Element Columbia Mendenhall (formerly PCTEST)
Part of Element Materials Technology
More labs in this area: EMC testing in Maryland
Columbia, Maryland, United States
9017 Mendenhall Ct, Suite F/G, Columbia, Maryland, 21045, United States
About
Element's Columbia Mendenhall laboratory is a Connected Technologies testing and certification facility located in Columbia, Maryland, forming part of Element's multi-building Columbia campus. Originally established as part of PCTEST Engineering Laboratory — founded in 1989 by former FCC engineers and acquired by Element in 2020 — the Mendenhall facility rapidly became a specialist in SAR, wireless, and RF compliance testing for the international mobile device and cellular industry. The lab's core capabilities center on Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) testing using advanced DASY6 scanning systems with anatomically correct phantoms, Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC) testing, Over the Air (OTA) antenna performance testing, and 5G testing across both FR1 and mmWave (FR2) frequency ranges. The facility is authorized by CTIA/PTCRB and GCF, and became a Verizon Wireless Authorized Test Facility for 4G/LTE in 2011. It has since expanded into 5G NR RF, RRM, and protocol conformance testing, having certified the first U.S. 5G device. EMC/EMI testing and certification, RF parametric testing, battery safety testing, acoustics testing, and protocol testing round out the service offering. A major expansion in 2021 added extensive EMC and RF testing chambers, safety testing for normal and misuse conditions, and additional OTA capacity, bringing the Columbia campus footprint to over 65,000 square feet with 130 dedicated experts. The Mendenhall location works in tandem with Element's nearby Columbia Oakland Mills facility, and together they provide one of the most comprehensive wireless device compliance programs on the East Coast. The campus's location within walking distance of the FCC's laboratory and a half hour from Washington, D.C. makes it a preferred partner for major cell phone and smartphone manufacturers worldwide.
Accreditations
| Accreditation |
|---|
| ISO/IEC 17025 |
| A2LA |
Testing Services
| Test Type | Applicable Standards |
|---|---|
| Radiated Emissions | CFR 47 FCC Part 15, Subpart B (using ANSI C63.4:2014), CFR 47 FCC Part 18 (using MP-5:1986), IEC/CISPR 11, EN 55011, KS C 9811, CISPR 14-1 (excluding click and power disturbance), IEC/EN 55014-1, KS C 9814-1, CISPR 15, IEC/EN 55015, IEC/CISPR 22, IEC/EN 55022, IEC/EN 55032, CISPR 32, EN 55103-1, KS C 9832, AS/NZS CISPR 11, AS/NZS CISPR 32, ICES-001, ICES-003, ICES-005, VCCI V-3, VCCI-CISPR 32 (up to 6 GHz), CNS 13803, CNS 13783-1, CNS 13438, CNS 15936 (up to 6 GHz), TCVN 7189 (2009), 3GPP TS 36.124, 3GPP TS 51.010-1, Section 12 (Conducted and Radiated Spurious Emissions), 3GPP TS 38.124, ETSI TS 136 124 LTE; ETSI TS 151 010-1, ETSI TS 138.124 5G; ETSI TS 134.124 3G, Digital Cellular Telecommunications System (Phase 2+) (GSM) |
| Conducted Emissions | CFR 47 FCC Part 15, Subpart B (using ANSI C63.4:2014), CFR 47 FCC Part 18 (using MP-5:1986), IEC/CISPR 11, EN 55011, KS C 9811, CISPR 14-1 (excluding click and power disturbance), IEC/EN 55014-1, KS C 9814-1, CISPR 15, IEC/EN 55015, IEC/CISPR 22, IEC/EN 55022, IEC/EN 55032, CISPR 32, EN 55103-1, KS C 9832, AS/NZS CISPR 11, AS/NZS CISPR 32, ICES-001, ICES-003, ICES-005, VCCI V-3, VCCI-CISPR 32 (up to 6 GHz), CNS 13803, CNS 13783-1, CNS 13438, CNS 15936 (up to 6 GHz), TCVN 7189 (2009), 3GPP TS 36.124, 3GPP TS 51.010-1, Section 12 (Conducted and Radiated Spurious Emissions), 3GPP TS 38.124, ETSI TS 136 124 LTE; ETSI TS 151 010-1, ETSI TS 138.124 5G; ETSI TS 134.124 3G, Digital Cellular Telecommunications System (Phase 2+) (GSM) |
| Radiated Immunity | IEC 61000-4-3, EN 61000-4-3, KS C 9610-4-3 |
| Conducted Immunity | IEC 61000-4-6, EN 61000-4-6, KS C 9610-4-6 |
| ESD | IEC 61000-4-2, EN 61000-4-2, KS C 9610-4-2 |
| EFT/Burst | IEC 61000-4-4, EN 61000-4-4, KS C 9610-4-4 |
| Surge Immunity | IEC 61000-4-5, EN 61000-4-5, KS C 9610-4-5 |
| Harmonics & Flicker | IEC 61000-3-2, EN 61000-3-2, KS C 9610-3-2, IEC 61000-3-3, EN 61000-3-3, KS C 9610-3-3 |
| Voltage Dips/Interrupts | IEC 61000-4-11, EN 61000-4-11, KS C 9610-4-11 |
| Power Frequency Magnetic Field | IEC 61000-4-8, EN 61000-4-8, KS C 9610-4-8 |
Industries Served
| Industry |
|---|
| Aerospace & Defense |
| Consumer Electronics |
| Information Technology |
| Radio & Wireless |
| Telecommunications |