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Power Base Module — US Charger (232507)

Certification scope and ratings for the EverTag Power Base Module (article 232507, US) — the lower housing of the EverTag Station. This is a self-contained, custom NEMA 5-15 duplex pass-through outlet product with an integrated USB Class 2 power supply, supplied complete (enclosure + electronics) by the power-module supplier.

Scope of this page

This page captures CargoBeacon's certification requirements for the supplier-built US charger, including its labeling (§6) and supplier-alignment (§7) sections. Mechanical deliverables (3D models, supplier contact) live in Supplier Deliverables → Power Base Module; the formal test matrix is in the Lab Test Plan. For the universal / interchangeable-plug variant see EU / Worldwide Charger.

1. Summary

Field Value
Article 232507 (US)
Product Power Base Module (lower housing) — duplex NEMA 5-15 pass-through + integrated USB charger
Model designation EverTag Power module (US)
ETL Listee / product owner CargoBeacon AB
Manufacturer (supplier) TBD — builds complete charger (enclosure + electronics)
Phase 1 market United States only (private homes)
NRTL route ETL (Intertek) Listing
Status Not started

Listee vs Manufacturer

CargoBeacon AB is the ETL Listee / product owner — the entity named on the listing and label. The manufacturer is the power-module supplier that builds the enclosure + electronics. Both appear in the UL/ETL file: the Listee on the mark, the manufacturer's factory for the file/inspection.

2. Architecture

The EverTag Station is two separate housings that snap together. The Power Base Module is the lower housing and is certified independently of the Connectivity Module:

  • A single NEMA 5-15P male plug (back) feeds an isolated AC-DC flyback converter.
  • The converter provides a Class 2-limited 5 V / 2 A USB-C output to the Connectivity Module via two USB-C receptacles (top + bottom edge) so the module always mounts facing up in both ground-prong-up and ground-prong-down outlets. No USB-PD; no user-facing USB.
  • A duplex (two-outlet) NEMA 5-15 pass-through lets the user keep both wall sockets. The Connectivity Module is powered internally from mains, so both pass-through outlets remain available for other devices.

Because the USB rail is Class 2-limited on the ETL listing, the downstream Connectivity Module stays outside the high-voltage safety domain and can be certified independently.

3. Certification scope

To sell the Power Base Module in the United States and Canada, it must satisfy three independent areas — each run by a different authority and proven in a different way:

  • Electrical safety — it won't give a shock or start a fire.
  • EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) — it won't spray electrical noise that disturbs nearby radios, TVs, or WiFi.
  • Energy efficiency — it doesn't waste power, especially when idle.

Each area has a US rule and a Canadian equivalent. Phase 1 ships US-only; Canada is a small add-on (the same safety tests, plus the Canadian EMC and efficiency filings).

Area United States Canada Status
Electrical safety UL 498 + UL 1310 (ETL Listed mark; UL 62368-1 acceptable alternative for the power unit — see §3.1) Same under the cETLus mark Not started
EMC / electrical noise FCC Part 15 Subpart B (SDoC) ISED ICES-003 Not started
Energy efficiency DoE Level VI NRCan Energy Efficiency Regulations Required — quote pending

Quick glossary (these come up below)

NRTL = Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory — a lab the US government authorises to certify product safety. ETL = the safety mark from Intertek, one such NRTL. UL = Underwriters Laboratories, who write the safety standards (the number is the standard; the mark shows who tested to it). cETLus = the same ETL mark with a leading "c" = also accepted in Canada. FCC = Federal Communications Commission (US radio/EMC regulator). ISED = Innovation, Science and Economic Development (Canada's equivalent). DoE = US Department of Energy. NRCan = Natural Resources Canada. EPS = External Power Supply (a mains-to-low-voltage adapter — our USB converter counts as one). SDoC = Supplier's Declaration of Conformity (a self-declaration route — no government-accredited lab is legally required).

3.1 Electrical safety — ETL Listing (UL 498 + UL 1310)

  • UL 498 — duplex NEMA 5-15 pass-through (attachment plugs and receptacles).
  • UL 1310 — integrated AC-DC Class 2 power unit (mains input through to the 5 V / 2 A USB output). Covers isolation, spacing, temperature rise, fault behaviour, and output limiting — not just the USB rail rating.
  • Purpose: Prove the product cannot cause electric shock or fire in normal use or under a single fault. The listing must explicitly document Class 2-limited USB output so the Connectivity Module stays outside the mains safety domain.
  • How it's done: Supplier sends samples to Intertek (ETL). The lab runs dielectric, temperature-rise, and fault tests, audits the factory, and issues an ETL Listing. The product carries the ETL Listed mark; cETLus extends the same listing to Canada. This is the supplier's main quoted item.

UL 62368-1 as an alternative

Some NRTLs evaluate the same power unit under UL 62368-1 instead of UL 1310, documenting the USB output as Class 2 / LPS. CargoBeacon accepts either path — one power-unit standard on the listing, not both. UL 498 is always required for the pass-through outlets.

3.2 Electrical noise / EMC — FCC Part 15B (US) & ICES-003 (Canada)

  • What it is: An AC-DC switching converter generates high-frequency electrical "hash". FCC Part 15 Subpart B (US) and ICES-003 (Canada) limit that noise for unintentional radiators — devices that have no radio but still emit noise.
  • Purpose: Make sure the charger doesn't interfere with TVs, radios, WiFi, or other electronics in the home.
  • How it's done: Measure conducted noise (fed back onto the mains wires) and radiated noise (through the air) using the ANSI C63.4 test method. The route is SDoC — a self-declaration, so no government-accredited lab is legally required: the supplier (or any competent EMC lab) produces the emissions data, and CargoBeacon signs the declaration as the responsible party. This is separate from the UL safety tests — UL does not measure emissions.

3.3 Energy efficiency — DoE Level VI (US) & NRCan (Canada)

  • What it is: Our integrated USB converter is an EPS (External Power Supply). The US DoE Level VI standard — and Canada's NRCan Energy Efficiency Regulations, which use the same limits — cap how inefficient an EPS may be, both while charging (active-mode average) and while sitting idle (no-load draw).
  • Purpose: Cut wasted electricity, especially the "vampire" power drawn when nothing is plugged into the USB.
  • How it's done: Measure efficiency at several load points plus no-load, compare against the Level VI limits, record it in a short test report, and print the "VI" efficiency mark on the label. Most modern 10 W flyback designs already pass, so this is usually just a report + marking, not a redesign. Separate from UL — UL sets no efficiency limit.

LPS / MOOP / OVP / OCP / SCP

You may see these in supplier specs: LPS (Limited Power Source — the UL 62368-1 term for a Class 2-limited output), MOOP (Means of Operator Protection), OVP / OCP / SCP (Over-Voltage / Over-Current / Short-Circuit Protection). These are design features the lab verifies during the UL 1310 evaluation (or the equivalent checks under UL 62368-1) — not separate certifications you purchase.

4. Electrical ratings

Parameter Rating Notes
AC input 120 V AC, 60 Hz US listing only (Phase 1). Converter may be universal-capable, but the product is marked/listed US.
Pass-through Duplex NEMA 5-15R, 15 A / 125 V Must handle a 15 A pass-through load
DC output 5 V / 2 A (10 W), isolated, Class 2 USB Type-C; no PD
Output current management Connectivity Module budgets its own draw (battery charge + WiFi + future LTE) to stay within the 5 V / 2 A envelope So the rated output is a fixed 10 W regardless of Connectivity Module variant
Efficiency DoE Level VI (active-mode avg + no-load) "VI" mark on label

5. Enclosure / material

Both housings (upper 232506 + lower 232507) use the same plastic: supplier grade Loton 5420HE — flame-retardant polycarbonate (PC), halogen-free, UL94 V-0 @ 1.5 mm (Jianghe Material Technology (Suzhou) / UDM). See the material datasheet and 232506 Enclosure Design.

6. Labeling (US)

The ETL/UL listing requires the following marks and rating information on the product. Markings are placed on the side of the male receptacle housing.

  • NRTL Mark: ETL Listed Mark (Intertek), per the listing standards (UL 498 + UL 1310, or UL 498 + UL 62368-1 if the lab uses that path). Use cETLus if Canada is added.
  • Input rating: 120 VAC / 60 Hz.
  • Pass-through rating: Duplex NEMA 5-15R, 15 A / 125 V.
  • Output rating: Isolated 5 V / 2 A USB Type-C (Class 2).
  • Efficiency mark: DoE Level VI.
  • Model: EverTag Power module (US).
  • Listee: CargoBeacon AB (name + address). The power-module supplier is the manufacturer of record (factory in the UL/ETL file).

Property / resale

The Power Base variants are solely the property of CargoBeacon and may not be sold as a stand-alone product to other customers or used in third-party marketing material.

For user-manual legal statements (FCC / ISED / CE), see Labeling & Manual Requirements.

7. Supplier alignment & expected deliverables

Review process

This spec will be shared with the power-module supplier for review. The aim is alignment on the key aspects below — not sign-off on every small detail. The supplier builds the complete Power Base; CargoBeacon AB is the ETL Listee / product owner. Most certification/test outputs are supplier deliverables; CargoBeacon supplies the listee identity, model name, and label artwork.

# Aspect Owner Expected output (what "aligned" looks like) Status
1 UL 498 + UL 1310 (or UL 62368-1) Supplier → lab ETL Listing for duplex pass-through + Class 2 USB charger; Class 2 output, OVP/OCP/SCP verified on the listing Open
2 DoE Level VI efficiency Supplier Active-mode + no-load test report; "VI" efficiency mark on label Open
3 Enclosure material Supplier Loton 5420HE UL94 V-0 — UL recognition / Yellow Card at the molded wall thickness Open
4 USB-C receptacle Supplier Connector spec/PN that reliably mates the module's GCT USB4155-03-C plug; top + bottom receptacles Open
5 FCC Part 15B (SDoC) Supplier → lab Conducted/radiated emissions data for the AC-DC switcher Open
6 Electrical ratings Supplier Confirm 120 VAC / 60 Hz input, duplex 15 A / 125 V pass-through, 5 V / 2 A Class 2 output To confirm
7 Mechanical Supplier Enclosure 3D model (have CB-1017-05-01 rev E); confirmed snap-fit to Connectivity Module Partial
8 Listee & label CargoBeacon Legal name + address (CargoBeacon AB), model "EverTag Power module" (US), ETL mark artwork & placement CargoBeacon to supply
9 Manufacturer identity Supplier Factory name + address for the UL/ETL file and factory inspection TBD