User Guide

6: Antenna Placement and RF Safety
Open-Q 626 SOM Module Certification OEM Integrator Guide 10
6 Antenna Placement and RF Safety
The FCC and other countries’ regulatory bodies impose strict conditions and limitations on the RF
exposure levels of end products. Acceptable RF exposure levels for this Module depend on transmit
power, the location of the transmitting antenna(s) inside the host system and the expected separation of
the transmitting antennas to the end user. OEM integrators must take great care to ensure each host
system complies with the applicable RF exposure requirements.
The antenna-to-user (bystander) separation distance must be greater than 20 cm.
Failure to adhere to these separation/spacing rules will invalidate the FCC and IC certifications for the
Module.
• This separation is measured between the closest point of each transmitting antenna inside the
host device to the point of contact by the user or nearby person outside the host device.
• For notebooks/netbooks/laptops with antennas in display section, the LCD is opened 90
degrees/perpendicular to the keyboard. The separation distance is then measured from the
nearest point of each transmitting antennas to the bottom of the host. Use in the keyboard section
of a netbook or laptop or use in a tablet device or convertible tablet would require host-specific
testing.
• For notebooks/netbooks/laptops, the transmitting antenna cables shall be positioned away from
the antenna elements to conform to the configuration tested for compliance.
• When transmitting antennas are installed in the display section of notebook/netbook/laptops, the
display section shall not have metallic components and material that can influence or change the
operating and RF exposure characteristics of the antennas.
• The separation between the main and aux antennas must be at least 3 cm.
• The transmitter module may not be co-located with any other transmitter or antenna.
• SAR evaluation is required if the separation distance between the user or bystanders and the
device is less than or equal to 20 cm.
Where one or more of the conditions above cannot be met for a particular host system, additional testing
is required to secure the necessary certifications for the system.
Note: These restrictions do not apply to receive-only antenna.