Worton

March 23, 2020

Accompanied by reform and innovation in the fiber optics field, more and more optical transceivers with various types from different vendors are available in the market. However, there still exists the situation of "dragons and fish jumbled together." How to select high quality and performance modules from the numerous third-party suppliers? Judging by the standard certification initially is a feasible solution. Read this article, to get a close look at the standard certifications of fiber optic transceivers.

The Authentication Certifications of Fiber Optic Transceivers

Fundamentally speaking, standard certifications for modules are designed to make assessments of the modules' availability, quality, security, and environmental protection demands. Several important certifications of optical transceivers will be discussed in the following part.

ISO 9001:2015

ISO 9001 (ISO: International Organization for Standardization) is the only standard in the 9000 series that requires certification, which sets out the criteria for a quality management system. The current version is ISO 9001:2015 published in 2015. This system is valid to a company engaging in development, production and supply service of fiber optical products including optical transceivers. The optical transceivers in conformity with an ISO 9001:2015 certificated quality systems production environment will guarantee the modules are of high-quality.

RoHS

The EU Directive for the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) prohibits the use of certain hazardous materials in the manufacture of various types of electronic and electrical equipment: lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, and four different phthalates. The optical transceivers that fully comply with the RoHS requirements are proven to be environmentally-friendly products, which can reduce the damage to people and the environment during the process of manufacturing the electrical equipment of the modules.

REACH

REACH, short for "Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals," is a regulation of the European Union, addressing to improve the protection of both human health and the environment through the better and earlier identification of the intrinsic properties of chemical substances. Fiber optic transceivers that obey this regulation will reduce the risk of chemical pollution and provide a safe product to the users.

CB

CB is an international system operated by the IECEE, short for IEC System of Conformity Assessment Schemes for Electrotechnical Equipment and Components. The IECEE CB Scheme is designed for mutual acceptance of test reports and certificates dealing with the safety of electrical and electronic components, equipment and products. The modules based on CB standards are qualified as the electrical products with safety performance.

CE

The CE marking is a mandatory European marking for certain product groups to indicate conformity with the essential health and safety requirements set out in European Directives. The optical transceivers that are produced under the requirements of CE indicates the conformity with the essential health and safety.

FCC Compliance

The FCC label or the FCC mark is a certification mark employed on electronic products manufactured or sold in the United States, which certifies that the electromagnetic interference from the device is under limits approved by the Federal Communications Commission. Optical transceivers that 100% accord with the FCC standard have a better ability to manage the radio wave and magnetic fields more reasonably.

FDA

The control and supervision of the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) have covered a wide range of fields including electromagnetic radiation emitting devices (ERED) products. Laser certification is granted by testing the products that contain laser devices. FDA is responsible for regulating radiation-emitting electronic products like fiber optic transceivers. The modules accord with the FDA standard can help to protect the public from hazardous and unnecessary exposure to radiation from electronic products.

RCM

The Regulatory Compliance Mark (RCM) is a trademark owned by the electrical regulator (Regulatory Authorities/RAs) and the Australian Communications Media Authority (ACMA). For electrical safety, in-scope electrical equipment must not be sold unless the item is marked with the RCM in compliance with AS/NZS 4417.1 & 2 and the EESS. The modules that compliant with RCM meet the electrical safety, EMC, EME and telecommunications legislative requirements.

Further Consideration

The flourishing development of optical communications has witnessed the upgrading of the relevant products like fiber optic transceivers. Quality will always be the priority no matter what changes the modules have been gone through. And the quality standard certification will be the best proof to testify that. It's predictable that the certification will be more and more elaborate and strict to defend against the unqualified modules flowing into the market, creating a favorable environment for the users.