FCC Lab Quote — prepared form responses¶

Status: working document. Paste-ready answers for a test lab's "request a free quote" intake form, prepared 2026-08-09. Evidence behind every number here: FCC Certification.md — the SAR arithmetic, the module grant status, the obligations. Normative home of the strategy: launch-plan.md §5. Hardware source: firmware_spec_v3_nrf.md §2 (pin map), §7 (anchor role), and ~/Documents/KiCad/ImpulseBluetooth/Impulse.kicad_pcb for the board outline.

Reuse this for every lab — launch-plan.md §5 says get three quotes, and identical scope text is what makes the numbers comparable. 2–3× spreads on identical scopes are common, so any spread beyond that is a scoping misunderstanding, not a price difference.

Where it has been sent¶

#	Lab	Sent	Reply
1	Washington Laboratories, Ltd (`wll.com`, Gaithersburg MD) — free quote form	2026-08-09	2026-08-11 — Steve Koster. Not a quote; a scoping correction. `emails/WL Labs Exchange.md`, read in `Module Grant Conditions.md`
2	candidate: Element Materials Technology Washington DC LLC (Columbia MD — the former PCTEST)	—	—
3	candidate: CKC Laboratories (independent, multi-site) · alt: F2 Labs	—	—

Candidates, the reasoning behind them, and the covering emails are in drafts/fcc-lab-quote-request.md. Labs 1 and 2 are different companies despite both reading as "Washington" — an easy and expensive thing to get wrong, since two quotes from one company is one quote.

One caveat on lab 1, from the 2026-08-09 log's link: the form was reached from their Part 87 page, which is aviation radio and is not the work being bought. Washington Labs does list Part 15 services, so this is a landing-page accident rather than a wrong lab — but confirm on the reply that the quote is scoped to Part 15 Subpart B plus the RF exposure evaluation, exactly as §0 describes it, and not to Part 87.

The five response blocks below are in code blocks on purpose. They contain no Markdown, no bold markers, no smart quotes and no non-ASCII characters, so they paste into a plain web form or a plain-text email exactly as they read. Obsidian puts a copy button on each one. Everything outside the code blocks is commentary for you and is not meant to be pasted.

0. Before you paste any of it¶

⛔ 2026-08-11 — do not send this to labs 2 and 3 as it stands. Lab 1 replied, and the reply changes the scope. Full reading in Module Grant Conditions.md; three fixes are needed first:

§2 declares 5 GHz modes that may not be inside the WM02C's grant. The grant page shows only rule part 15C, 2412–2462 MHz, while its own grant note says the device is certified under two Part 15 sections. The 5 GHz row is missing from the copy in hand. Resolve before declaring those modes.

§5 omits the permissive change, which is now most of the job. The WM02C is certified mobile-only (20 cm). A wrist-worn host needs a change of ID plus a Class II PC on top of everything this document scopes. (Corrected 2026-08-12 — do not tell a lab "no co-location permitted." The grant allows it in accordance with FCC multi-transmitter procedures, and overstating the restriction scopes work you do not need and money you do not owe.)

§1's product description should state the grant status of both modules, not just that one is uncertified. The lab will read the grant — lab 1 did, in its first reply.

§0's own advice still holds and is the reason to fix rather than abandon: identical scope text is what makes three quotes comparable. Three comparable quotes for the wrong job are worth nothing.

The Part 87 caveat below is discharged — Steve Koster's reply is scoped to Part 15 modular integration and RF exposure, so the form was reached from the wrong landing page but arrived at the right desk.

Two things that will otherwise sink the first phone call.

Only one of the two modules is FCC-certified. The WM02C (WiFi) is: FCC ID X8WWM02C, ISED 4100A-WM02C. The BM20C (Bluetooth / host MCU) is not — Ver 0.82 draft datasheet with all five certification rows blank, and Fanstel's 2026-08-04 reply said testing was still to come. The lab will look both IDs up. Claiming a grant that does not exist gets the wrong scope quoted and costs credibility at the worst moment. Stating it plainly is also what justifies asking for the BC15C fallback delta in §5 below, so it works in your favour.

Do not describe the checkbox scope as "wireless approval" and stop there. The default reading of that box is "certify my radios," which is the $15k–35k job you do not need. What you are buying is Part 15 Subpart B SDoC on the finished product, plus an RF exposure evaluation. Say so in the description, or the quote comes back against the wrong work.

Checkbox guidance, for the boxes that come before the free text¶

Box	Answer
CE Mark	No — decided 2026-08-10, the launch is US-only. Leave it unchecked rather than annotated. Neither module shows a CE/RED grant, so CE was never a free ride off the modules, and every conditional left on the form is a line item a salesperson can quote you for. Revisit only if the EU enters the campaign.
FCC or IC wireless approval	Yes for FCC, no for IC — US-only, same decision. The WM02C's `4100A-WM02C` makes Canada cheap later; it does not make it free now, and it muddies the three-way comparison.
MIL-STD	No. MIL-STD-461 (military EMC) and -810 (environmental) apply to nothing here. Leaving it unchecked signals you know what you are asking for.
Other	Yes — write in RF exposure evaluation (SAR / KDB 447498 D01). Labs routinely scope this separately from "wireless approval", and per `FCC Certification.md` §5 it is the line item that decides the price. Add the mains-powered servo variant and, if shipping internationally, UN 38.3 for the cells.

1. Description of the product and its intended use¶

Two devices sharing one 40 x 42 mm four-layer PCB, differing in firmware role
(selected at compile time) and plastic enclosure. Common hardware: a Fanstel WM02C
WiFi module (FCC ID X8WWM02C, ISED 4100A-WM02C), a Fanstel BM20C Bluetooth LE module
(nRF54LM20A - also the host MCU; FCC certification in progress at the vendor, grant
number not yet issued), 12x SK6805 addressable LEDs on the back of the board, an ERM
vibration motor, an active buzzer, a 3-axis accelerometer, an IR reflective worn-detect
sensor, a single-cell Li-Po and linear charger, and a USB-C power input.

WATCH - wrist-worn, battery-powered, charged over USB-C. Worn all day; provides
scheduled reminders and enforcement feedback through the LED ring, vibration motor
and buzzer.

ANCHOR - mounted at an arbitrary fixed location in the user's home and powered from
mains through an external certified USB-C adapter, with the same single-cell Li-Po
held charged as backup power so the device continues to operate when disconnected
from mains. Uses Bluetooth 6.0 Channel Sounding with the watch to measure the
separation distance between the two devices directly. An SG90 hobby servo is fitted
to every anchor, its 3-wire lead soldered directly to the board, and actuates
briefly, typically 2-3 times per week.

Why the anchor's battery is in the description and not omitted as a detail: it changes the power configurations the lab has to test. See §3 and §4 — battery-only is a normal supported mode for the anchor, not a fault state, and no lab will guess that about something introduced as "mains-powered."

2. All configurations and modes of operation¶

The lab is asking this to find the worst-case emissions configuration. Give radio modes and non-RF actuators separately — a combined list invites them to miss the combination that actually matters.

TWO HOST CONFIGURATIONS FROM ONE PCB

(A) Watch - battery-powered, wrist-worn, no servo fitted.
(B) Anchor - mains-powered with battery backup, servo permanently attached, fixed
    mounting.

RADIO MODES (identical modules in both configurations)

- Bluetooth LE 2.4 GHz: advertising; connected (ACL); Channel Sounding ranging within
  an ACL connection (watch = initiator, anchor = reflector). Maximum programmable TX
  power +8 dBm.
- WiFi 2.4 GHz: 802.11b / g / n HT20 / ax HE20
- WiFi 5 GHz: 802.11a / n / ac / ax, UNII-1 and UNII-3
- BLE and WiFi coexist over a hardware arbitration interface (REQ / GRANT / STATUS
  lines between the two modules)
- WiFi is duty-cycled in the watch role and can be fully powered down (VDDIO gated by
  a load switch)

NON-RF MODES AFFECTING EMISSIONS

LED ring off / animated / all 12 at full brightness; vibration motor off / on (PWM,
low-side switched); buzzer off / on; battery charging (linear charger, USB-C
connected); servo idle / actuating (anchor only).

ANCHOR POWER MODES - all three are normal operation and all three should be tested

- Mains connected, battery charging
- Mains connected, battery charged
- Mains disconnected, running on battery

The anchor is designed to continue full operation, radio included, on battery alone.

WORST CASE WE EXPECT YOU TO TEST

All 12 LEDs at full brightness, plus vibration motor running, plus WiFi 2.4 GHz
802.11b continuous TX, with BLE advertising. For the anchor, the same with the servo
sweeping and mains connected.

3. I/O and power cables to be tested¶

WATCH: 1 power cable - USB-C charge lead, approx 1 m, power only (D+/D- not
connected). No I/O cables. Battery-powered in normal use.

ANCHOR: 1 power cable - USB-C, approx 1 to 1.5 m, to an external FCC-certified mains
adapter. 1 I/O cable - 3-conductor unshielded servo lead, approx 250 mm, soldered
directly to the board and not detachable. Every anchor ships with the servo fitted;
there is no servo-less configuration.

TOTALS: 2 power cables, 1 non-detachable I/O cable.

The anchor must also be exercised with its power cable removed - battery-only
operation is a supported mode, not a fault state.

If you supply your own mains adapter, name the make, model and FCC ID. An already-certified adapter is what keeps AC conducted emissions from expanding the scope — launch-plan.md §5 flags the PSU arrangement as an open question with the lab.

The SWD line was cut from the paste block deliberately. A TagConnect pad is not a cable, and volunteering it invites a fourth cable into the setup. It only becomes relevant if the lab's mode selection needs it — see the open question below.

Open: how does the lab select a test mode? §4 promises a firmware build with forced continuous-TX and forced-actuator modes, but not the mechanism. USB-C is power-only (J3 D+/D− unconnected in the schematic), so it is not a serial console. That leaves the wake button, BLE, or attaching SWD — which would put a cable in the chamber that isn't in the count above. Decide before the setup call.

4. Dimensions, weight, electrical requirements, setup time¶

Four of these are known. Do not leave the rest blank — labs price uncertainty upward.

DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT

PCB: 40 x 42 mm, 4-layer.
Watch enclosure: 14mm x 70mm x 45mm mm, ___ g including strap and battery.
Anchor enclosure: 25 x 70 x 45 mm, ___ g including battery, excluding mains adapter.

ELECTRICAL

- Input: 5 V DC via USB-C on both devices. The anchor is fed from an external certified
  adapter (___, FCC ID ___). Neither EUT connects directly to AC mains.
- Both devices: single-cell Li-Po, 3.7 V nominal, on a 2-pin connector, with an
  on-board TP4057 linear charger. Watch cell ___ mAh; anchor cell ___ mAh.
- Peak current is dominated by 12x SK6805 LEDs at full brightness (approx 20 mA per
  channel worst case) plus the vibration motor. The anchor adds an SG90 servo (approx
  10 mA idle, up to approx 700 mA stall) during brief actuations.

EXTENDED SETUP TIME: YES - PLEASE BUDGET FOR IT

Channel Sounding is a two-device measurement. Exercising it requires both EUTs powered,
provisioned and BLE-connected simultaneously, and the WiFi modes require an access point
in the chamber. We will supply a dedicated test firmware build exposing forced
continuous-TX modes (per band, per standard, per channel) and forced actuator states, so
modes can be selected directly rather than by driving the product through its normal
state machine. Estimate approx 1 hour initial setup for the paired configuration.

Blanks you have to fill from outside the repo¶

Cell capacities. The cells are off-board on a 2-pin connector, so they are not in the schematic. The anchor's is additionally an open design question — firmware_spec_v3_nrf.md §11 now carries it as a threat-model number (how long an unplugged anchor must keep answering), not a battery-life one.
Enclosure dimensions and weights. No case is specced yet.

Why the test firmware line is not optional politeness¶

The production firmware's self-binding integrity gate quarantines loosening schedule changes for ~24 h (firmware_spec_v2.md §9). You genuinely cannot reconfigure a watch quickly on the bench. Build the lab firmware with direct mode selection or you will burn chamber time discovering this in the chamber.

5. Additional information¶

This is where the things that actually move the quote go.

1. Both radios are pre-certified modules (one grant pending). We are seeking Part 15
   Subpart B SDoC on the finished product plus an RF exposure evaluation, not
   intentional-radiator certification. Please scope accordingly.

2. The RF exposure pre-calculation is already done, per FCC KDB 447498 D01 section
   4.3.1, at the 5 mm floored separation for a wrist-worn device. BLE at +8 dBm with
   +1 dB tune-up gives a ratio of 2.5 (excluded, against the 3.0 1-g threshold).
   2.4 GHz WiFi at the module's declared 18.24 dBm average gives 26.2 (not excluded).
   5 GHz gives 7.3. We can supply the worksheet.

3. Three questions that change your scope. We would like them answered in the quote:
   - Is a wrist-worn device accepted as an extremity (NT = 7.5 rather than 3.0)?
   - Is the hardware BLE/WiFi coexistence arbitration accepted as preventing
     simultaneous transmission, or must the per-radio ratios be summed?
   - What would a delta re-test to a BLE-only variant cost? (Different Bluetooth
     module, WiFi module depopulated.)

4. Product family request: the two configurations share a PCB but differ in enclosure,
   power arrangement and cabling. We would like worst-case configuration testing
   covering both as a family, with a reduced delta test on the second, if you consider
   that defensible.

5. The current boards are bring-up prototypes, not the shipping revision. Please tell
   us what you require as "production-representative" - stackup, assembly method,
   enclosure - so that we test the right article.

6. Part of the WiFi module's grant condition is firmware configuration (certified
   antenna-gain and band-edge backoff settings). We will declare the values we ship.

7. Anchor-specific: please confirm whether the servo motor drive affects conducted or
   radiated emissions scope, and whether our external-adapter arrangement pulls us into
   any additional conducted-emissions testing.

Reading the answers¶

Item 3 is the one that most affects what you pay, and all three questions are free to ask. Both SAR questions are flagged in launch-plan.md §5 as TCB decisions, not yours.
The BLE-only delta should come back negative on the RF-exposure line. A BLE-only build is SAR-excluded by calculation alone — no phantom, no robot, no 1–2 weeks, no failure-and-retest risk. If a lab quotes that variant as an increase, they have misunderstood the scope, and that is useful signal about the rest of their number.
Item 5 is worth asking before you pay for anything. Board V1 is explicitly not the certification article (launch-plan.md §5) — a quote is useful now, a booking probably is not. Lab booking lead time is 2–6 weeks and is the binding constraint, which is exactly why quoting early and booking late is the right shape.

6. What is still outstanding before booking¶

From FCC Certification.md §7 and launch-plan.md §5, unchanged by this document:

BM20C FCC grant number and status, in writing — BLK-15. Get it before booking a slot.
The BM20C grant conditions once issued — certified antenna type, peak gain, maximum conducted power. The SAR calculation above used the draft datasheet's +8 dBm; the grant's declared maximum is the number that actually governs.
The chip-antenna keepout fix. Board V1 puts the WM02C's 7.4 mm antenna area over the four-layer stackup instead of overhanging the board edge — a known deviation from the module's mounting rules, tracked in Todos.md.