The test-house manager’s perspective continued:
At well over a quarter of a million dollars just to replace the existing 26-1000MHz amplifier and the same again to cover 1-6GHz at 200W (will take two amplifiers), the test manager will need to justify half a million dollars for the amplifiers alone. And the total will likely rise to around $600,000 or more with other equipment purchases plus the fee to the system integrator.
The $600,000 will need to be paid for through increased revenue. If we assume a target break-even time of 36 months, the test manager will need to see additional revenue of approximately $17,000 per month.
The medical equipment manufacturer’s perspective:
The medical equipment manufacturer (and ultimately medical patients) will have to foot this bill. So let’s turn our attention to the medical equipment manufacturer’s point of view. A little thought on the matter highlights that it is not just a case of a potential increase in rates per test-day, but more likely, the greatest increased cost will come from the fact that it will be harder to get the product through immunity testing. For instance, products that comply to the current revision of the standard are extremely unlikely to pass the higher stress levels and possible extended frequency. The increased costs include the repeat tests after failure and the extra engineering involved in the fixes. It is quite probable that new products will have launch delays that could stretch out to months of expensive delays.
-Tom Mullineaux
RF Engineer
Presenter
Freelance Author
