Customers creating new connected devices based on Electric Imp’s ground-breaking imp003 module – manufactured and sold by Murata as the LBWA1ZV1CD – will now find the process of bringing their design to market considerably simplified. Following an application made by Electric Imp, the US Federal Communications Commission and Industry Canada have approved the two antenna options recommended by Electric Imp for use in imp003-based designs.
The certification means that product designers can incorporate either Electric Imp’s in-house designed PIFA PCB trace antenna or its selected chip antenna in the knowledge that this key part of their product’s Internet connectivity system meets FCC and IC standards, just as they already can with imp002-based designs.
This has the potential to generate cost savings in the testing process, depending on the product’s PCB and mechanical design. It may, for instance, be possible to bypass expensive intentional emitter testing and perform only unintentional emitter testing on the end product. A customer’s chosen test lab will be able to advise on the exact benefits the imp003 antenna certifications bring to a specific product.
Connecting one of the recommended antenna configurations to the imp003 embedded in a product does not automatically bring certification to the entire design, but it does mean the design moves a significant step toward its own final certification, reducing risk, overall design cost, and time to market.
Launched in August 2014, the Murata LBWA1ZV1CD represents a significant size reduction in connectivity hardware. It is ten per cent of the size of the imp002 module, yet incorporates significantly more IO options than the imp002 and extra support for ultra-low power designs.
A copy of the FCC-approved imp003 test report is available in the Electric Imp Dev Center. The full FCC certification materials can be be downloaded from the FCC website.
For more information on developing connected products based on the imp003/LBWA1ZV1CD, please see our dedicated imp003 design guide.
The Murata LBWA1ZV1CD is available now in sample quantities from Digi-Key. A complete imp003 evaluation kit is also available .
Tom Byrne
Product Design and System Engineer