UL Certification

Hi, a customer of ours is asking UL certification of every electronic
component used on a device that we have designed (and hopefully will
produce) for them. They are not asking for an UL certification of the
whole device, just of the PCB (and the manufacturer will provide to us
the UL file number) and the components (microcontroller, memories,
connectors, etc.); are these certifications available from the
manufacturers or do we have to get in touch with the UL Laboratories?
Thanks

In comp.arch.embedded,
Capoccetta <er_capoccetta@tiscali.it> wrote:
> Hi, a customer of ours is asking UL certification of every electronic
> component used on a device that we have designed (and hopefully will
> produce) for them. They are not asking for an UL certification of the
> whole device, just of the PCB (and the manufacturer will provide to us
> the UL file number) and the components (microcontroller, memories,
> connectors, etc.); are these certifications available from the
> manufacturers or do we have to get in touch with the UL Laboratories?
> Thanks

If a component is UL certified, this fact us usually mentioned on the first
page of the datasheet. If you want to contact UL, they have a website
(www.ul.com) and you can search for products and manufacturers there. But I
doubt you will find (m)any microcontrollers there.

Why does your customer ask for certification of every component? It is
usually enough to have certification for the safety critical devices only.
Like mains entry, fuses, wall warts, switches, isolation components, ...

Designing an electronic product with only UL certified parts is, uhmm..
'impractical'.


-- 
Stef    (remove caps, dashes and .invalid from e-mail address to reply by mail)

"The following is not for the weak of heart or Fundamentalists."
-- Dave Barry

On Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:39:47 +0200, Stef wrote:

> In comp.arch.embedded,
> Capoccetta <er_capoccetta@tiscali.it> wrote:
>> Hi, a customer of ours is asking UL certification of every electronic
>> component used on a device that we have designed (and hopefully will
>> produce) for them. They are not asking for an UL certification of the
>> whole device, just of the PCB (and the manufacturer will provide to us
>> the UL file number) and the components (microcontroller, memories,
>> connectors, etc.); are these certifications available from the
>> manufacturers or do we have to get in touch with the UL Laboratories?
>> Thanks
> 
> If a component is UL certified, this fact us usually mentioned on the
> first page of the datasheet. If you want to contact UL, they have a
> website (www.ul.com) and you can search for products and manufacturers
> there. But I doubt you will find (m)any microcontrollers there.
> 
> Why does your customer ask for certification of every component? It is
> usually enough to have certification for the safety critical devices
> only. Like mains entry, fuses, wall warts, switches, isolation
> components, ...
> 
> Designing an electronic product with only UL certified parts is, uhmm..
> 'impractical'.

That sounds like what I know about UL certification for components -- 
it's not something that I've seen for anything other than components that 
are going to be seeing the incoming AC; I don't think that UL _cares_ 
about a part (like the microprocessor) that's inherently incapable of 
making the product catch on fire.

It also sounds like the customer has been burned* by certification 
before, but doesn't quite understand the process.  This sounds like one 
of those times that you need to have a conversation that starts with 
"what do you _really_ need?"

* as it were

-- 
www.wescottdesign.com

On Sep 28, 9:53=A0am, Tim Wescott <t...@seemywebsite.com> wrote:

> are going to be seeing the incoming AC; I don't think that UL _cares_
> about a part (like the microprocessor) that's inherently incapable of

Depends on the UL standard to which the end item must be tested. UL
has required us to use UL-recognized tamper switches (tact
pushbuttons!) in some applications.

Any conversation that involves UL is part of a Bad Day.

On Mon, 28 Sep 2009 07:28:59 -0700, larwe wrote:

> On Sep 28, 9:53&nbsp;am, Tim Wescott <t...@seemywebsite.com> wrote:
> 
>> are going to be seeing the incoming AC; I don't think that UL _cares_
>> about a part (like the microprocessor) that's inherently incapable of
> 
> Depends on the UL standard to which the end item must be tested. UL has
> required us to use UL-recognized tamper switches (tact pushbuttons!) in
> some applications.
> 
> Any conversation that involves UL is part of a Bad Day.

Unless you're a highly paid compliance engineering consultant :-).

-- 
www.wescottdesign.com

On Sep 28, 11:50=A0am, Tim Wescott <t...@seemywebsite.com> wrote:

> > Any conversation that involves UL is part of a Bad Day.
>
> Unless you're a highly paid compliance engineering consultant :-).

Heh. UL paperwork+politics is a trap any sentient creature would gnaw
a limb off to escape.

Capoccetta wrote:
> Hi, a customer of ours is asking UL certification of every electronic
> component used on a device that we have designed (and hopefully will
> produce) for them. They are not asking for an UL certification of the
> whole device, just of the PCB (and the manufacturer will provide to us
> the UL file number) and the components (microcontroller, memories,
> connectors, etc.); are these certifications available from the
> manufacturers or do we have to get in touch with the UL Laboratories?
> Thanks
Before you bother with any of this, you need to find out exactly what 
standard(s) apply. This is determined by who will be using it, for what, 
and where.

Also, components and products are _listed_ as suitable for certain uses 
and the "conditions of acceptability" detail under what conditions the 
component passed its testing. Merely having a UL (or CSA, or MET, or 
whatever) listing number doesn't make a component suitable for every 
application. You will likely need to obtain a copy of the COA for any 
"safety critical" components in your design. The manufacturer of a 
listed component should be able to supply this document - if they won't, 
don't use the component.

Bob