Determining Antenna Separation Requirements for Co-Located Transmitters
Minimum antenna separation depends on transmitter power, receiver blocking thresholds, intermodulation mixing products, and regulatory simultaneous exposure ratios.
Modular Approval Host Integration
Meaning
Pre-certified radio transmitters can be embedded into finished electronic systems without undergoing full regulatory re-testing for the radio module itself. The process of modular approval host integration defines the rules and steps that the host manufacturer must follow to maintain the validity of the module’s certification. This integration requires careful adherence to antenna placement and shielding guidelines specified by the original module manufacturer.
Regulatory Compliance
Regulatory agencies mandate that the host system does not alter the radio characteristics of the pre-certified module. When a developer undertakes modular approval host integration, they must ensure the antenna gain does not exceed the certified limit and that the radio traces on the host board match the reference design. If the trace layout deviates from these specifications, the host manufacturer must perform a permissive change or undergo a full system certification.
Physical Implementation
Thermal dissipation and electrical noise from the host motherboard can affect the transmitter performance. Spurious emissions must be checked to ensure that the host does not cause the transmitter to exceed regulatory radiation limits. This testing is much less intensive than a full transmitter certification, saving significant development costs.
Test Requirement
Failing to document the integration steps correctly can invalidate the FCC or CE approval of the entire device. The host product manual must display the correct modular transmitter identification numbers. This step completes the compliance loop.