View all text of Subpart B [§ 15.101 - § 15.123]

§ 15.101 - Equipment authorization of unintentional radiators.

(a) Except as otherwise exempted in §§ 15.23, 15.103, and 15.113, unintentional radiators shall be authorized prior to the initiation of marketing, pursuant to the procedures for certification or Supplier's Declaration of Conformity (SDoC) given in subpart J of part 2 of this chapter, as follows:

Table 1 to Paragraph (a)

Type of device Equipment authorization
required
TV Broadcast ReceiverSDoC or Certification. FM Broadcast ReceiverSDoC or Certification. CB ReceiverSDoC or Certification. Superregenerative ReceiverSDoC or Certification. Scanning ReceiverCertification. Radar DetectorCertification. All other receivers subject to Part 15SDoC or Certification. TV Interface DeviceSDoC or Certification. Cable System Terminal DeviceSDoC or Certification. Stand-alone Cable input selector switchSDoC or Certification. Class B personal computers and peripheralsSDoC or Certification. CPU boards and internal power supplies used with Class B personal computersSDoC or Certification. Class B personal computers assembled using authorized CPU boards or power suppliesSDoC or Certification. Class B external switching power suppliesSDoC or Certification. Other Class B digital devices & peripheralsSDoC or Certification. Class A digital devices, peripherals & external switching power suppliesSDoC or Certification. Access Broadband over Power Line (Access BPL)Certification. All other devicesSDoC or Certification.

(b) Only those receivers that operate (tune) within the frequency range of 30-960 MHz, CB receivers and radar detectors are subject to the authorizations shown in paragraph (a) of this section. Receivers operating above 960 MHz or below 30 MHz, except for radar detectors and CB receivers, are exempt from complying with the technical provisions of this part but are subject to § 15.5.

(c) Personal computers shall be authorized in accordance with one of the following methods:

(1) The specific combination of CPU board, power supply and enclosure is tested together and authorized under Supplier's Declaration of Conformity or a grant of certification;

(2) The personal computer is authorized under Supplier's Declaration of Conformity or a grant of certification, and the CPU board or power supply in that computer is replaced with a CPU board or power supply that has been separately authorized under Supplier's Declaration of Conformity or a grant of certification; or

(3) The CPU board and power supply used in the assembly of a personal computer have been separately authorized under Supplier's Declaration of Conformity or a grant of certification; and

(4) Personal computers assembled using either of the methods specified in paragraphs (c)(2) or (c)(3) of this section must, by themselves, also be authorized under Supplier's Declaration of Conformity if they are marketed. However, additional testing is not required for this Supplier's Declaration of Conformity, provided the procedures in § 15.102(b) are followed.

(d) Peripheral devices, as defined in § 15.3(r), shall be authorized under Supplier's Declaration of Conformity, or a grant of certification, as appropriate, prior to marketing. Regardless of the provisions of paragraphs (a) or (c) of this section, if a CPU board, power supply, or peripheral device will always be marketed with a specific personal computer, it is not necessary to obtain a separate authorization for that product provided the specific combination of personal computer, peripheral device, CPU board and power supply has been authorized under Supplier's Declaration of Conformity or a grant of certification as a personal computer.

(1) No authorization is required for a peripheral device or a subassembly that is sold to an equipment manufacturer for further fabrication; that manufacturer is responsible for obtaining the necessary authorization prior to further marketing to a vendor or to a user.

(2) Power supplies and CPU boards that have not been separately authorized and are designed for use with personal computers may be imported and marketed only to a personal computer equipment manufacturer that has indicated, in writing, to the seller or importer that they will obtain Supplier's Declaration of Conformity or a grant of certification for the personal computer employing these components.

(e) Subassemblies to digital devices are not subject to the technical standards in this part unless they are marketed as part of a system in which case the resulting system must comply with the applicable regulations. Subassemblies include:

(1) Devices that are enclosed solely within the enclosure housing the digital device, except for: Power supplies used in personal computers; devices included under the definition of a peripheral device in § 15.3(r); and personal computer CPU boards, as defined in § 15.3(bb);

(2) CPU boards, as defined in § 15.3(bb), other than those used in personal computers, that are marketed without an enclosure or power supply; and

(3) Switching power supplies that are separately marketed and are solely for use internal to a device other than a personal computer.

[82 FR 50832, Nov. 2, 2017]