A certification case that has passed the Initial Review must exist on the Certification Online Portal before starting any work with Pepper One. The URL is as follows:

z-wavecertification.silabs.com

Please contact the Silabs certification manager at z-wavecertification@silabs.com to request a user account for this portal.

When accessing the portal for the first time, please make sure to read the introduction on the Getting Started page. This page contains information about the certification process and how it is handled on the portal.

Please factor in sufficient time for the certification process. Depending on the product type, it usually takes several weeks to get a device through certification.

We tend to have a waiting period of approximately two weeks. This wait time begins when we have received all items that are listed in the section below. We require between two and three days for slave devices and up to five days for controller devices to carry out the actual test runs. Depending on the number of issues we find during our tests, additional time may be required to fix those issues and to perform ad-hoc tests.

When a submitted certification case has passed the Initial Review at Silabs a notification email will be sent to both you and Pepper One. We cannot start to process your product until we have received this notification.

Please contact Pepper One once your certification case has passed the Initial Review. The following items need to be completed in order to get your product in our waiting queue.

• Pepper One must receive a purchase order either by email or by post. The certification fees are listed on the following page: https://www.silabs.com/support/z-wave .
• Pepper One will issue an invoice upon receipt of your PO. Please do not transfer any payment before you have received the invoice.

Pepper One will then put your device into the testing queue after all of the following conditions have been met:

1. The testing facility has received two device samples.
2. The product documentation has been uploaded. It must meet the requirements of all documentation-related form items, explain how your device is used and how it will partake in the testing procedures. It is your responsibility to provide enough explanatory details that the testers can reasonably use the device with the Z-Wave test specifications.
3. A NVR value screen shot has been uploaded.
4. A firmware hex file has been uploaded if the product supports over-the-air firmware updates.
5. Pepper One must have received either payment in full or proof of payment.

All documents and files can be uploaded on the certification online portal. Go to the Files page of your certification case, and upload the files under the correct file type or upload them under Additional Files.

Your device enters the queue once all required conditions have been met.

Please note that the queue may have one or several devices ahead of yours. Pepper One can tell you where you are in the queue but cannot tell you which devices are ahead of yours. Pepper One is also unable to predict the length of time it will take to get to your device; if there are many problems with other devices, testing will take much longer. Some devices are tested quickly while others require extensive documentation for complex issues. We strive to test each and every device with accuracy and efficiency.

If you are pressed for time, we offer a Fast Track service to process your device in a preferred queue.

We will begin testing once your device has reached the first position in the testing queue. Your device will be tested using the Z-Wave test specifications. Our role in the process is to document the results of the test and to report these to the Silabs certification manager. Only the certification manager has the ability to tell you whether your device has passed or failed the certification, or has gone into the ad-hoc resolution phase.

Although unlikely, the testers may contact you during testing to address a specific issue where the documentation is unclear. Overall, there will not be any communication from the testers regarding your product during the testing process. Failures we find are simply documented and reported to the Silabs certification manager.

• We strongly recommend that you are diligent when going through the self-certification process. The Certification Online Portal will guide you through the process and provide detailed instructions about the test procedures that are performed for each of the selected form items. It is rare for certifications to fail on our end for those who have followed the test specifications during the self-certification process.
• Compare your product documentation with the certification document requirements. Many times devices are placed into ad-hoc based solely on documentation; some have even failed. Double check that you have correctly identified which command classes your device actually supports/controls.
  Make sure your product documentation is the user manual and not a software specification document.
• Pack your device appropriately for shipping. If we receive damaged or unusable devices, we require you to ship a fully functioning replacement before we are able to enter the device into the queue.

Once Pepper One has completed the initial test run, the results will be sent back to Silabs. The Silabs certification manager will review the results and decide on the next step of the certification case:

• Technical tests are done if no issues were found. Please note that Silabs is not able to pass the certification if the market certification has not already been approved by the Z-Wave Alliance.
• The device will be placed into the ad-hoc resolution phase if there are a small number of minor issues. During this 30-day period, the sent-in device will be re-tested for free only once if an update or new firmware for the device is available. Each additional device or firmware that is needed to make the device free of errors will be charged according to the certification fee schedule.
• The certification fails if the device has major issues. A new certification case will need to be created and new fees will apply when the device is resubmitted for another certification attempt.

At least one of the test samples will be kept at the testing facilities for later reference. Unless requested in writing within forty (40) business days, all devices you supply for testing become property of Pepper One GmbH and will not be returned. To request the return of a product, please email us your address and shipping account with the billing post code. We will not return devices without a shipping account.

Our shipping address is:

Pepper One GmbH
Attn: Lydia Kramer
Hauptmarkt 9/10
08056 Zwickau
Germany

Phone: +49 (0) 375-39098695
Email: z-wave@pepper-one.de

Please make sure that all shipping costs are covered by your company. Do not forget to put an invoice/ bill of lading on the outside of the package. This invoice/ bill of lading must contain a list of all parts, as well as their material value and their HS codes. The combined material value should not exceed 150 Euro. Please also include the following statement on the invoice:

“Value for customs purposes only. Intercompany transfer of engineering samples for technical tests/certification.”

Any import taxes that we may be charged with, will be billed accordingly.

Our bank transfer information is:

Beneficiary: Pepper One GmbH
Bank: Sparkasse Zwickau
Bank address: Crimmitschauer Straße 1, 08056 Zwickau, Germany
Account No.: 2242026413
Bank code: 87055000
IBAN: DE55 8705 5000 2242 0264 13
SWIFT/BIC: WELADED1ZWI

or

Beneficiary: Pepper One GmbH
Bank: Commerzbank Zwickau
Bank address: Dr.-Friedrichs-Ring 23, 08056 Zwickau, Germany
Account No.: 700216500
Bank code: 87040000
IBAN: DE22 8704 0000 0700 2165 00
SWIFT/BIC: COBADEFFXXX

The sender of the payment must bear all transfer costs.

Please specify the invoice number in your wire transfer. Otherwise we may not be able to match the payment with your certification case.

Please indicate on your PO to us if you would like to use PayPal as a means of payment. We will need to add a 5% transaction fee to the amount on the invoice if PayPal is used.