Born from the combination of sensors and network communication of digital devices, the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to establish itself as the paradigm that redefines the technological and productive ecosystems of information technology. These are electronic devices connected to the Internet for the substantial purpose of collecting and transferring information, automating functions and allowing improved monitoring and control.
Smart devices based on standard communication protocols, suitable for considerably vast application sectors. It ranges from Massive IoT to Mission Critical IoT, in relation to the communication capacity of the applications, their reliability, latency, and the number of connected devices, investing in the sectors of logistics, factory automation, automotive, but also security and medicine.
AREAS AND TECHNOLOGIES
The application areas of IoT are countless and can be represented as all those contexts in which it is necessary to process information and generate processes to implement the quality of life, as well as the production quality, of end users and companies.
As is known, the Internet of Things benefits from production developments in the electronics and wireless communication sectors, boosting the information retrieval and communication capabilities of household appliances, surveillance and security systems, wearable and healthcare devices, home automation and robotics-related devices, but also transportation, farming, self-driving cars and much more.
Key technologies underlying the Internet of Things, computational platforms, such as the well-known Arduino and Raspberry, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth networks, integrated with Edge Computing, decentralized IT architectures, to address problems of latency, reliability and data processing.
The marketing of these devices, clearly subject to the CE certification of the products themselves, continues to benefit from solid growth. According to current estimates, in 2015 the IoT presence on the market stood at 18 billion connected devices; devices that according to forecasts will reach the number of approximately 50 billion in 2020.
How to obtain the CE mark on IOT devices
There CE certification it is an essential element for the marketing of IoT products on the European market, guaranteeing the consumer the conformity of the product itself with all the provisions of the European Community. The obligations regarding CE certification, as regulated by the decision of the European Parliament and of the Council n. 768/2008/EC, fall on the various economic operators involved, be they manufacturer, authorized representative, importer or distributor.
Among the main obligations are that of drawing up, or having drawn up by a competent laboratory such as Sicom Testing, the product conformity assessment procedure, the EU declaration of conformity, preparing a technical file for the CE marking. The technical file in question, documentary proof of the object's compliance with the current directives, must be kept for ten years. Furthermore, essential obligations for the CE certification of products are the affixing of the CE marking (which must be visible, legible and indelible) as well as the prompt implementation of corrective actions in the event of non-compliance.
To draft the EU declaration of conformity and obtain CE certification of the products, IoT devices must be subjected to tests and evaluation trials that affirm their compliance with the current directives. Among the relevant evaluations, and carried out by Sicom Testing, are:
- Conformity tests during the certification process and pre-testing at the product design stage; tests for production control throughout the life of the product itself;
Tests for electromagnetic compatibility certification, to verify the performance of the product and its immunity to external disturbances; - Radio tests to certify the full communication functionality of devices integrating Wi-Fi and Bluetooth;
- Human exposure and SAR tests, to verify the “Specific Absorption Rate” for devices used in proximity to the ear and body, particularly necessary for wireless devices and “wearable devices”;
- Electrical safety tests, to verify the conformity of electrical and electronic IoT equipment to the essential requirements of the LVD directive;
- Testing of small and large household and industrial appliances: testing activities on household appliances that include the integration of radio technologies, a key element of the IoT.
To request further information on this topic, write to info@sicomtesting.com
or call +39 0481 778931.
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Good evening, I am designing an edge computing system, all the hardware components are CE certified, do I still have to certify the entire system or can I consider myself "certified" given the documentation of the assembled material?
Good morning,
Compliance with the applicable directives must be verified on the finished product, so that it can be marketed on the European market.
Depending on the type of product, different directives are applied. For example, the EMC and Low Voltage directives apply to electrical and electronic devices connected to the electricity grid. If they also have radio functionality, they fall under the radio directive which also includes the requirements of the previous ones.
The product must be tested according to suitable harmonized standards, to demonstrate compliance with the requirements of the applicable directives.
The product documentation and reports of the tests carried out must be collected in a technical file.
The product declaration of conformity must be prepared and signed by the manufacturer.
Sicom Testing can carry out the tests for you and prepare the technical file and the declaration of conformity.
Best regards
Sicom Test
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