Standards

ACA Standards for Radiocommunications:
Recent Updates

Andrew Cutler

Rationalization of the Australian requirements for radio transmitting devices brings clarity but also demands more for some approvals.

Illustration by TAISHA PAYTON

The Australian Communications Authority (ACA), on September 1, 2004, updated a number of its radiocommunications standards. The changes have introduced a new approach to the regulation of various radio transmitters.

The standards issued in new editions with requirements that have been updated are:

• Radiocommunications (Short Range Devices) Standard 2004, which revokes standards AS 4268.1 and AS 4268.2 and replaces them with AS/NZS 4268:2003.

• Radiocommunications (VHF Radiotelephone Equipment—Maritime Mobile Service) Standard 2004, which revokes AS/NZS 4415 and replaces it with AS/NZS 4415.1:2003 and AS/NZS 4415.2:2003.

• Radiocommunications (UHF CB Radio Equipment) Standard 2004, which revokes AS/NZS 4365:1996 and replaces it with AS/NZS 4365:2002.

Since September 1, 2004, all new radio transmitting products marketed in Australia have had to satisfy these new standards.

New Requirements

Products previously approved to the old standards that are still being sold need to be checked to determine whether they conform to the new standards. For example, the updated VHF marine standard has introduced new channel frequency allocations.

Radio products being sold in Australia now need to be kept up-to-date with the current standard in a manner similar to that in effect in Europe. As technology advances, radio equipment at the leading edge will be in step with the latest version of the applicable standard.

Most of the changes that have been made are minor, however. For example:

• Marine VHF channels 87 and 88 have reverted from duplex to simplex channels.

• Two new marine VHF channels, AIS1 and AIS2, have been introduced for use in automatic ship identification and surveillance systems.

• The new Short Range Devices standard introduces testing at high and low temperatures, along with requirements for devices that operate in the 433–434 MHz band.

• The new UHF CB Radio standard introduces telecontrol and telemetry requirements for channels 22 and 23, and also tone-calling requirements that are not detailed in AS/NZS 4365:2002.

The UHF CB Radio standard does allow equipment previously approved to the old UHF CB Radio standard to continue to be sold, provided that it continues to comply with the earlier standard.

Another change included in these radiocommunications standards is that new standards are automatically adopted within one year of an amendment to or the printing of a new version of a standard by Standards New Zealand and Standards Australia. In the past, the adoption of an amendment or a new version could be achieved only after a new radiocommunications standard was printed, which often led to long lags between the standards-setting process and the legislative process.

Radio Device Testing

The Radiocommunications Device (Compliance Labelling) Notice 2003 also has been updated. The content of this document has been modified to more closely align the New Zealand and Australian radio frameworks.

One specific change involves the application of measurement uncertainties relating to radio testing, which had been open to interpretation. ACA now states, in this document, that when a radio device is tested to a radiocommunications standard, it must meet the limit less the uncertainty. This requirement does not apply to radiated measurements and it does not apply to electromagnetic compatibility measurements.

As an example, if the power limit in the standard is 10 dBm and the measurement uncertainty is 2.0 dB, then, to comply, the measured power from the device must not exceed 8 dBm.

Spread Spectrum

On December 10, 2004, the Radiocommunications (Data Transmission Equipment Using Spread Spectrum Modulation Techniques) Standard 2003 was mandated. From that date, the old Spread Spectrum Class License was revoked and this new radiocommunications standard became mandatory. The new standard calls up AS/NZS 4771:2000.

In order to apply this reference standard successfully, the manufacturer needs to read the annexes, amendments to the standard, and the radiocommunications standard all together and apply them collectively. Data transmission devices need to meet compliance level 2.

U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Part 15 test reports are acceptable, but there is a big condition: they must show compliance with the Australian requirements. Several differences between the FCC and Australian requirements need to be considered.

The United States allows operation over the range of 902–928 MHz. Australia allows only operation between 915 and 928 MHz.

Frequency-hopping devices in Australia require a minimum of 50 channels between 915 and 928 MHz. This means a channel bandwidth of only 250 kHz. The FCC requirement is for a minimum of 50 channels between 902 and 928 MHz. Typically, FCC devices use either 250- or 500-kHz channel spacing. A 500-kHz-channel-spacing device could not be approved in Australia as it would provide only 26 channels at most between 915 and 928 MHz.

Not all FCC-approved spread-spectrum devices can be approved for use in Australia. Having an approved FCC device and a test report is not enough. A technical check of the documentation and the device is required to ensure compliance with the new standard. FCC-approved devices have to be able to demonstrate compliance with this radiocommunications standard under compliance level 2.

Compliance folders containing declarations of conformity, product descriptions, and appropriate test data have to be assembled before the device can be C-ticked and released onto the market.

Efforts are currently being made to transfer the requirements for spread-spectrum devices from AS/NZS 4771 to AS/NZS 4268, the standard for short-range devices.

ACA has also released a discussion document that will revoke the Spread Spectrum Devices Class License 2002 and merge the requirements of this class license into the Short Range Devices Class License 2000. A draft amendment to AS/NZS 4268:2003 has been released, with comments having closed June 16, 2005.

The new amendment will change a number of things, including the expansion of the 2.4 GHz band for general products from 2400–2463 MHz to 2400–2483.5 MHz. It will introduce a technical requirement for indoor radio local-area networks operating in the bands of 5150–5250 MHz, 5230–5350 MHz, and 5470–5725 MHz, which is dynamic frequency selection (DFS). DFS has been a European requirement for several years.

Testing for this requirement will be mandatory from early 2006. It has been introduced to enable these devices to operate in the presence of high-powered military radar that also operate in these bands. Testing will be to EN 301 893 or FCC Part 15.

Declaration of Conformity

With all radio transmitting devices, an aspect that can often be overlooked is a declaration of conformity relating to the electromagnetic radiation (EMR) from the transmitter. This commonly can be produced following a simple evaluation of the device based upon the transmitter power. However, for devices that are held close to the body, the only way of determining whether the transmitter meets the EMR requirements is to take near-field measurements that are known as specific absorption rate measurements.

Conclusion

Although the rationalization of the Australian requirements for radio transmitting devices brings some clarity to manufacturers, it also demands more to attain certain approvals.

ACA has updated a number of its radiocommunications standards. The changes have introduced a new approach to the regulation of various radio transmitters. Radio products being sold in Australia must be kept up-to-date with the current standard, in a manner similar to that in effect in Europe.

Andrew Cutler is the general manager of EMC Technologies NZ Ltd. (Auckland, New Zealand), one of a group of EMC Technologies companies that provide accredited testing of radio products. He can be reached at aucklab@ihug.co.nz.