ANSI C63.4 emissions testing using American national standard methods

ANSI C63.4 EMC Testing Services

ANSI C63.4 (2014) is the primary accredited measurement standard referenced by the FCC for Part 15B unintentional radiator compliance. Compatible Electronics performs ANSI C63.4 radiated and conducted emissions testing at all three California locations with NVLAP accreditation.

NVLAP Accredited FCC Listed Lab ISO/IEC 17025:2017 3 California Locations

What is ANSI C63.4?

ANSI C63.4 — American National Standard for Methods of Measurement of Radio-Noise Emissions from Low-Voltage Electrical and Electronic Equipment in the Range of 9 kHz to 40 GHz — establishes standardized radiated and conducted emissions measurement procedures. The 2014 edition is the current version referenced by the FCC for Part 15B Supplier's Declaration of Conformity. Test results produced per ANSI C63.4 (2014) are accepted by the FCC and by Industry Canada for ICES-003 compliance.

Scope of ANSI C63.4

Device Types Covered

Unintentional radiators — digital devices that generate RF energy incidentally
Computing and peripheral equipment
Consumer electronics and entertainment devices
Industrial control equipment
Switching power supplies and AC adapters
LED lighting systems and drivers
Networking and telecommunications equipment

Testing Details

Radiated Emissions

Radiated Emissions Testing

Frequency range: 30 MHz to 1 GHz standard; extended above 1 GHz for devices with clock frequencies above 108 MHz
Open Area Test Site (OATS) or fully anechoic chamber
3-meter and 10-meter measurement distances
Antenna height scan 1–4 meters
Horizontal and vertical antenna polarization
Quasi-peak and average detector measurements
Equipment under test operated in all representative configurations at maximum emission

Conducted Emissions

Conducted Emissions Testing

Frequency range: 150 kHz to 30 MHz
50 µH/50 Ω LISN (Line Impedance Stabilization Network) method
Both line and neutral conductors measured
Quasi-peak and average detector limits
DC power port conducted emissions measured where applicable

Related Standards

USA

ANSI C63.4 (2014)

Primary accredited version for FCC Part 15B. Accredited at Lake Forest/Silverado, Brea, and Newbury Park.

Canada

ICES-003 Issue 7 (Oct 2020)

Industry Canada ITE standard; uses ANSI C63.4 measurement methodology. Accredited at all three locations.

EU / CE

EN 55032 (2015)+A11(2020)

Electromagnetic compatibility of multimedia equipment; EU equivalent for CE marking. Accredited at all three locations.

Legacy

EN 55022 (2010)

Previous EU ITE emissions standard (superseded by EN 55032). Accredited at Lake Forest/Silverado and Newbury Park for legacy product testing.

Products We Test

Computing & Peripherals

Computers, workstations, laptops, and tablets
Monitors and display equipment
Printers, scanners, and office peripherals

Networking & Power

Networking switches, routers, and access points
External switching power supplies and AC adapters
LED lighting drivers and luminaires

Industrial & Consumer

Industrial PLCs and control systems
Consumer electronics — TVs, set-top boxes, media players
IoT hubs and gateways with digital processing

Real-World Testing Examples

Enterprise Network Switch — Class A Radiated + Conducted

A networking manufacturer required FCC Part 15B compliance for a data center switch. Compatible Electronics performed ANSI C63.4 (2014) radiated emissions testing from 30 MHz to 6 GHz (clock harmonics required extended frequency range) and conducted emissions on the 208 V AC power input. Multiple configurations were tested including various port utilization levels and cable lengths. Class A limits were confirmed across all test configurations, with the accredited test report supporting the Supplier's Declaration of Conformity.

Consumer Media Player — Class B Residential

A consumer electronics company needed Class B Part 15B compliance for a 4K streaming media player for residential use. ANSI C63.4 radiated emissions testing at 3 meters required careful cable configuration management, as HDMI and USB cables acted as unintentional antennas. Pre-compliance testing identified a radiated emission peak at 216 MHz from the video processor clock harmonic. A common-mode ferrite on the HDMI cable resolved the issue before final testing.

LED Driver — Combined FCC + ICES-003 + EN 55032

A lighting manufacturer needed simultaneous FCC Part 15B, ICES-003 Issue 7, and EN 55032 compliance for an LED driver module used in commercial luminaires sold across North America and Europe. Compatible Electronics performed ANSI C63.4 measurements satisfying FCC and ICES-003 requirements and EN 55032 measurements for the EU market from a single test session, delivering combined test reports covering three regulatory requirements without duplicating the measurement effort.