5 ways to fail Low Voltage Directive (LVD) testing

Although Low Voltage Directive (LVD) safety testing is perceived as much simpler than EMC or environmental testing, it should not be ignored during CE certification.

Flammable atmospheres - A change to the ATEX Standards for zone 2 equipment

Many different electronic systems need to operate in potentially explosive atmospheres. It's not just designers of specialist equipment: chemical plant control systems; equipment for petrol station forecourts and even products that operate where dust could cause an explosion all need to meet the EU ATEX Directive or international IECEx requirements.

A guide to reliability testing, part 1 - HALT

Many people see reliability testing as a black art. Engineers create a test setup that replicates the stresses of years of normal use in a matter of hours - how can they know their testing correlates with use in the real world?

About TRaC

TRaC is a market leading UKAS accredited test company comprising three Centres of Excellence and three regional test laboratories in the UK and a partner facility in Japan.  TRaC offers unrivalled testing, regulatory and compliance services to the defence and commercial sectors.

Acoustic performance testing

TRaC offers both Acoustic Performance testing and Voice Quality testing.

Message from the CEO - An exceptional first year for TRaC

Our evolution into TRaC was completed in January; a journey of over three years sees the formation of an internationally renowned, focused and driven regulatory and compliance company.

Analogue testing

TRaC provides analogue telecoms testing services for many voiceband products, from simple telephones, modems, Caller Line Identity (CLI) and fax machines, to complex Private Branch eXchanges (PBX).

Analysis Services for the Defence Industry

TRaC are working with the UK's leading defence companies to assist them in developing products which meet the severe demands placed upon them.  Whether it's weight reduction, reliability, survivability or strength and fatigue issues, our engineers can help.

Analysis Services for the Oil and Gas Industry

Qualification of oil, gas and process pipelines and plant

Analysis tools

Our comprehensive suite of software tools include:

Analysis Validation

"Very often physical validation is critical to ensure the reliability of a simulated model." TRaC can test your physical parts in order to acquire data which can be used to develop the simulation.

Automotive EMC Directive

The principal challenge is for the UK's automotive manufacturing industry to align its technology, product and business performance to deliver customer value in a global industry subject to relentless cost-cutting pressures.

Services for the Automotive Industry

TRaC deliver a comprehensive range testing and computational analysis of vehicle components and full vehicles to meet the EMC and environmental qualification, reliability and legislative demands of the automotive market. TRaC have developed the capabilities to support our clients homologation needs, from assessing in-car entertainment and communications systems, validating the robustness of electric and hybrid electric vehicle technologies, virtual test track simulation of mechanical stress, through to full vehicle electromagnetic compatibility testing on our rolling road. Our testing, validation and certification give our customers confidence in product safety, product reliability, product interoperability and compliance with essential legal requirements before the product goes into service.

Bluetooth^® Qualification and Testing Services

TRaC provides a range of testing, regulatory and consultancy services to help you gain approval for your Bluetooth products anywhere in the world and to ensure a fast and cost effective route to market.

Broadband Forum TR-069

The Broadband Forum (formerly DSL Forum) TR-069 technical report specifies a protocol that is intended for communication between an Auto-Configuration Server (ACS) and Customer Premise Equipment (CPE). The ACS is a server within the service provider's network that has the ability to control and monitor a CPE with the TR-069 protocol.

Testing against Broadband Forum requirements

The Broadband Forum was formerly known as the DSL Forum. It is a consortium of approximately 200 leading industry players from telecommunications, equipment, computing, networking and service provider companies. In 14 years, the Broadband Forum has moved from defining the core DSL technology to delivering maximum effectiveness in broadband deployment and use.

Can the CB scheme help your wireless product to market?

CB or not CB: that is the question. When you have worked in the telecoms and electronics approvals industry for many years, I think you tend to forget that to some people the compliance and approvals process can appear to be very complex. That's usually because it can be!

CE Market Surveillance and Regulatory Enforcement Tighten in 2010

There has been a call by industry since the introduction of the various CE marking directives to take action when  a product is found not to be CE Marked, illegally CE Marked and do not satisfy the CE Mark requirements, therefore non-compliant.

CE Marking for products

Why CE marking?

Cobham partnership

Reaching the fifth anniversary in 2009, the environmental test partnership between TRaC and Cobham plc's Flight Refuelling Ltd­, has proven to be a remarkable success for both parties, and has become TRaC’s benchmark for excellence in environmental test partnerships. Based on a truly collaborative approach, with TRaC adding more value to Cobham’s development and verification processes, the net benefits of this partnership have yielded annual savings in excess of 25% on vibration and shock testing.

Combined environmental test and analysis solutions

TRaC can offer a unique service of combined in-house expertise of environmental testing and computational analysis through Finite Element Analysis (FEA) methods.

EMC training courses

TRaC provide training courses on a range of EMC and general approval requirement related subjects.

Communicating in hazardous areas

Radio communication has become a part of daily life in the UK, with a proliferation of new applications for voice and data appearing every year. But what if you need to use radio for communicating in a defined hazardous area? Mark Heaven offers some guidance on the raft of stringent legislation that apply.

Radio Module Integration - What do I need to do for compliance?

Technology is advancing at an incredible pace and this is particularly evident in the world of radio technology. Radio devices are being incorporated into all manner of products to provide a wide range of benefits and applications; from smart metering so that a consumer can monitor the amount of electricity they (or members of their family!) are using, to medical devices sending remotely gathered patient data, to a near field device that allows you to pay for your train ride.

Component Safety and Flammability Testing

Component safety testing

TRaC, Agilent Technologies Announce Comprehensive Bluetooth-Qualification Test System

SANTA CLARA, Calif. and HULL, UK, Oct. 13, 2009 - Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) and TRaC today announced the availability of TRaC's Bluetooth® test system, which uses Agilent's N4010A Wireless Connectivity Test Set.

TRaC announces comprehensive testing to satisfy Noise at Work Directive

TRaC, the leading provider of equipment test and certification services, has extended its capabilities in testing products against the requirements of the Noise at Work Directive.

CFD - Computational Fluid Dynamics

Analysis of Fluid Flow and Associated Heat Transfer using CFDesign.

Customer benefits

TRaC customers are welcome to witness their test programmes at any of our facilities, and are invited to use our customer lounges, where you can keep in touch with the office or use the Web, via our complementary internet wireless access, stay up to date with world events via the TV news, magazines or newspapers.

Data Acquisition

TRaC has a range of measurement instrumentation and data-logging equipment that is regularly employed to record in-service conditions such as vibration, temperature, load, displacement etc. This data acquisition is typically carried out "at site" and often involves recording a broad range of self-generated parameters on moving vehicles or rotating equipment.

Services for the Defence Industry

TRaC Military / Aerospace facilities offer modern purpose designed test chambers and equipment. All laboratories are secure and have electronically controlled access therefore ensuring confidentiality for all our customers. TRaC has invested heavily over a two year period to be able to offer test facilities which compete and sometimes better others in the industry. All Military test chambers are located on one site within a large secure compound.

Designing for ZigBee - Understand the standards before developing wireless products

In a rapidly advancing world that appears to rely more and more on technology, it is evident that wireless technology is becoming one of the most essential of them all.

Do I really need earthquake testing?

I'm meeting more and more engineers whose equipment is being subjected to earthquake testing. Even in the UK there is a risk of earthquakes; there is even a page tracking recent seismic activity on the British Geological Survey's website.

DSL interoperability testing

TRaC has offered DSL interop (interoperability) testing services since 1997 when the first regulatory DSL standards were introduced. The service offering has expanded from basic regulatory testing to full DSL interop testing (including TR-067 and TR-100), network consultancy and training. TRaC DSL services are now renowned throughout the world.

Services for the Electronics Industry

We offer testing to the following standards applicable for Electrical electronics industry:

Electrical Safety Testing and Certification

TRaC can provide electrical safety testing for electronic / electrical products to meet the growing needs for worldwide compliance:

EMC basic test standards

As with many technical disciplines, EMC is very complex and hence trying to define all the parameters, tests and limits into a single test standard would be very difficult. To overcome this and to provide some consistency across all product standards a hierarchy of standards is been developed. The diagram below illustrates this in the case of the information technology EMC standard for immunity (EN55024). The product specific standard is the one that a manufacturer complies with however it references a number of ‘basic’ test standards for the test methods, limits and phenomena.

EMC for Automotive

TRaC offer a complete solution to automotive EMC approval for the EU (through directive 2006/28/EC amending 72/245/EEC) and United Nations affiliated countries.

EMC for defence standards

Stringent procurement requirements can cause difficulties for contractors and manufacturers resulting in on-going testing and the possibility of delay in meeting deadlines often incurring extra costs.

EMC for IT and office equipment

Information Technology and office equipment are primarily covered by the EMC standards EN55022 (EMC emissions) and EN55024 (EMC Immunity).

EMC Heavy Vehicle Semi Anechoic Chamber

The large chamber located at TRaC's EMC centre of excellence in Malvern has been upgraded with new radar/radio absorbing material (RAM). This new Heavy Vehicle Semi Anechoic Chamber (HVSAC) has the added advantage of being dimensionally larger, with bigger access doors than most existing commercially available HVSAC chambers.

EMC testing of electronic sub-assemblies (ESAs)

The requirements of the directive for electronic (electrical) sub-assemblies (ESA) is based on what those products may be exposed to in normal use in terms of electromagnetic radiation. The overriding objective is to ensure that the electronic sub-assembly remains safe and does not cause interference. The following flow chart provides a decision tree of what is included within the scope of the directive and what is not.

EMC Pre Qualification

The most cost effective approach to product development is to qualify the prototype design, early in the development cycle, allowing a confidence in EMC performance. 

CE marking of defence equipment

The conditions of supply to defence customers is not well understood universally by all suppliers relating to product approval/qualification as there may be conflicting advice and multiple requirements. This paper highlights the issues regarding the supply of material to the UK's defence industry and highlights the requirements in the case of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC).

Emissions testing

Emission testing is an essential aspect of complying with all EMC legislation around the world.  The point of performing emission testing is protect the radio spectrum to enable radio services to operate and to ensure that electrical interference is minimised. Most interference testing however is a function of immunity testing.

Energy efficiency testing for radio & telecoms equipment

Due to the growing number of international energy efficiency standards TRaC are now offering a range of Energy Efficiency Testing services.

Services for the Energy Industry

With over 30 years experience servicing global energy markets, TRaC’s expertise and capabilities deliver the highest levels of confidence and international recognition in qualifying equipment, plant and infrastructure to the most demanding industry and legislative standards.

Environmental Testing

The ability of a product to withstand the environment within which it has to operate, be stored or transported is critical to its success. As one of UK's leading environmental testing laboratory TRaC can provide a comprehensive range of accredited commercial and defence environmental services for designers to evaluate and qualify the behaviour and performance of their products.

Explosive atmospheres - production control audits

Most certification schemes include some form of control of production within the rules of the scheme. This is true for hazardous location equipment where mandatory regional schemes (e.g. ATEX) and national schemes (e.g. hazloc) apply. It also applies to the voluntary IECEx certification scheme. We carry out production control audits under the ATEX and Hazloc schemes.

FEA Analysis Consultancy

TRaC provides leading engineering consultancy in static and dynamic structural analysis using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) techniques.  A typical stress analysis will involve finding accurate stress values either by hand calculations or FEA. Detailed fatigue assessments can be carried out to determine the components durability.

Femtocell services - TRaC Involved in Next Generation Technologies

TRaC's has been involved with the Femto Forum since its inception and is helping in the development of interoperable femtocell products. Femtocells are perhaps the most exciting products emerging in the communications market today. It is becoming clear that Femtocells will be deployed in a diverse range of communications infrastructure applications.

Fujitsu joins the TRaC Partner Laboratory Programme to Enhance Support for Companies Seeking European Certification

TRaC, the largest UK-based provider of testing, validation and certification, announces that Fujitsu General EMC Laboratory Limited has joined the TRaC Partner Laboratory Programme, enhancing services offered to manufacturers wishing to certify products for sale in the UK and Europe. This programme enables Fujitsu to provide CE certification to Japanese manufacturers with the support of TRaC's expertise.

Harmonics and flicker testing

Harmonics and Flicker are requirements of the EMC and R&TTE Directives for Europe. The purpose of these standards is to limit the harmonics injected back into the AC low voltage power distribution system (EN61000-3-2,12) and ensure that the load of equipments does not cause an unacceptable degradation of lights connected to the supply (EN61000-3-3,11).

Harmonisation of mobile phone chargers

Incompatibility of mobile phone chargers is an inconvenience for users and a major environmental problem.  

High Cycle Fatigue Testing

TRaC is proud to announce that we have recently been accredited by UKAS for High Cycle Fatigue (HCF) testing.

HMS Dauntless stays on TRaC

HMS Dauntless, the second of the Royal Navy's class of air defence destroyer arrived at Portsmouth Naval base for the first time in December. Dauntless is one of six new Type 45 destroyers which will provide the backbone of the UK's naval air defences for the next three decades.

Home Office Approvals

Home Office approval requires a number of different types of tests to be performed to ensure that any evidence that the product generates will stand up to scrutiny in a court of law. In the case of mobile speed enforcement devices it also needs to be suitable to the rough treatment of things being thrown into the back of vans and cars on a regular basis. This means that the testing performed is particularly rigorous. The following headings are types of tests typically performed on products supplied to the Home Office.

How am I going to test that?

I've heard engineers say that the test and certification industry is dull, simply requiring the latest consumer item to be plugged into a standard test rig, but although there can be some repetition in the job, much of what we do is new, interesting and challenging.

Hydrodynamic Testing

Aircraft ditching survivability testing. TRaC's test expertise incorporates a wealth of experience in hydrodynamic fixed-wing and helicopter crash testing through access to world leading test specialists and test tank facilities, assisting in fixed-wing certification for over-water flight, and assisting manufacturers or airlines in obtaining certification to travel long distances over water.

IECEx certification

Manufacturers of equipment designed for operation in hazardous areas and explosive atmospheres can simplify the process of marketing their products internationally, using the TRaC Test Laboratory and Certification Body services which are qualified under the IECEx System.

ISDN Testing

TRaC provides a wide range of regulatory and non-regulatory ISDN testing services. TRaC can also provide bespoke ISDN testing solutions to help you analyze the performance of your equipment.

Latest amendment to the UK Def Stan 59-411

The latest amendment to the UK's EMC Def Stan 59-411 (published by the MOD in January 2008) gives specific attention to CE marking and provides advice for manufacturers on their responsibilities.

Lightning Test Standards for Aircraft

Modern aircrafts are highly vulnerable to lightning. Since safety is of paramount importance to the aircraft, the scope, levels and duration of many of the test requirements is far higher than would be expected for ground based equipment, not withstanding the unique environment itself.

Safety testing - Machinery Safety Directive (MSD)

The Machinery Safety Directive (MSD) 2006/42/EC requires designers, manufacturers and operators of machinery to be aware of their responsibility in providing safe machinery into the work place.

Market sectors

Industry testing and Certification solutions  

Services for the Medical Device Industry

From our modern and fully equipped, UKAS accredited laboratories, TRaC deliver a complete portfolio of services for medical devices and associated equipment, including Radio, EMC, Safety and Environmental testing to national and international product standards. In addition to this, the TRaC Approvals team can provide complete project and compliance management for truly worldwide market access.

Meeting the standards for defence supply

The conditions of supply to military customers, relating to product qualification and approvals, are not well understood. The picture is often confused by multiple requirements and conflicting advice.

Millbrook - Vehicle Testing and Development

Millbrook is one of the UK's leading centres for the enhancement of every aspect of vehicle quality and their performance. With the capability to evaluate and develop vehicles for almost any usage conditions worldwide, test reliability, refinement, safety and emissions, and homologate to any world standard.

Modems / Fax machine testing

Facsimile machine is a device for sending and receiving images of documents through the PSTN whereas a modem is specifically used to transmit data across the network. These devices have evolved over the years with additional functionality being incorporate to the fax devices such as wireless, CLI and handset telephony. The functionality of the device will determine the specifications applicable to the product. See below the general specifications for the interface connectivity requirements.

Multi-body Dynamics Simulation

Analysis of mechanisms and moving bodies using ADAMS

New recruits help to increase computer simulation capability at TRaC

TRaC Warwick has added two recruits, Anna-Lise Gras and Dr Andrew Lockyer, to an already strong Finite Element and Computational Fluid Dynamics team.

New safety standard 62368

The new safety standard 62368 moved a little closer in July with the publication of draft text.

TRaC one of the first to offer new VDSL2 testing following new Broadband Forum standards

TRaC - testing consultancy of choice for major telecoms operators around the world - is today (10 December 2009) set to become one of the first laboratories in the world to offer testing against new standards announced yesterday by the Broadband Forum.

Pipeline Analysis

Qualification of oil, gas and process pipelines and plant

Roundtable Discussion Hosted by Steve Hayes at Platform Technology for Military Vehicles 2009

The Ministry of Defence, military platform manufacturers and military technology companies, come together in roundtable to discuss and determine how best to meet the Electromagnetic Compatibility challenge:

Product approval, certification services - Algeria

Product approval, certification services - Argentina

Product approval, certification services - Australia

Product approval, certification services - Brazil

Product approval, certification services - Canada

Product approval, certification services - China

Product approval, certification services - Egypt

Product approval, certification services - Hong Kong

Product approval, certification services - India

Product approval, certification services - Mexico

Product approval, certification services - Russia

Product approval, certification services - Singapore

Product approval, certification services - Ukraine

Product approval, certification services - USA

Product approval, certification services - New Zealand

Product approval, certification services - Saudi Arabia

Product approval, certification services - South Africa

Product approval, certification services - South Korea

Radio Test Engineers

We have vacancies for engineers across our Radio department.

Rail EMC

EMC Requirements for Rail Products. All products designed to be used in the rail environment must comply with the EMC Directive in addition to any other legislative or contractual requirements. In practice this means all products (including the whole locomotive) must be tested/assessed to the European Standard series EN 50121, published under the general title "Railway applications - Electromagnetic Compatibility".

Revision of ATEX harmonised standards

The EN50014 series of standards has been the backbone of ATEX compliance for many years. However, by the end of 2008 most of the series will have been superseded by standards from the EN60079 series and will be withdrawn.

Safety testing of office / IT equipment

Safety testing of copying machines, modems, data processing equipment,telephone systems, PBX's, Personal Computers, plotters, point of saleterminals, network terminals, terminal adaptors, GSM/GPS locationdevices, visual display units, switching power supplies, poweradaptors, monitors, multimedia equipment.

SDH, SONET and Optical testing

SDH and SONET testing

SS7 (C7) testing

Common Channel Signalling System No. 7 (SS7 or C7) applies to network equipment. The ITU-T standards define the procedures and protocol by which network elements in the PSTN exchange information over a digital signalling network to effect wireless and wired call setup, routing and control, and to provide enhanced call features.

Services for the Telecommunications Industry

TRaC delivers a comprehensive range telecoms validation and approval services to manufacturers of telecommunications equipment in order to meet the legislative, national and international product compliance and qualification standards required for market entry and safe end use. Our testing, validation and approvals give our customers confidence in product safety, product reliability, product interoperability and compliance with essential legal requirements before the product goes into service.

The difference between Bluetooth and ZigBee testing?

Although most engineers working with short range wireless understand the difference between the ZigBee (ZB) and Bluetooth (BT) standards, many still ask about the difference in the testing and approval process. There are several differences, starting with the terminology - ZB products must be "certified", whereas BT products are "qualified".

The process of CE Marking

The CE marking regime in the European Union (EU) is well established and mandatory in the twenty seven member states. 

The Rolling Road Test Facilities at TRaC

The  rolling road test facility installed in the heavy Vehicle EMC Chamber (HVEC) at TRaC Malvern caters for both small and large military and commercial vehicles. Modern automotive vehicles depend increasingly on sophisticated electronic control systems to enhance driver comfort and vehicle safety.

TRaC achieves IECEx qualification

Manufacturers of equipment designed for operation in hazardous areas and explosive atmospheres can simplify the process of marketing their products internationally, using the services of test house TRaC, which is now qualified under the IECEx System.

TRaC appointed as Bluetooth Qualification Test Facility

HULL, UK, 10 June 2009: TRaC is pleased to announce their appointment as a Bluetooth Qualification Test Facility (BQTF) for RF Performance by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (BT SIG).

TRaC assist Jennic with obtaining ZigBee PRO certification

TRaC has been instrumental in working with Jennic Ltd who have recently obtained ZigBee PRO certification for their platform JN5148 chipset. The certification enables the chipset to be marked with the appropriate ZigBee logo and marketed for integration into Zigbee products.

TRaC extends vibration testing with low-frequency test rig

TRaC, the environmental and standards-compliance test house, has extended its capabilities in low-frequency mechanical vibration testing by commissioning a new low-frequency test rig at its Warwick laboratory. The new rig  is one of the few commercially available systems that can apply a wide range of vibration tests, such as the demanding European Naval specifications, to large and/or heavy products and systems.

TRaC help to HALT reliability problems on military vehicles

Confidence in product reliability, above and beyond meeting conventional "qualification testing" is becoming increasingly more demanding across defence land systems.

TRaC Reaches Milestone in Worldwide Approval

TRaC, your partner for worldwide market access, has reached a major milestone, by now providing a turn-key test approvals management service for accessing over 150 countries.

TRaC ready with equipment - test programme for LPPV

TRaC has announced that it has assembled a suite of services that is now ready to be accessed by any company developing electronic products for use in the Ministry of Defence’s Light Protected Patrol Vehicle (LPPV) programme.

TRaC Strengthens Stress Analysis Services with Appointment of Experienced CAE Specialist

TRaC, a leading provider of FEA services to the Aerospace, Defence, Automotive  and general engineering industries, announces the appointment of Graham Andrews as Commercial Manager of its Analysis division.

Our accreditations and approvals

TRaC's extensive and varied testing services are accredited by UKAS to ISO/IEC 17025:2005. TRaC's UKAS accreditation is complemented by the approval to BS EN ISO 9001:2000 / BS EN ISO 17025:2005 by an independent third party certification body. To enable us to provide our clients with a complete service our accredited test laboratories are complimented by a range of Notified Body and Certification Body accreditations. In addition to the above, TRaC have been recognised by a number of industries and organisations.

UKAS Scope Extensions

In response to requests from a number of existing customers, TRaC has expanded the range of services it offers and are pleased to announce our extension to scope for:

Brochure Library

To gain a greater understanding about TRaC and its services view or download a brochure.

What's the point in CE Marking military equipment?

There has been a flurry of activity from lawyers in recent months understanding the rules of CE Marking, as defence manufacturers get to grips with having to comply with CE Marking legislation.

Working in partnership

Partnerships between the MoD and the UK's test and development sector are crucial in developing test techniques that are timely, accurate and cost effective. It is imperative in an environment with an increasing number of UORs that the interoperability of equipment is not compromised by issues of interference or incompatibility.

TRaC assists CSR in gaining Worldwide Approval of BlueSlim PC Host Bluetooth® Module Project

TRaC, internationally recognised as a test, certification and approvals expert, has received customer praise for its role in assisting CSR plc gain worldwide approval for one of the world's smallest PC Bluetooth® modules. The module is called BlueSlim.