MoCA Certification Policies and Procedures
Version 3.1
December 7, 2011
Table of Contents
1Purpose
2Reference Documents
3Definitions
4Plugfests
5The Certification Process
6Interoperability Tests with PCMDs
7Certification of Previously Certified MoCA Devices
7.1Modified Devices
7.2MoCA Re-certification Guidelines
7.3Procedure for Re-certification including derivatives
7.4Procedure for Certification of Identical Devices
8Special Requests for Certification
8.1Special Procedures Needed for Testing
8.2Non-conventional Self Tests
9Certification Monitoring by MoCA
10Certwaves
10.1Certwave Attendees
10.2Location
10.3Certwave Registration and Fees
11Golden Nodes
11.1Golden Node Validation Testing
11.1.1Plan for Self Testing of 1.0 Candidate GNs
11.1.2Plan for Self Testing of 1.1 Candidate GNs
11.2Distribution of Golden Nodes
11.3MoCA use of Golden Nodes
11.4Addition of Golden Nodes to the Test Platform
11.5Removal of Golden Nodes from the Test Platform
11.6Assignment of selected GNs to the Test Platform
12Confidentiality of Results
13Certificate of Compliance
14Certification Board Response to Appeals and Test Issues
14.1During Testing at the MoCA Independent Testing Contractor
14.2At end Of Testing at the MoCA Independent Testing Contractor
15Use of the MoCA Certification Logo
16Product Interoperability Problems
16.1Possible CB responses and remedies:
17Disclaimers
18Appendix A. Re-certification Guidelines Table
19Appendix B. Certification Fees
20Appendix C. OSP Specific Features and Modes of Operation
21Appendix D. OSP Product Mark Specification
MoCA Certification Policies and Procedures
CONFIDENTIALITY. This document and each element of this document are the Confidential Information of the Multimedia Over Coax Alliance (MoCA) and of the MoCA members that contributed to this document. Your use of this document is subject to your agreement with MoCA, including without limitation the obligations of confidentiality. Both MoCA and such MoCA members may enforce such obligations of confidentiality. You may not distribute this document to any person or entity other than as expressly set forth in your agreement with MoCA. No part of this document may be modified, reproduced, otherwise distributed or displayed, in any form or by any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of MoCA.
IMPORTANT NOTICE. THIS DOCUMENT AND THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND “WITH ALL FAULTS”. NEITHER MOCA NOR ANY MEMBER OF MOCA MAKES ANY REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND WHATSOEVER WITH RESPECT TO (A) THIS DOCUMENT, (B) ANY PRODUCT OR DEVICE THAT IS CERTIFIED AS “MOCA COMPLIANT” USING THE PROCESS AND PROCEDURES DESCRIBED IN THIS DOCUMENT, (C)THE INTEROPERABILITY OF ANY SUCH PRODUCT OR DEVICE WITH ANY OTHER PRODUCT OR DEVICE, (D) MOCA’S ABILITY OR REQUIREMENT TO CERTIFY ANY PARTICULAR DEVICE OR PRODUCT, OR (E) ANY CLAIM OR RIGHT TO REQUEST OR HAVE MOCA TEST OR CERTIFY ANY DEVICE OR PRODUCT. MOCA AND MOCA MEMBERS DISCLAIM ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ACCURACY, NON-INFRINGEMENT AND TITLE. NEITHER MOCA NOR ANY MEMBER OF MOCA MAKES ANY REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES THAT THE CONTENTS OF THE DOCUMENT ARE COMPLETE, ACCURATE OR SUITABLE FOR ANY PURPOSE OR THAT ANY PRODUCT, REFERENCE DESIGN OR OTHER IMPLEMENTATION WILL NOT INFRINGE ANY PATENTS, COPYRIGHTS OR OTHER RIGHTS. USE OF THIS DOCUMENT IS AT YOUR SOLE RISK.
This MoCA Certification Policies and Procedures document is subject to change and revision by MoCA from time to time.
1Purpose
This document specifies the rules, policies and procedures to certify and recertify a device or product as MoCA certified or certified, where the terms “MoCA certified” and “certified” mean that the specific device passes the requirements set forth in the then-current MoCA Certification Test Plan as determined by the MoCA Certification Board (CB). The technical details are specified separately in the appropriate reference documents. Only MoCA members (“members”) may submit devices or products for certification.
2Reference Documents
[1] MoCA MAC/PHY Specification and published approved errata documents.
[2] MoCA Certification Test Plan and published approved errata documents
3Definitions
MoCA Independent Testing Contractor – A third party test facility authorized to perform Certification testing for MoCA members. See the MoCA website ( for the list of authorized Independent Testing Contractors and their capabilities.
Test Platform – The test bed used to perform DUT certification testing and CTP validation tests whichconsists ofspecific Golden Nodes, test equipment, test loops, resistive networks and the associated software used in the testing.
4Plugfests
Plugfests are events where members can bring equipment to run test procedures and test interoperability with other MoCA compliant devices. Plugfest attendees are limited to (i) MoCA members who have brought designs or products to test, (ii) persons needed to manage and setup the Plugfest, and (iii) to MoCA members specifically designated by the MoCA CB. MoCA may, at it’s sole discretion, open up Plugfest attendance to all members, regardless of the conditions above if disclosed prior to the sign up of attendees.
Fees MAY be charged for attending Plugfests. The then-current fee schedule and deadlines will be posted on the MoCA web site or provided directly to applicants. After plugfests have been scheduled, members can register throughthe MoCA website ( or through email at .
5The Certification Process
To go through the certification process, a member must complete the following steps:
a)Contact a MoCA IndependentTesting Contractor( pay all fees as per Appendix B, or register for an infrequentMoCA Certwave (§10) if one is scheduled.
b)Self test the device according to the MoCA Certification Test Plan [2].If there is a problem such as referenced in §8 (Special Requests for Certification) that will prevent a self test or certification testing according to the Certification Test Plan, because of the nature of the device, the member should contact the MoCA CB in advance to resolve the problem.
c)Submit a completed self test template and Affidavit of MoCA Self Testto the MoCA Certification Board at erifying that (i)the product has passed the self test by complying with all the tests specified in the thencurrent MoCA Certification Test Plan that apply to the product and (ii) the member now believes the product is ready for testing compliance. Also submita copy of the completed self test template to the MoCA independent testing contractor. No self test data will be accepted by the CB later than 3 weeks after the MoCA Certified test lab completes the test and posts the test results. Completed certification tests that do not have accompanying self test data after the 3 week deadline will become invalid and will need to be repeated again.
It is strongly recommended that self test be completed and the results submitted before the certification test begins. If any problems occur during certification, it may be difficult for the CB to resolve the problems without self test data available and may compromise the member’s ability to pass the certification test or raise an appeal.
d)Bring the number of units, as required by the MoCA Certification Test Plan of the device to be certified along with any equipment and/or software needed to configure the devices for testing.
Features or modes of operation of a device listed in Appendix C are only allowed when specifically required on behalf of a MoCA approved OSP. If a device implements any of these features or modes of operation, the device must ship with the Product Mark of the OSP requiring that feature or mode of operation on the device. That OSP Product Mark must match the OSP Product Mark specification stored as part of MoCA OSP registration database. Appendix D describes the OSP Product Mark Specification.
In addition, intermediate devices (e.g. bridging devices from MoCA to another interface) must be able to accept Ethernet traffic. Any supplemental devices needed to provide an Ethernet interface point to the member’s device must be supplied by the member.
The member is responsible for providing any special test equipment and other equipment that is necessary to perform the MoCA Certification Test Plan.
If any of these conditions cannot be met because of the nature of the device, see §8 (Special Requests for Certification).
e)Leave 2 of the certified devices with MoCA (or MoCA Independent Testing Contractor), along with any equipment and software necessaryto run the same applications or products that were used during certification testing. These will be used by MoCA for certification of other devices at future certifications or for use at Plugfests. Such devices will be stored and managed by MoCA or an independent entity selected by MoCA, including without limitation the MoCA management company. The device may not be returned to the member by MoCA, at MoCA’s sole discretion.
f)Provide on call support during future certification testing for the next 2 years, and a manual for operation of their equipment.
If the member cannot supply a device for some reason, the CB may waive the requirement at their sole discretion before the certification. The member must contact the CB to request and explain the waiver request in advance of the certification testing, so that the CB has time to review the request.
The certified devices that are left with MoCA as specified above shall be without charge to MoCA or other contractors, and MoCA may retain all such devices indefinitely and without obligation to the member submitting the device.
6Interoperability Tests with PCMDs
The CWG will approve and publish the list of PCMDs that will be used in MoCA interoperability tests.
7Certification of Previously Certified MoCA Devices
Previously Certified MoCA Devices (“PCMD”) which may need to be MoCA certified again because of modifications or model number changes may be eligible to receive certification with notesting or reduced certification testing requirements. This section describes the certification process for both Modified Devices and Identical Devices which are based on the certification of a PCMD.
7.1Modified Devices
A “Modified Device” is defined as any previously certified MoCA device which has been modified in any way (e.g. HW or SW) that could affect its ability to continue to be MoCA compliant. Regardless of previous certifications, members must evaluate all modifications according to the requirements in MoCA Re-certification Guidelines Table below and, if required by the CB, must submit the Modified Device to MoCA for recertification. All Modified Devices must be recertified by MoCA, or must have other specific written permission provided to the member by MoCA, before shipping any of the Modified as MoCA compliant.
7.2MoCA Re-certification Guidelines
The MoCA Re-certification Guidelines in Table 3of Appendix A lists different types of modifications and the corresponding re-certification requirements. Modifications described in the column of the table titled “No MoCA submission required”will not affect the MoCA operation of the deviceand therefore do not require any submissions to MoCA, such devices are not considered Modified Devices. Other modifications may only require submission of self test data to MoCA without a formal MoCA certification test. Modifications that may directly impact the MoCA operation require full certification testing.
If a family of devices is to be submitted with one model seeking complete certification with related derivative models to be submitted via recertification procedures, it is recommended that the fully populated model be submitted for complete certification.
The member must comply with this document with respect to the certification of Modified Devices.
The CB reserves the right to modify the table as needed. It is each member’s responsibility to use the most current table to evaluate the recertification requirements for any Modified Device. To receive certification of a Modified Device, a member must follow the procedure for re-certification in the next section. MoCA posts updates to the table on the MoCA website.
7.3Procedure for Re-certificationincluding derivatives
The procedure for obtaining re-certification is detailed in the MoCA Re-certification Form at includes:
a)The MoCA member submits a description to the CB of the hardware and/or software changes that have been made to the device since the previous certification, and the impact of each of those changes on the MoCA operation of the device.
b)The MoCA member requests a waiver for the certification testing or a portion thereof and explains the rationale behind the request. The member should explain how the self test results show that the modifications do not impact the previous certification results.
c)The member pays the required feeas per Appendix B.
d)The CB will look at the description of changes and determine what, if any, certification testing is required. Possible actions by the CB include:
- Requiring the member to submit self-test data for the new device and then granting a new certification of the Modified Device. The member will be charged the standard MoCA Recertification fee.
- Requiring the member to submit self-test data for the new device, and then complete full certification testing, or a subset of the certification testing as determined by the CB. Additional fees may be imposed, depending on the additional certification testing needed.
e)The CB may require the member seeking re-certification to supply 2 operating devices to MoCA, or MoCA’s independent testing contractor, which will not be returned and may be tested for verification. If the member cannot supply a device for some reason, the CB may waive the requirement at its sole discretion.
f)If recertification is granted, the CB will issue a new certificate with a new certification ID. The member may request the previous certificate is removed from the public MoCA website.
If problems arise about the MoCA certification of a Modified Device or aModified Device’s ability to comply with the MoCA Specification by users or consumers, then MoCA certification testing of the re-certified devices may be required by the CB at the expense of the company seeking certification.
7.4Procedure for Certification of Identical Devices
An “Identical Device” is a MoCA device which is the same as a PCMD, except for a change in the certification information such as the model number and or the submitting member’s name. Because an Identical Device is the same as a PCMD, it requires no MoCA testing to be granted certification, but still needs to be registered with MoCA as a certified device. Common examples of Identical Devices are:
- A change in the model number from the PCMD’s Certificate of Compliance.
- A change in the submitting member’s company name which is different from the name on the PCMD Certificate of Compliance.
- Inclusion of the PCMD inside a new product, which requires no new MoCA certification testing according to the MoCA Re-certification Guidelines, but still needs to be registered with MoCA.
MoCA waives all certification testing and self test requirements for “Identical Devices”.
The requirements to certify an Identical Device are specified in the MoCA Re-certification Form and include the following:
a)The member must pay the Identical Device Certification Fee as per Appendix B.
b)The member submitting an Identical Device must obtain permission from the MoCA member that received certification for a PCMD to use that PCMD’s certification as a basis for certification of the Identical Device.
c)The CB may require the member seeking certification for an Identical Device re-certification to supply 2 operating devices to MoCAor MoCA’s independent testing contractor, which will not be returned and may be tested for verification. If the member cannot supply a device for some reason, the CB may waive the requirement at their discretion.
d)If identical device certification is granted, the CB will issue a new certificate with a new certification ID.
8Special Requests for Certification
Below is list of special requests that might be needed by some MoCA members when submitting products for certification. The CB reserves the right to decide on all special requests in its sole discretion.
8.1Special Procedures Needed for Testing
If a MoCA member is unable to support or supply all the needed equipment to test its device for any of the certification tests, or the test(s) would need to be modified in someway to accommodate testing its device, the member must notify the CB in sufficient time before the certification test so the CB can evaluate, at its sole discretion, how to address the member’s notification or request.
8.2Non-conventional Self Tests
If the self test procedure for a device must be done in some significantly different way, a MoCA member may request a modification of the Certification Test Plan for that device. The request should include: (1) justification of the reason for the test plan modification, (2) details of the proposed modified test plan, and (3) an example of the expected self test results and requirements. If the CB, at its sole discretion, approves of the modifications to the test plan, the member must submit actual self test results, including results for the modified tests, before the certification testing begins. All documentation of the proposed modifications should be submitted to the CB in sufficient time before acertification test so the CB can evaluate, at its sole discretion, how to address the member’s request.
Modified Certification Test Plans will only be approved in extreme circumstances.
9Certification Monitoring by MoCA
Proctor(s) will be appointed by the Certification Board and are MoCA’s representative to verify the testing results. The Certification Board will determine the number of proctors required to be present to monitor certification testing of a device. For certification testing at a MoCA Independent Testing Contractor, proctoring is performed by the contractor.
Proctor must monitor all the parametric tests (e.g.in CTPv11 4.5, 4.7, 4.8, 4.10 & 4.12 tests) and submit for approval what tests will be proctored to the CWG before certification testing process starts.
A company member cannot be responsible for proctoring certification testing of their own company’s device.
10Certwaves
If a MoCA Independent Testing Contractor is not available, the CB may elect to schedule a Certwave. Certwaves are events in which members have the opportunity to submit devices to the CB for MoCA certification. Submitted devices must be self tested by the member (or submitter) prior to submission in accordance with the current Certification Test Plan. Member’s self tests may consist of running and passing the most recent Certification Test Plan. During a certification test, the CB will independently verify test results for a submitted device on some or all of the tests described in the Certification Test Plan.