Wideband transmission systems; 2.4 GHz

What this standard covers and how we test it

EN 300 328 covers wideband 2.4 GHz equipment: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, proprietary spread-spectrum and frequency-hopping links. It checks two things at once - that the radio uses the band efficiently, and that it does not block other users of the same spectrum. Since version 2.2.2 the medium-utilisation requirements apply to every device, including ones that transmit only occasionally.

Typical measurements:

• RF output power, power spectral density and duty cycle
• Medium utilisation (DAA / LBT) with and without a competing signal present
• Adaptivity, and transmitter unwanted emissions inside the 2.4 GHz band
• Receiver blocking and spurious emissions above 1 GHz

Adaptivity and medium utilisation are the most frequent failures: a module shipped with fixed duty-cycle firmware usually needs a firmware change before it can pass, so we pre-scan the firmware version before the formal run.

We normally test EN 300 328 together with EU 2014/53/EU (RED): one sample set, one set of test dates, and a single report pack that the declaration of conformity can reference.