Canada ISED Update No.2 | RSS Gen Issue 6: Analysis of General Compliance Standards for Radio Frequency Equipment

Last week, we mentioned that Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) released RSS 310 Issue 6: Licence Exempt Radio Frequency Devices – Category II Equipment and RSS Gen Issue 6: General Requirements for Radio Frequency Equipment Compliance. In this issue, we will provide a detailed interpretation of the changes introduced in RSS Gen Issue 6.

This revision supersedes RSS Gen Issue 5, which was originally published in April 2018 and subsequently amended twice in 2019 and 2021. As the foundational general standard for Canada’s radio frequency equipment certification, RSS Gen applies to most radio equipment seeking ISED certification in Canada.

A one year transition period is in effect. After the transition period expires, Issue 6 will become mandatory. During the transition period, either Issue 5 or Issue 6 may be used. This article elaborates on the revisions in this release.

Quick Overview of Key Changes in RSS Gen Issue 6

1. Document & AdministrativeProcess Revisions 

     1. Added a dedicated list of abbreviations together with updated terminology definitions.

     2. Clarified transitionperiod rules for standards; manufacturers shall pay close attention to the versionswitch timeline.

     3. Updated the list of normative referenced documents.

     4. Refined rules for deregistration of Class I radio apparatus: equipment without hardware modification does not require reregistration after a standard revision, provided it meets requirements of the updated standard.

     5. New standalone section: Except for licenceexempt radio devices, all radio apparatus including receivers shall hold valid licences.

2. Stricter Laboratory Test Conditions 

     1. Testsite validation: Test sites shall be validated per the updated ANSI/USEMCSC C63 series standards with defined validation cycles.

     2. Mandatory calibration requirements for measuring instruments: maximum calibration interval shall not exceed three (3) years; shorter intervals specified by relevant RSS standards or instrument manufacturers shall prevail.

     3. Supplemented applicability and compliance rules for onsite / insitu measurements.

     4. New appendix providing measurement guidance for radiated emissions below 30MHz.

3. Major Technical Revisions for RF Testing 

     1. Equipment modifications shall be assessed per RSP 100 to judge whether a new certification application is required. Scenarios triggering assessment include: internalcircuit / firmware revisions, replacement of nonoriginal certified antennas, and connection of external power amplifiers to licenceexempt devices.

     2. Updated rules for radio devices equipped with geolocation functions. Where certain operating modes of multijurisdiction devices (e.g. multiregion mobile phones, wireless microphones) support channels or power levels not permitted inside Canada, either condition (a) or (b) must be satisfied:

          (a) Enforce Canadian RF regulatory rules via geolocation capability, or by an accesspoint / primary device with geolocation functionality.

          (b) Full control by an accesspoint / primary device, which guarantees RF parameter compliance of the subordinate radio unit.

     3. Revised power supply test requirements: Standard test voltages shall lie within ±5% of the manufacturer rated nominal voltage. For multi supplyvoltage equipment, testing may be performed only under the worstcase voltage condition with clear statements inside test reports. Battery powered devices shall be tested under fullycharged status.

     4. Defined extrapolation workflow for radiatedemission measurements:

          Nearfield region: 40dB/decade before reaching farfield boundary; 20dB/decade beyond the farfield boundary.

          Farfield region: 20dB/decade.

     5. Specified default detector types for transmitter power measurements; clarified measurement requirements for conducted and radiated transmit power.

     6. Defined detector types and measurement bandwidth parameters for spurious emission testing.

     7. For devices operating above 95GHz, the upper frequency limit for spurious unwanted emission testing is extended to 750GHz, greatly expanding test scope for new generation millimetrewave and terahertz radio apparatus.

4. Adjustment of Equipment Scope 

     ● Standalone receiver only units and passive RFID tags are removed from RSS Gen scope and transferred under RSS 310. Compliance assessment for these products shall follow RSS 310 instead of RSS Gen.

     ● Clarified applicability of receiver limit values; refined conducted and radiated spurious emission limits for receivers.

5. Optimized Labelling Rules (Beneficial for Miniature Devices) 

     1. QR code labels are permitted as an alternative to traditional physical printed labels.

     2. For ultrasmall devices (maximum edge ≤2.5cm): label information may be placed in user manuals or packaging without prior ISED approval.

     3. For small devices (maximum edge >2.5cm): where physical labelling is impractical and elabelling is unavailable, manufacturers must obtain prior ISED approval to place label content within manuals or packaging.

     4. Appendix B formalizes compliance requirements for electronic labelling (elabel):

             ▶ B.1 General Rules

                  ① Devices with built in displays: elabel information can be shown directly on the local screen.

                  ② Devices without local display, select one

                          a. Audio announcement;

                          b. Screen / audio output from mandatory companion external equipment (wired, Bluetooth, WiFi connection).

                         Audio output shall support both English and French; devices shall be equipped with loudspeaker or headphone jack.

                  ③ Elabels for radio modules integrated into host products:

                          a. Where secure authenticated interfaces exist between module and host: module ISED certificate number can be displayed via host screen / audio output; descriptions of security protocols must be submitted within certification documentation.

                          b. Without secure authenticated interfaces: module certificate number shall be factory programmed and locked against third party modification; information shall be displayed via host screen / audio output. 

                 ④ If both label statements and user manual content are presented electronically, clear differentiation shall be maintained between the two sets of information.

             ▶ B.2 Accessibility

                  ① Instructions for accessing elabels and electronic user manuals shall be provided in user guides, packaging or official product webpages. If hosted on webpages, webpage links shall be printed on packaging, and web resources must remain freely accessible throughout the Canadian product lifecycle. Access instructions shall be documented within test reports.

                  ② Label access shall not require special passwords or dedicated accessories. Access shall be achievable within maximum three menu navigation steps starting from the main menu.

             ▶ B.3 Mandatory Packaging Requirements for Products Using Only Elabels

                  Even for products relying entirely on electronic labelling, physical marking is mandatory for importation and distributionsale:

                  ● For bulk goods without individual retail packaging: removable adhesive stickers are acceptable.

                  ● Removable labels shall withstand transportation conditions and may only be removed by endusers post purchase.

                  ● For finished goods with individual retail packaging, physical labels shall be printed directly onto the packaging substrate.

             ▶ B.4 Security Provisions

             Elabel and electronic manual content shall be pre configured by the responsible vendor. Normal enduser operations including APP installation or menu navigation must not allow modification or deletion of label information.

RSS Gen as the “basic standard” governing Canadian radio device compliance. Issue 6 brings multi dimensional updates covering administrative workflows, test methodologies, labelling schemes and equipment scope classification. Wireless products exported to Canada including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, IoT modules, RFID and millimetrewave equipment will be impacted to varying degrees.

Should you require support with ISED certification, standard interpretation or preassessment for Canadian market access, please contact BTL for technical assistance.