| 1 | Regulatory Compliance | Critical | Applicable approval numbers and test reports for the destination market: SRRC in China, CE under the Radio Equipment Directive in the European Union, or FCC authorization in the United States. | Check the approval holder, model number, frequency band, output power, antenna configuration, and report date against official regulatory databases. | A radio may be technically functional but illegal to import or operate if it does not comply with local spectrum rules. |
| 2 | Frequency and Spectrum Fit | Critical | Operating frequency, channel bandwidth, channel spacing, transmit power, duty-cycle limits, and regional frequency plan. | Compare the radio configuration with the national spectrum allocation and the specific license-free or licensed-band requirements of the target country. | Long-distance performance depends heavily on the permitted frequency, bandwidth, antenna, terrain, and local interference conditions. |
| 3 | Verified Communication Range | Critical | Tested distance, terrain type, antenna height, line-of-sight conditions, data rate, packet size, and packet delivery percentage. | Request a field-test report and repeat a controlled test using identical antennas, mounting heights, data rates, and environmental conditions. | Advertised range is not a universal specification. Buildings, hills, vegetation, antenna height, and interference can substantially reduce range. |
| 4 | RF Link Budget | Critical | Transmit power in dBm, receiver sensitivity in dBm, antenna gain, cable loss, connector loss, and calculated fade margin. | Check the figures in the RF design calculation. A basic free-space link budget is: received power = transmit power + antenna gains − path loss − cable losses. | Link budget provides a more reliable comparison than distance claims alone and helps predict performance under changing conditions. |
| 5 | Data Rate, Modulation, and Latency | High | Nominal and usable data rate, modulation type, channel bandwidth, spreading or coding settings, packet size, latency, and retransmission behavior. | Measure throughput and end-to-end latency at short, medium, and maximum tested distances using the same payload and test duration. | Higher range often requires lower data rates or stronger error correction. The correct balance depends on the application. |
| 6 | Interference Resistance and Reliability | High | Packet delivery ratio, bit-error performance, retransmission rate, received signal strength, noise level, and operation during channel congestion. | Conduct tests in the intended operating area during normal and busy spectrum conditions. Record results over a sufficiently long observation period. | A stable connection with predictable packet delivery is more important than maximum range for monitoring, control, and safety-related applications. |
| 7 | Weatherproofing and Mechanical Protection | High | IP rating under IEC 60529, enclosure material, impact resistance, connector protection, corrosion resistance, and mounting method. | Verify the laboratory test report and ensure the rating applies to the complete assembled product, including connectors and cable glands. | An IP65 enclosure is dust-tight and protected against water jets; IP67 generally includes temporary immersion testing up to 1 meter for 30 minutes, subject to the test conditions. |
| 8 | Power Consumption and Battery Performance | High | Supply-voltage range, transmit current, receive current, standby current, average duty cycle, battery capacity in Wh, and charging requirements. | Measure current in transmit, receive, and standby modes. Estimate runtime using: runtime in hours = usable battery energy in Wh ÷ average power in W. | Battery life depends on traffic volume, transmit power, temperature, retransmissions, and network duty cycle rather than battery capacity alone. |
| 9 | Environmental Operating Conditions | Medium | Operating and storage temperature, humidity, vibration, shock, altitude limitations, and applicable IEC 60068 environmental test results. | Match the supplier’s stated limits with the actual installation environment and request test conditions rather than accepting temperature claims alone. | Temperature changes, condensation, vibration, and installation altitude can affect battery output, oscillator stability, connectors, and RF performance. |
| 10 | Manufacturing Quality and After-Sales Support | Medium | Quality-management certification, production traceability, incoming inspection, final test records, warranty duration, spare-part availability, firmware policy, and technical response time. | Request sample inspection records, serial-number traceability, corrective-action procedures, warranty terms, and a written support service-level agreement. | Consistent production and responsive support reduce deployment risk, replacement delays, and long-term maintenance costs. |