Is recertification necessary?

Q: I have a question for you. It can be assumed that my new product contains a certified GSM module and is connected to a PCB antenna I developed. If my device is to receive CE certification, does it need to be fully re-tested? Will my custom PCB antenna cancel the wireless module certification?

Answer about certification and antenna

A: The CE (RED) certification only applies to the radio module and is not transferred to the complete circuit board and enclosure. CE +CE ≠ CE. You will have to test the final configuation, but only a subset of the tests already passed by the GSM module on its own.

With a badly designed antenna with a high Return Loss, harmonics can be generated quickly. Also, even a good chip antenna that is incorrectly integrated, for example with a ground plane that is too small or with a poor layout may also lead to harmonics.

If you don’t have any experience or measurement equipment (Vector Network Analyser), it is difficult to evaluate a self-made PCB antenna. If you are lacking experience then we recommend using an external antenna consultant. A consultation with report often costs only 3 to 4 hours working time and saves thousands of Euros in repeated attempts at radio certification.

Extract of wireless IoT related services from the akorIoT team:

Matching of the antenna in the device (chip, PCB antenna, helical antenna)
Guidance on antenna design if undertaken by the client
Antenna layout of the dual F-antenna on an empty PCB in the customer’s enclosure
Antenna layout of any other custom PCB antenna: Helix antenna, Flex PCB antenna, Antenna punched from tinplate, Antenna printed on plastic in housing, Antenna on ceramic, Slot antennas and many more techniques
Antenna with radio module and power supply for extremely low power consumption
Assisting in the implementation of the antenna or power supply concept in the fully-featured PCB of the customer
Development of the whole PCB including an antenna with software Development by the customer
Development of the whole device (HW + SW) following the client’s specifications
Reference designs with NB-IoT, LTE-M, GSM, GNSS, BLE, Wi-Fi, MCU, sensors, charging electronics for over 20 applications with an open block diagram and the possibility for customers to develop their own code using a free C compiler
Preliminary measurements and tests required for radio certification
Radio certification according to RED (CE), FCC and several more standards
Workshops at the client’s office or via video conference
Training and seminars on radio technology and radio certification