SAR Technical Requirement

MIC MRA International Workshop 30th March 2012

Soichi Watanabe (National Institute of Information and Communication Technology)

Presentation Structure

• Revision of SAR guidelines in Japan

• Current situation of the compliance procedure for the SAR guidelines in Japan

Radio Radiation Protection Guidelines (RRPG) in Japan

• RRPG was formulated in the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications advisory council report in 1990 and revised in 1997.

• Advisory council report in 1997

– Advised a mandatory regulation for Radio Wave Protection Guideline.

– A mandatory regulation should be promoted once conformity assessment method is established internationally.

History of SAR Regulations in Japan (1)

• Formulated the Radio Wave Protection Guideline in 1990.

• Revised the Radio Wave Protection Guideline in 1997.

– Introduced SAR guideline value (Partial-Body Absorption Guideline) for mobile radio terminals

• Formulated the SAR Measurement Method in 2000.

• Enforced the SAR Regulations (radio equipment regulations) from 2002.

• Revised the SAR Measurement Method in 2006 to harmonize with IEC 62209-1:2005.

History of SAR Regulations in Japan (2)

• Initiated discussion for Partial-Body Absorption Guideline over 3 GHz and the SAR measurement method for body-worn devices in 2009 in the advisory council in MIC.

• Revised Partial-Body Absorption Guidelines up to 6 GHz was issued in May, 2011 by the advisory council.

Current SAR Regulations in Japan Article 14-2 of Radio Equipment Regulations

• Specified radio equipment

Limited to the Land Mobile Station which conducts mobile radio communication or the radio equipment

(transmitted information should be limited to telephones or a combination of telephones and other

information devices; mobile wireless terminals which are used near the human head. ) at mobile earth

stations which conduct mobile satellite communication relayed by an artificial satellite station established

on a nongeostationary satellite.

• SAR Regulation Value

The Specific Absorption Rate of a radio wave near a human head which is discharged from specified radio

equipment (the average of any 10 grams of organic tissue; the average of a 6-minute period) should be

below 2W/kg.

• Exceptions

– Radio equipment with average electrical power of less than 20 mW.

– Other than the one mentioned above, radio equipment which is separately notified by the Minister

for Internal Affairs and Communications when the application of this regulation is regarded

unreasonable.

• SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) Measurement Method

– Separately notified by the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications (Notification

No. 628 in 2001, revised in 2006.)

Background for Revising Partial-Body Absorption Guideline

• Current SAR regulations are based on the Partial-Body

Absorption Guidelines of RRPG revised in 1997.

• The current SAR regulations are applied from 100kHz to

3GHz.

• The number of users for mobile radio terminals over

3GHz is expected to increase due to wireless LAN and

next-generation mobile phone terminals, etc.

• Advisory council in 2009

– Local absorption guideline over 3GHz.

A challenge under Review in Revising Patial-Body Absorption Guidelines for a near-by RF Source over 3GHz

Frequency

Distan

ces from

the w

ave sou

rce

10 kHz 100 kHz 1 MHz 10 MHz 100 MHz 1 GHz 10 GHz 100 GHz 0

10 cm

20 cm

300 MHz

Electromagnetic Field Strength Guidelines (E, H, S)

Partial-Body Absorption Guidelines (SAR)

3 GHz No regulations over 3GHz!

The Status under Review in Revising Partial-Body Absorption Guideline

Frequency

Distan

ces from

the w

ave sou

rce

10 kHz 100 kHz 1 MHz 10 MHz 100 MHz 1 GHz 10 GHz 100 GHz 0

10 cm

20 cm

300 MHz

Electromagnetic Field Strength Guidelines (E, H, S)

3 GHz No regulations over 3GHz!

Partial-Body Absorption Guidelines (SAR)

Revision of Partial-Body Absorption Guidelines

Frequency

Distan

ces from

the w

ave sou

rce

10 kHz 100 kHz 1 MHz 10 MHz 100 MHz 1 GHz 10 GHz 100 GHz 0

10 cm

20 cm

300 MHz

Electromagnetic Field Strength Guidelines (E, H, S)

3 GHz 6 GHz

Partial-Body Absorption Guidelines (SAR)

History of SAR Measurement Method in Japan

• Telecommunication technology council report in 2000

Formulated original SAR measurement method in Japan with reference to

other regulations, e.g., European Standard, etc.

• Enforced the Notification No. 628 of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and

Communications in 2001.

• Issued the International Standard (IEC 62209-1) in 2005.

• Information and Communications Council report in 2006

In conformity with the International Standard (IEC 62209-1)

• Revised the Notification in the same year.

SAR Measurement Method in Japan (Notification No. 628)

• With content being almost equivalent to IEC 62209-1:2005, basic

measurement/installation/setting conditions and measurement

procedures, etc., are formulated.

• More detailed conditions/procedures are described in test methods

for specified radio equipment (attached Table No. 77, Notification

88 ).

Radio wave darkroom or shield

room

Electric field probe

Solutions

Probe scanning machine

Outside shell

Holder

Tested finder

Base station simulator

The SAR Measurement Method for Body-Worn Terminals

• Issuance of IEC 62209-2:2010

– Applied to mobile radio terminals (Body-Worn terminals) which are used close to a human body except for the head.

• In 2011, the advisory council has issued the SAR measurement method on mobile radio terminals for a human body except for the head in compliance with IEC 622209-2.

The Status on Reviewing SAR Measurement Method

• Discuss differences between existing SAR measurement method on mobile radio terminals which are used near a human head and IEC 62209-2 – Flat phantom

– Frequency range

– Measurement position for each set of radio equipment

Position for regular usage

– Multiple frequencies

• In compiling a report proposal, conformity with international standards has been considered as well as the contents of IEC’s international standard and trend/movement toward regulations in Europe and the US.

Thank You!