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I have designed a VERY basic lighting gadget -- it's basically a flashlight. It turns on and off with a switch and is powered by a rechargeable Lithium Ion Battery via USB cable. It consists of LED's on a PCB and has a switch to stop charging in order to keep the battery from overheating.

I know I don't need FCC as there is no radio transmission. I know I will need CE for Europe, but am uncertain about what I need for the USA and Canada? I have spoken with UL and gotten a quote, but they won't tell me what exactly I need until I pay and it's extremely expensive.

Kincaid Stringer
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    Your user has to turn a switch off to prevent the L-ion battery from overheating? You're going to sell this?? Good luck when the first one catches fire and someone sues you! – DoxyLover Oct 27 '16 at 05:21
  • Did UL tell you the standard and category for your device? – Spoon Oct 27 '16 at 07:23
  • @Kincaid See also this: https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/297060/at-what-level-of-complexity-should-i-consider-ul-listing-my-widget/297085#297085 – Voltage Spike Apr 18 '17 at 22:43

2 Answers2

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As an alternative to UL, you can also use CSA Group or Intertek. I believe that any one of the three can provide what you need for North America, Europe and elsewhere. There may be others. You will need to research each testing organization to determine which is best for you.

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UL testing is not mandatory but is recommended for anything high voltage. If you are planning on using an off the shelf wall power supply for charging (you almost certainly are since it's USB powered) then ensure the part you pick has UL certification and limits the output current to a reasonable limit and you're good from a UL point of view.

As far as I'm aware all you need to test to for the USA is Title 47 CFR Part 15 subsection B (unintentional radiators) for which you will be a class B device. These limits are almost identical to the CE ones and any half decent test lab will be able to supply you with a report for both from a single session of testing. Canada is basically the same as the USA.

Andrew
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