Understanding the Testing & Certification Timeline in Product Development
Key Takeaways:
Certification requirements should influence product design from the onset of a project.
Pre-certification RF evaluation, diagnostic troubleshooting, and failure analysis help identify compliance risks before formal lab submission.
Integrating testing, failure analysis, and certification management throughout development can reduce risk and avoid costly late-stage redesigns.
Learn from our experts about why compliance requirements should considered from the earliest stages of development.
Why Testing and Certification Should Start During Product Design
Many teams treat certification as the final step before launch, but compliance requirements often impact design decisions made much earlier in development.
For connected devices, design considerations affecting radio performance, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), power systems, and enclosure materials can ultimately determine whether a product passes certification. Waiting until formal testing to evaluate can leaser to unexpected failures, project delays, and costly redesigns.
Instead, successful deployment teams consider regulatory, carrier, and wireless performance alongside core design priorities like size, cost, manufacturability, and user experience.
Does RF Pre-Testing Really Help De-Risk Certification?
RF performance is influenced by a wide range of considerations like antenna selection, PCB layout, shielding, component placement, enclosure materials, and even nearby electronics that can impact emissions, sensitivity, and overall compliance.
Pre-certification is an opportunity to identify issues prior to stepping into a formal lab or certification facility. Rather than discovering issues during an expensive third-party test campaign, teams can evaluate wireless performance earlier and adjust while updates are more convenient to implement.
How Does Connected Development Support Testing and Certification?
As an expert engineering design services (EDS) firm, Connected Development supports teams through the entire product development process with a proven phased approach to innovation. Leveraging comprehensive testing and certification services, Connected Development offers a wide range of on-site testing capabilities, including:
RF and wireless testing
EMC testing Electrical testing
Environmental testing
Radiated and conducted emissions testing
Immunity testing
ESD testing
Vibration and reliability testing
Additionally providing certification management and global market approval support, Connected Development helps navigate regulatory, carrier, and country-specific requirements through:
FCC, ISED, RED, CE, and PTCRB
North American carrier certifications
5G NR, LTE, Cat M1, NB-IoT, and WCDMA
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLE), and LoRa®
The most effective certification strategy begins long before formal testing starts. Connected Development combines RF testing, failure analysis, and certification expertise to help teams evaluate compliance risks throughout the product lifecycle, not just at the final approval stage.
This integrated approach enables engineering teams to identify issues earlier, implement informed design improvements, and navigate certification requirements with greater confidence. By addressing potential challenges before they become costly setbacks, organizations can reduce risk, accelerate approvals, and move products to market more efficiently.
Explore Testing & Certification Resources at Connected Development