (FCC Rules Part 18)
If your product is designed for industrial, medical, or scientific systems, it may belong in this category. Part 18 of the FCC rules apply to devices that transmit wireless energy for applications other than telecommunications.
Examples of such devices: Fluorescent lighting, halogen ballasts, arc welders, microwave ovens, and medical diathermy machines. A consumer medical device doesn’t typically come under this category. Part 18 applies to medical equipment only when it is designed to generate and use RF energy locally for medical or therapeutic purposes.
5. EQUIPMENT OPERATING IN LICENSED RADIO SERVICES
The FCC is not the only government commission to regulate the radio frequency world. Various other agencies use different parts of the radio spectrum for different purposes. For example, space communication frequencies, and air travel communication frequencies are governed by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration). The Army, Navy, FBI, and other branches have their own dedicated frequencies. Wireless devices cannot use these same frequencies unless for special purposes.
Cell phones and marine radios are examples of FCC-regulated devices that operate in these special frequency zones. Products like this utilize non-public frequencies like cellular or emergency networks among other frequencies they use for wireless features.
What FCC Category Is My Device?
The important thing for companies like yours to figure out is what specific category your device falls into. Based on what category the device is, the testing process and specifications will be different.
To get a basic sense of the type of regulation needed for your product, write down all the potential wireless use cases. If the primary RF functionalities are only Wi-fi and Bluetooth connectivity, your product is likely an unintentional radiator. Note that USB functionality also technically contributes to unintentional radiation. USB signals run at speeds higher than 9 kHz.
If your device is more complex, uses known protected frequencies, or is used primarily for industry, it will likely fall into one of the other 3 categories.
Summary: The Different FCC Categories of Wireless Devices
In this article, we looked at the 5 different categories by which the FCC groups RF devices. Pretty much any wireless device you can think of will fall into one of these descriptions.
Incidental radiators are specified under Part 15A of the FCC rules and included things like AC motors or basic electrical tools. Unintentional radiators are specified under Part 15B and include many consumer electronic devices. Intentional radiators like wi-fi routers are under Part 15C through F, H. Equipment or devices using a registered frequency or radio service are also categorized separately.
