The original NES has a label printed onto it that the device would not "cause harmful interference". Why would they write that? Did people think the NES might be dangerous? Is this some kind of legal thing?
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11Much the same notice exists on the bottom of the keyboard I bought new a few months ago, and if live in the US you can probably find it either on any of the modern devices you own or in their accompanying documentation. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FCC_mark– user722Oct 27, 2019 at 17:12
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24That label is a standard disclaimer of manufacturers to state that their devices work within the boundaries set by FCC rules. You my find exactly the same wording on next to anything from toasters to TV sets. It's nothing related to (retro) consoles in particular. Check FCC Class 15 for more– RaffzahnOct 27, 2019 at 17:38
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were these label relatively new at the time?– BadasahogOct 27, 2019 at 17:44
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3The FCC was founded in 1934, to replace an earlier organization, but the first US law regulating radio transmission (and interference) was passed in 1912. Part 15 of the FCC regulations dates from 1975, but before that computer equipment was covered by other parts of the regulations. It's not just about radiation harmful to humans, but unwanted interference to other users - anything from getting interference patterns on you own TV set, to interfering with emergency services using radio, etc.– alephzeroOct 27, 2019 at 17:50
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2 Answers
Any electronic equipment using radio frequencies which is sold in the USA has to be tested to show that it doesn't cause interference to other equipment, and also that it doesn't fail in a dangerous manner if it is subjected to interference from other devices.
"Interference" could be anything from messing up the display on your own TV, through disrupting radio communications by the emergency services etc, up to the (very unlikely, for a games console) possibility of causing health risks.
The first USA legislation controlling use of radio equipment was passed in 1912. The FCC was founded in 1934, replacing an earlier enforcement organization, and with a name change from "radio" to "communications" reflecting the wider use of technology - i.e. the FCC also covers cable communications, not just radio transmissions.
The actual regulations have changed over time as new technology is developed. Part 15 of the regulations dates from 1975, but previously computer equipment would probably have been covered by a more general regulation.
Other countries have similar regulations and regulatory organizations, but most major countries accept each other's regulatory standards - i.e. FCC compliance is generally acceptable world wide, not just in the USA.
answered Oct 27, 2019 at 18:03
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5The last paragraph is not strictly true. While many of the EMC and safety rules are similar FCC is not accepted directly in the EU. Products placed on the market have to be certified to comply with the european regulations and are (CE) marked accordingly. The same is true for other jurisdictions, just look at the labels on the average laptop power supply and spend a fun hour or two decoding them all.– uɐɪOct 28, 2019 at 10:37
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1@Bilkokuya I'm pretty sure it's any electronic device, as any current in any wire can produce radio waves.– Sam DeanOct 28, 2019 at 14:27
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2@Bilkokuya: It covers any device which emits radio frequencies, intentionally or unintentionally. There are different parts of the regulations that cover “intentional” radiators and “unintentional” radiators. The NES falls under unintentional because it is not designed to emit radio frequencies. Oct 28, 2019 at 14:27
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1@DietrichEpp, I forget exactly how the NES connects to a TV, but in most cases it involved a coax cable, and a coax cable transmits... RF signals.– JPhi1618Oct 28, 2019 at 16:15
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3It needs to be pointed out that the NES came out not too long after the FCC kerfuffle with the TI-99. They kept playing with the 15 rules during the late 1970s, and it got to the point that you had to encase your machine in a faraday cage to pass the required testing. Thus the interior of the Atari machines - look at a picture of the 400's interior some time! Meanwhile Apple sold machines without any shielding by having the RF mod be sold by a fake 3rd party. TI got *royally POed and had the law changed around 1980. Labeling was still major when the NES dropped. Oct 29, 2019 at 18:38
Pretty much every piece of electronics that's sold in the US, and may potentially be powered off the AC mains, has a label like that on it somewhere. It is basically a legal requirement... no certification, not legal to plug in and use outside of some very limited circumstances. And I think it's actually harder / more complicated to get certified for home equipment than for offices; there's some urban myth that off-white casings became de rigeur for PC-type computers and other items of office paraphenalia (vs woodgrain or other more interesting designs) in order to mark out those which weren't licensed for use outside of that setting (a bit like educational equipment being bright orange to deter theft), which obviously died a death as a useful visual cue once manufacturers just started using the same casings for all their models regardless of license.
Wasn't always a thing, I think it was an optional certification at first, but became more stringently required after home computers/consoles and VCRs started becoming popular and the more poorly made ones were found to emit ludicrous amounts of RF that actually could interfere with other devices, sometimes catastrophically (OK, it's annoying if it disrupts your TV program, worse if it smokes your TV, but think about how many other device it'd be far less amusing to have that happen to), as well as being vulnerable to outside interference (e.g. the ignition of an old and similarly poorly grounded/shielded car driving past), so they're probably more prominent on 80s machines when it was still a relatively novel thing.
Look around the other things you have scattered about and you'll likely start finding loads of them, in all manner of unexpected places.
