docs/11-certification.md
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# PoppyUp — Certification Plan **Phase 1 deliverable #11.** **Baseline: ADR v0.3 (2026-09-27).** Covers regulatory (US, Canada, EU, UK), battery, product safety, ruggedness verification, and industry logo/trademark programs. Cellular industry / carrier certification and eSIM are **out of scope since ADR v0.2 and confirmed final in v0.3 (D1)** (no built-in modem — see §5). Radio and battery parameters per `00-architecture-decisions.md` (ADR); antenna choices per `07-rf-antenna.md`; schedule anchors per `13-roadmap.md`. v0.3 changes: magnesium chassis (coating in the RoHS/REACH line, drop/IP samples in §8), Base certified first with the Pro USB4 / Port C PD-sink population as a later addendum (§1a, D7), thermal safety rule referenced in §7. Cost figures are lab-quote budgetary ranges (USD, 2026) for a device of this class with one Wi-Fi/BT module, one BLE SoC and a 72 Wh pack. Durations are elapsed lab time once samples and documentation are complete; queue time at busy labs adds 2–6 weeks and is included in the Gantt. ## Design principles that keep certification tractable 1. **Every intentional radiator is a pre-certified module** (MT7925 M.2 module, nRF5340 with a reference-design antenna) so the end product leans on modular grants.2. **Stay within the module grants**: antenna gains at or below those listed in each module's FCC/ISED grant; antenna types of the same category (flex/LDS dipole/monopole class). Exceeding gain or changing antenna type forces a Class II permissive change (C2PC) on the module grant, or a new grant under our own FCC ID.3. **No cellular at all** (ADR v0.2) — removes Parts 22/24/27/90, PTCRB, GCF, carrier programs, GSMA TAC, cellular SAR and EN 301 908 from scope; mmWave is moot. The tethered phone or USB adapter carries its own certification.4. **Single radio configuration across SKUs** — Base and Pro have identical radios and antennas, so one set of radio filings covers both; the USB4 port, Port C PD sink and NVMe are covered by the unintentional-radiator and safety tests only. **Base is certified first (D7):** the Pro population (ASM2464PD USB4 path + Port C PD sink) is a later population variant handled as an addendum (§1a), so Port C never gates Base launch.5. **Pack under 100 Wh** (72 Wh) — passenger-carry-on without airline approval; still needs UN 38.3.6. **Pre-compliance at EVT** — radiated emissions, conducted PD-port emissions and antenna efficiency measured on EVT hardware so DVT is the certification build, not a discovery build.7. **We assume SAR testing is still required for Wi-Fi** under the portable classification and budget for it (see US §SAR) — but the scope is Wi-Fi bands only, with no cellular bands and no cellular simultaneous-TX summation. --- ## 1. United States — FCC | Item | Rule / standard | What is tested | Prerequisites | Cost | Duration | Build ||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|| Unintentional radiator | 47 CFR Part 15 Subpart B (Class B, via SDoC) | Radiated and AC-line conducted emissions with all digital I/O active on the **Base population**: CFe B at Gen3, 5GbE link, all card slots, Port A gadget, Port B host, display. (Pro population — USB4 active on Port C, Port C PD sink, NVMe — is a later SDoC addendum, §1a) | Final PCB stack-up, final enclosure/gaskets (magnesium chassis, EMI gasket on masked conversion-coated lands) | $6–10 k | 1–2 wk | DVT || Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz / BLE | Part 15.247 (DTS) | Normally covered by the MT7925 module grant and the nRF5340 reference design. Host verification: antenna gain ≤ grant, co-location assessment | Module grant letters, antenna datasheets | $3–6 k if within grant; $15–25 k for a C2PC with our antennas; $25–40 k for a new grant | 2–4 wk | DVT || Wi-Fi 5 GHz U-NII | Part 15.407 (incl. DFS for U-NII-2A/2C as client-with-radar-detection is not needed — client-only DFS behaviour verified) | Same modular logic; our AP mode must not operate in DFS bands (firmware restriction: AP on 2.4 GHz and U-NII-1/3 only) | Firmware restriction documented | included above | | DVT || Wi-Fi 6 GHz | Part 15 Subpart E (U-NII-5..8), Low Power Indoor client / standard-power with AFC not used | Module grant covers LPI client; AP on 6 GHz must be LPI or disabled | Firmware restriction | included | | DVT || RF exposure — SAR | KDB 447498 (general), KDB 248227 (Wi-Fi), KDB 616217 (laptop/tablet analogies), KDB 690783 (simultaneous TX) | SAR on the Wi-Fi bands (2.4 / 5 / 6 GHz) with body-worn/hand positions at 0 mm/10 mm as applicable; simultaneous-TX assessment Wi-Fi + BLE only (BLE is below the exclusion threshold, so this is a paper exercise) | Final enclosure, final antennas, conducted-power tables from the MT7925 module + measured antenna efficiency | $12–20 k | 2–3 wk | DVT (final antennas) || RF exposure — MPE alternative | KDB 447498 | Applies only if the device is classified "mobile" (≥ 20 cm from body in normal use). A handheld/bag device that a user picks up while transmitting does not qualify; **we assume portable classification and SAR testing** | — | — | — | — || Labeling | 47 CFR 2.925, 15.19; e-label per 2.935 allowed | FCC IDs of the modules ("Contains FCC ID: …") plus our own if we hold a grant; e-label on the OLED plus a physical label on the bottom face / under the battery door | — | — | — | PVT | **SAR exclusion consideration.** KDB 447498 allows a numeric SAR test exclusion when (max power [mW] / min test separation [mm]) × √f[GHz] ≤ 3.0 at ≤ 50 mm separation. With Wi-Fi at ~18–20 dBm (63–100 mW) at 0–10 mm the result is ≈ 10–15 at 2.4 GHz and higher at 5/6 GHz, so the exclusion is not met for Wi-Fi; only the BLE radio (≈ 4 dBm) qualifies. Budget Wi-Fi SAR as mandatory — but it is a small campaign (three bands, one module, no cellular summation) compared with v0.1. **Class II permissive change vs staying within grant.** The MT7925 module grants are typically written for laptop dipole antennas at ≈ 5 dBi; our tri-band flex (1–4 dBi) is the same antenna class and below that gain, so a C2PC is unlikely but budgeted as contingency. ### 1a. Pro SKU USB4 population variant — addendum, not a gate (D7) The Base SKU is certified first and is fully shippable without Port C. The Pro population — ASM2464PD USB4 bridge on Port C, the third TPS25750 PD-sink controller and TPS2121-class VBUS priority mux (Port C as a power input), and the 1 TB NVMe — changes no radio, antenna or firmware power table, so it is handled as follows: | Item | Instrument | Scope | Cost (verify) | When ||---|---|---|---|---|| FCC 15B / ICES-003 | SDoC addendum (new test report for the Pro population; same responsible party) | Radiated emissions with USB4 40 Gbps active on Port C and NVMe active — the most likely 15B failure mode (§12 item 8) | $4–7 k | Pro track, after Base DVT-1 report || CE RED / EMC | Technical-file update (EN 301 489-1/-17 and EN 55032 re-run on the Pro population; no change to the Art. 3.2 host assessment) | Emissions with Port C active; PD-sink immunity (surge/EFT on the additional power input) | $3–5 k | Pro track || Safety | EN IEC 62368-1 / UL 62368-1 **variation** — Port C PD sink is an additional external power input (5–20 V, ≤ 3.25 A, ≤ 65 W) OR-ed into the BQ25792 input | Abnormal operating and fault tests on the second power input; the priority mux (break-before-make, Port A priority) is the safety-relevant part | $1–3 k (CE) + NRTL variation notice | Pro track || Total | | | **≈ $8–15 k (verify with the chosen lab)** | Does not gate Base launch | Rule (ADR §10, `13-roadmap.md` §2.7): a slip on the Port C path moves the **Pro** launch date, never the Base date. Base FCC/ISED/CE testing is run on the Base population (Port C receptacle fitted and blanked, ASM2464PD and Port C PD parts depopulated); the Pro addendum is filed when the Pro FCT fixture and Pro firmware feature flag are released. ## 2. Canada — ISED | Item | Standard | Notes | Cost | Duration ||---|---|---|---|---|| Digital device | ICES-003 Issue 7, Class B | Same test data as FCC 15B | $1–2 k (report) | with FCC || Wi-Fi/BLE | RSS-Gen, RSS-247 | Modular certification of modules; host integration statement; 6 GHz per RSS-248 | $2–4 k | with FCC || RF exposure | RSS-102 Issue 5 | Accepts FCC SAR data with Canadian reporting (limits harmonised at 1.6 W/kg 1 g) | $3–5 k | with SAR || Labeling | IC: ID, "Contains IC: …", CAN ICES-003(B)/NMB-003(B) | | — | — | ISED filings ride on the FCC test campaign; plan them together at one lab. ## 3. European Union — CE | Directive / regulation | Standards | What is tested | Cost | Duration | Build ||---|---|---|---|---|---|| RED 2014/53/EU Art. 3.2 (spectrum) | EN 300 328 (2.4 GHz), EN 301 893 (5 GHz), EN 303 687 (6 GHz LPI), EN 300 440 if any SRD | Radio parameters are covered by module test reports; the end product needs a host assessment and radiated spurious measurement in the final enclosure | $10–16 k | 3–4 wk | DVT || RED Art. 3.1(b) (EMC) | EN 301 489-1, -17 (broadband); -19 (GNSS) not applicable — no GNSS | Emissions and immunity (ESD, radiated immunity, surge on Ethernet, EFT) with radios transmitting | $8–12 k | 2–3 wk | DVT || RED Art. 3.1(a) (safety & health) | EN IEC 62368-1:2020+A11 (safety), EN 62311 / EN 50566 / EN 50663 (RF exposure, SAR limits 2.0 W/kg 10 g) | Safety of the battery-powered ICT device incl. PD input and Li-ion pack; Wi-Fi SAR at EU limits (reuses the FCC measurements with 10 g averaging) | Safety $12–20 k; SAR $4–6 k incremental | 4–6 wk | DVT || RED Art. 3.3(d)/(e)/(f) cybersecurity (Delegated Reg. 2022/30, applicable from Aug 2025) | EN 18031-1/-2/-3 | Network protection, personal-data protection, fraud protection for internet-connected radio equipment — **applies to us** (the device is internet-connected via Wi-Fi regardless of the missing modem); secure boot, update mechanism, credential storage, default passwords, logging | $15–30 k (assessment, can be self-declared against harmonised standards if fully compliant) | 4–8 wk | DVT firmware || Common charger (Directive 2022/2380) | USB-C PD requirements | USB-C PD charging with the standardised pictogram/label; we comply by design | $0–2 k | — | — || RoHS 2011/65/EU, REACH, WEEE, POPs | Material declarations | Supplier declarations, XRF spot check. **Magnesium chassis coating (D4):** the conversion coat must be chromate-free — Cr(VI) is RoHS-restricted — i.e. Gardobond X 4707 / Alodine 5200 class as specified in ADR §8; PEO (Keronite/Tagnite class) is also Cr(VI)-free and acceptable; the powder/e-coat top coat needs a REACH SVHC declaration; zinc-nickel fastener plating is RoHS-compliant (no hexavalent passivation) | $2–4 k | — | PVT || Battery Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 | Labeling, carbon footprint (later), removability rules for portable batteries (Art. 11, from Feb 2027) | **Design impact:** the pack must be removable/replaceable by the end user or an independent professional with commonly available tools, unless an exemption for IP-rated professional devices applies. Our pack is behind a screw-down service door — design it so replacement does not require destroying gaskets, and document it | $3–5 k (documentation) | — | DVT || CE marking / DoC | Notified Body involvement optional if harmonised standards fully applied | Technical file, EU Declaration of Conformity, EU authorised representative | $2–5 k | — | PVT | ## 4. United Kingdom — UKCA Same technical basis as CE (UK Radio Equipment Regulations 2017, designated standards mirror EN). Reuse CE reports; add UK Declaration of Conformity and UK responsible person. Cost $2–4 k. CE marking remains accepted in GB under the indefinite extension for most product categories, but UKCA is still needed for full coverage (verify current status at PVT). ## 5. No cellular certification (v0.2) ADR v0.2 (`00-architecture-decisions.md` §14) removed the Quectel RM520N-GL modem, its M.2 Key-B slot, the nano-SIM tray, the MFF2 eUICC and the four cellular antennas. Consequently the following v0.1 scope items are **deleted entirely**, not deferred: | Removed item | v0.1 cost | v0.1 duration | Why it no longer applies ||---|---|---|---|| GSMA TAC / IMEI allocation | $2–6 k | 2–4 wk | PoppyUp has no cellular transceiver, so it has no IMEI and needs no TAC || PTCRB end-device certification | $20–40 k | 6–10 wk | No North American GSM/LTE/NR radio in the device || GCF | $10–20 k | 4–8 wk | No cellular radio || AT&T / Verizon ODI / T-Mobile / Canadian and EU operator programs | $35–85 k | up to 12–20 wk (Verizon ODI, serial with the FCC grant) | The device never attaches to a cellular network in its own name || FCC Parts 22/24/27/90 host integration, cellular SAR bands, ISED cellular RSS, EN 301 908, EN 301 489-52 | $20–35 k | in the FCC/CE campaigns | Removed from the FCC/ISED/CE tables above || eSIM (SGP.22 LPA, optional SGP.23 device compliance) | $0–20 k | firmware | No eUICC in the device | **Who carries the cellular certification now.** In the tethered-uplink mode (ADR §4.3, §5) the cellular radio is the user's iPhone/Android phone or an off-the-shelf USB LTE/5G adapter attached to Port B. That device carries its own FCC/ISED/CE grants, PTCRB/GCF certificate and carrier approvals, and its own IMEI and data plan. PoppyUp is a USB host and a network client of that device — the same regulatory position as a laptop tethered to a phone — so it needs no GSMA TAC/IMEI, no PTCRB/GCF, no carrier program and no cellular SAR evaluation. Port B supplying 5 V/3 A to the phone or adapter is covered by the safety (62368-1) and unintentional-radiator (15B / ICES-003 / EN 301 489-1) testing already in scope. **Cellular is not planned for any SKU (D1, confirmed final; ADR §13 item 12 closed).** No M.2 Key-B slot, SIM aperture or antenna window is carried in the hardware, so none of the v0.1 cellular scope above can re-enter this plan without a new product. ## 6. Battery | Item | Standard | What is tested | Cost | Duration | Build ||---|---|---|---|---|---|| Cells | UN 38.3 (T1–T8) | Already done by Samsung/LG/Molicel; obtain their test summaries | $0 (docs) | — | — || Pack (2S2P, 72 Wh) | UN 38.3 T1–T8 (altitude, thermal, vibration, shock, external short, impact/crush at cell level, overcharge, forced discharge) | Our assembled pack with BMS; needed for any air shipment incl. samples; ≥ 10 packs + cells consumed | $6–10 k | 6–8 wk | EVT-pack design frozen, tested on DVT packs || Pack safety | IEC 62133-2:2017+A1 (required for CE 62368 battery clause and most retailers) | Electrical, mechanical and environmental abuse of the pack | $10–15 k | 6–8 wk | DVT || Pack (US market) | UL 2054 or UL 62133-2 (optional, buyer-driven), UL 1642 on cells (vendors have it) | Similar abuse tests under UL follow-up service | $12–20 k if pursued | 8–10 wk | DVT || Transport docs | UN 38.3 test summary, SDS, packaging per PI 965/966/967 (UN3480/UN3481) | Lithium-ion contained in equipment (UN3481) ≤ 100 Wh → PI 967 Section II simplified rules | $1–2 k | — | PVT || Airline carry-on | IATA DGR 2.3.5.9: ≤ 100 Wh in carry-on without approval | 72 Wh nominal — mark Wh on the label | — | — | — || EU Battery Regulation | see §3 | | | | | ## 7. Product safety | Item | Standard | Notes | Cost | Duration ||---|---|---|---|---|| Safety (EU, mandatory under RED) | EN IEC 62368-1 | see §3 | included above | || Safety (US/Canada, voluntary but expected) | UL 62368-1 / CSA C22.2 No. 62368-1 via a NRTL (UL, Intertek ETL, TÜV) | Retailers (B&H, Adorama) and enterprise/broadcaster procurement expect an NRTL mark on a Li-ion device; do at DVT-PVT | $15–30 k + annual follow-up ~$4 k | 8–12 wk || Touch temperature | IEC 62368-1 Table 38 (metal handheld 48 °C, plastic 60 °C) | Drives the ADR thermal throttle limits (48/55 °C on the magnesium skin / plastic); the firmware **thermal safety rule** (52 °C skin / 60 °C internal air → checkpoint, standby, auto-resume; ADR §3.5, D2) and the 48 °C mechanical thermal switch are the abnormal-condition evidence for the safety file | included | | ## 8. Environmental and ruggedness verification (design validation, not certification — marketing claims must be backed by test reports) **Sample material (D4).** DVT samples are magnesium: machined AZ31B if the hard tool is not yet cut, or T0 / thixomolded AZ91D shots from the soft tool. Machined AZ31B (wrought, ~15 % elongation) is markedly more ductile than die-cast AZ91D (~3 % elongation, porosity-dependent), so **drop results on machined AZ31B do not transfer to production castings** — corners and boss roots that survive on AZ31B can crack on AZ91D. The PVT drop and IP re-test on production AZ91D castings, already planned, is therefore **mandatory, not a spot check**, and it is a launch-gate item in §11. Thermal and IP results transfer with the corrections in `06-thermal.md` §3 and `13-roadmap.md` §2–3. | Test | Standard | Parameters | Samples | Cost | Duration | Build ||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|| Transit drop | MIL-STD-810H Method 516.8 Procedure IV | 1.22 m onto 5 cm plywood over concrete (standard) — **we exceed this by dropping onto bare concrete**, 26 drops: 6 faces, 12 edges, 8 corners; up to 5 samples may be used; functional after each drop; shutter closed and open cases. DVT on machined AZ31B or T0 AZ91D magnesium; **PVT repeat on production AZ91D die-castings mandatory** (ductility differs, see above) | 5 (DVT) + 3 (PVT) | $6–10 k | 1–2 wk | DVT, **again at PVT (mandatory)** || Vibration | Method 514.8 Proc. I, Category 4 (common carrier) and Category 24 (minimum integrity) | 3 axes, 1 h/axis | 2 | $4–6 k | 1 wk | DVT || High/low temperature | Methods 501.7 / 502.7 (storage and operation) | −20 °C to +50 °C operating with throttling behaviour logged; −30 to +60 storage | 2 | $3–5 k | 1 wk | DVT || Humidity | Method 507.6 | 95 % RH cycling | 2 | $3–5 k | 2 wk | DVT || Ingress | IEC 60529 | IP5X (dust, category 2) and IPX4 (splash, oscillating tube or spray nozzle) with shutter and doors closed; PVT repeat on production castings (coated parting lines and gasket lands differ from machined parts) | 3 | $3–5 k | 1 wk | DVT, **PVT (mandatory)** || Sand/dust & salt fog (optional claims) | Methods 510.7, 509.7 | If we want a "marine/desert" claim later. Not to be confused with the **engineering coupon test** on the magnesium coating stack (500 h neutral salt fog per ASTM B117 on conversion-coated + powder-coated AZ91D coupons with fasteners and EMI-gasket lands, ADR §8, D4) which runs at EVT in the ME budget (`13-roadmap.md` §2.3); a marketing salt-fog claim would use the PEO alternate coating | — | $6–10 k | — | later || Thermal shock, altitude | Methods 503, 500 | Altitude 4,572 m operating (mountain shoots) — Li-ion and sealed enclosure pressure | 2 | $3–5 k | 1 wk | DVT | ## 9. Industry, logo and trademark programs | Program | Requirement | Cost | Notes ||---|---|---|---|| CompactFlash Association (CFA) | Membership required to use the "CFexpress" name/logo and to access the CFexpress 2.0/4.0 specifications | ~$2.5–10 k/yr depending on tier (verify) | Host-side compliance is self-tested; no mandatory host certification || SD Association (SDA) | Membership required for SD logo use and for access to UHS-II Physical Layer spec (needed for GL9755 integration details and for the connector spec) | ~$2 k/yr general member (verify); logo licence agreement | Host devices: self-certification via SDA test spec; optional SDA verification lab || USB-IF | Membership ($5 k/yr) needed to obtain a Vendor ID and to use USB logos; USB4 logo requires certification at a USB-IF lab ($10–20 k for a USB4 device port + PD) | $5 k + $10–20 k optional | We can ship Port C as "USB4 40 Gbps" only if certified; otherwise describe as "USB-C, 40 Gbps (USB4-compatible)" with legal review. **Do not claim Thunderbolt** — it is an Intel trademark requiring Intel's program || Bluetooth SIG | Qualification/Declaration ID for the nRF5340 design (reuse Nordic's qualified components; end-product listing) | $9.6 k Declaration fee (Associate/Adopter member pricing varies) | Required to use the Bluetooth mark || Wi-Fi Alliance (optional) | Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7 with a certified module (derivative certification) | $15 k membership + ~$5–10 k derivative | Optional; not needed for sale || Apple MFi | Not required — USB-C mass storage and NCM Ethernet are class devices; no Lightning | $0 | || Ethernet Alliance / NBASE-T | none required | $0 | | ## 10. Cost roll-up | Block | Low | High ||---|---:|---:|| FCC (15B, modular host verification, Wi-Fi SAR) | $21 k | $55 k || ISED | $6 k | $12 k || CE RED (radio, EMC, safety, SAR incremental, cybersecurity EN 18031, RoHS/docs) | $46 k | $85 k || UKCA | $2 k | $4 k || Battery (UN 38.3 pack, IEC 62133-2, transport docs; UL optional excluded) | $17 k | $27 k || NRTL product safety (UL 62368-1) | $15 k | $30 k || MIL-STD-810H / IP verification (DVT + PVT repeats) | $22 k | $36 k || Industry memberships and Bluetooth listing (first year; no GSMA) | $18 k | $27 k || Contingency for one C2PC or re-test cycle | $10 k | $20 k || **Total — Base launch** | **~$160 k** | **~$295 k** || Pro population addendum (15B SDoC addendum, RED technical-file update, 62368-1 variation; §1a, Pro track, after Base launch) (verify) | $8 k | $15 k || **Total incl. Pro track** | **~$168 k** | **~$310 k** | The ADR §11 figure of **$150–200 k** is consistent with this table: the Base-launch low case is ~$160 k (~$145 k if the NRTL mark is deferred to post-launch), and a realistic planning figure with UL included and one re-test cycle is **~$190 k**. The Pro addendum (~$8–15 k, verify) is a Pro-track cost incurred after Base launch and fits inside the same ADR band. v0.1 for reference: ~$270 k / ~$525 k with a ~$320 k planning figure — the delta (~$130 k) is the cellular chain in §5. ## 11. Timeline (relative to DVT build) ```mermaidgantt title PoppyUp certification timeline (M0 = DVT-1 samples available) dateFormat YYYY-MM-DD axisFormat M%m section Pre-work (EVT) Pre-compliance EMC + antenna efficiency :done, pre1, 2027-01-15, 30d CFA / SDA / USB-IF / BT SIG memberships :pre4, 2027-02-01, 20d section Regulatory (DVT-1) FCC 15B + ISED ICES-003 :r1, 2027-04-01, 14d Modular host verification (Wi-Fi) :r2, 2027-04-01, 20d Wi-Fi SAR (FCC + EU 10 g) :r3, 2027-04-15, 20d CE RED radio + EMC :r4, 2027-04-08, 35d EN IEC 62368-1 safety (CE) + UL 62368-1 NRTL :r5, 2027-04-15, 70d EN 18031 cybersecurity assessment :r6, 2027-05-01, 50d FCC/ISED grants & SDoC issued :milestone, m1, 2027-06-05, 0d CE DoC signed :milestone, m2, 2027-07-15, 0d section Battery UN 38.3 pack (DVT packs) :b1, 2027-03-20, 50d IEC 62133-2 pack :b2, 2027-04-10, 50d section Ruggedness (DVT) MIL-STD-810H drop/vib/temp/humidity :e1, 2027-04-01, 25d IP54 (IEC 60529) :e2, 2027-04-20, 7d section PVT repeats Drop + IP re-verification on production AZ91D castings (mandatory) :p1, 2027-09-15, 14d Final labels, DoC, e-label, transport docs :p2, 2027-09-15, 20d Base launch-ready (FCC/ISED/CE grants + PVT re-verification) :milestone, m3, 2027-10-05, 0d section Pro track (parallel, may slip — D7) 15B SDoC addendum + RED TF update (Port C USB4 + PD sink) :pr1, 2027-08-15, 30d 62368-1 variation (Port C power input) :pr2, 2027-09-01, 30d Pro population release :milestone, m4, 2027-10-15, 0d``` Reading the Gantt: FCC/ISED grants land ~2 months after DVT samples and the CE DoC ~3.5 months after, both well inside the DVT→PVT window, so **certification no longer gates MP** — there is no carrier dependency at all. The long poles are now EN IEC 62368-1 / UL 62368-1 (~10 weeks, can overlap PVT) and the EN 18031 assessment (firmware-dependent). The Base launch gate is the FCC/ISED/CE grants plus the **mandatory** PVT drop/IP re-verification on production AZ91D castings; the program critical path in this period is hard tooling (magnesium die-cast) and DVT verification (`13-roadmap.md`), not the labs. The Pro track (Port C addendum, §1a) runs in parallel and may slip without moving the Base date (D7). ## 12. Design decisions that reduce certification cost and risk 1. Use antennas whose gain is at or below the module grant's listed maxima (target ≤ 5 dBi Wi-Fi) and of the same antenna class; document with measured gain patterns at DVT.2. No cellular radio of any kind (no PTCRB/GCF/carrier/TAC scope, no cellular SAR); no GNSS antenna at launch (GNSS would add EN 301 489-19 and a receiver-immunity clause).3. Identical radios, antennas and firmware power tables across Base and Pro SKUs; the USB4 bridge, Port C PD sink and NVMe are unintentional-radiator / safety variants only. **Base is filed first on the Base population; the Pro population follows as a 15B SDoC addendum, RED technical-file update and 62368-1 variation (§1a, ~$8–15 k, verify)** so Port C never gates Base launch (D7).4. All radios on modular-certified modules (MT7925 module, nRF5340 with a reference antenna) — no discrete RF design under our own grant at launch.5. 72 Wh pack: no airline approval, PI 967 Section II shipping, and passes the "portable battery" thresholds of the EU Battery Regulation with a documented replacement procedure.6. Firmware-enforced AP-mode channel restrictions (no DFS AP, no 6 GHz standard-power AP) so no AFC/DFS master testing.7. RJ45 surge and ESD protection to EN 61000-4-5 (1 kV line-to-earth via the magjack + TVS) and 8 kV contact / 15 kV air ESD on all external ports designed in at EVT, not patched at DVT.8. Shielded, chassis-bonded USB-C receptacles on Port C (bonded to a masked, bare-conversion-coated magnesium land — never through the powder coat); ASM2464PD SSC (spread spectrum) enabled; USB4 link run on low-loss laminate with ground stitching — USB4 40 Gbps is the most likely 15B radiated-emissions failure mode, which is one more reason it lives in the Pro addendum rather than the Base filing.9. Secure boot, signed OTA, no default passwords, encrypted credential storage — already required by the product spec — satisfy the bulk of EN 18031-1/-2/-3.10. Pre-compliance EMC and antenna efficiency measurement at EVT with the near-final enclosure (machined AZ31B magnesium, coated, with the EMI-gasket lands masked as in production), and a full pre-scan on DVT-0 before spending on formal labs.11. Keep a written host-integration file (module datasheets, grant letters, antenna gain tables, power-supply compliance, thermal test data) from EVT onward; the FCC modular-host verification and the CE host assessment both want it.12. Order RF-test-port variants (U.FL taps on both Wi-Fi antenna feeds) of DVT units early: the Wi-Fi conducted power/spurious tests and the SAR conducted-power tables need conducted access.