I think you might still be able to make a cost argument, but it gets
much more difficult now for the reason you state, but still most folks are
buying much cheaper systems for home usage. The other item to look at when
making the case for class A is the applications that you are selling with
this thing. If you gut the O/S and have some application that doesn't lend
its self to home users you could be okay. I seem to remember an automatic
meter reading system that was allowed class A, even though used on a mobile
basis in residential neighbor hoods, and I used to work for some folks that
built automating banking equipment that was, for all practical purposes IBM
compatible (the old standard for whether or not it was a computer - glad to
see that has changed). It could have been used for a personal computer as it
ran under MSDOS (okay so I'm old) However, we marketed only in industry
rags, and unless you were a bank or savings company then the loaded
applications were of no interest, and back then the cost was fairly
prohibitive. I even bothered to get a confirmation from the feds before we
started and they had no problems with the classification.
Other than price, I'm not sure that anything has really changed.
But if the PC started out as class B, and you add a card to it, I
don't think your task or cost is all that great in maintaining the class B
performance, and you avoid the hassle of arguing the point. Unless you own
your own lab, then the testing process, cost and time frame are all going to
be the same between class A and B anyway.
The only disadvantage is that most of us have discovered that
because a computer was once class B doesn't mean it stays that way, most
often simply because shipping has loosened up stuff. However, even those
computers that I have seen that did fail class B still met Class A.
Just an opinion
Gary
-----Original Message-----
From: geor...@lexmark.com [mailto:geor...@lexmark.com]
Sent: Friday, February 02, 2001 5:37 AM
To: p...@tennyson.com.au
Cc: wo...@sensormatic.com; emc-p...@majordomo.ieee.org
Subject: RE: FCC for PCs
I recall from my days of managing EMC that the FCC does not allow a
manufacturer to "declare" if an ITE product is Class A or B. They look
at the price, and where the product is advertised and sold as well. If
the product is within the price range consumers are willing to pay,
advertised in consumer publications, and sold through routine consumer
outlets, then it is Class B.
Note that consumers are far more familiar with PCs now, and many are
willing to pay up to $3K or more for a home PC.
George
prao%tennyson.com...@interlock.lexmark.com on 02/01/2001 07:04:50 PM
Please respond to prao%tennyson.com...@interlock.lexmark.com
To: woods%sensormatic....@interlock.lexmark.com,
emc-pstc%majordomo.ieee....@interlock.lexmark.com
cc: (bcc: George Alspaugh/Lex/Lexmark)
Subject: RE: FCC for PCs
You are right, they should be Class B unless they excusively specify that
the PC is not for home use.
You will need them to be Class B to start with and when you load them with
custom option cards there is a high chance that the EMI characteristics will
worsen and you'll at least meet Class A.
Praveen
-----Original Message-----
From: wo...@sensormatic.com [mailto:wo...@sensormatic.com]
Sent: Friday, 2 February 2001 2:08 AM
To: emc-p...@majordomo.ieee.org
Subject: FCC for PCs
We are purchasing a PC loaded with custom option cards from a supplier that
obtains the PC from a third party. The end unit as sold to us and resold by
us is not intended for home use. However, the base PC initially sold by the
third party is sized and priced such that it could potentially be used in
the home. The computer does not display the FCC mark, but is marked
according to Class A requirements.
I am concerned that the computer may not be in compliance with FCC marking
requirements. What are the current rules that would apply in this case?
Richard Woods
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