How to tell your ‘rugged’ devices are really up for the job: the true meaning behind different testing standards IP Rating and Military Testing Standards

How to tell your ‘rugged’ devices are really up for the job: the true meaning behind different testing standards

You’ve got a workforce that operates outside the traditional office space – maybe in transportation and logistics, in a warehouse or cool store, in field service, in construction or manufacturing. They need IT equipment and it needs to be tough.

So you look for equipment that is ruggedised, waterproof, dustproof, and meets the ultimate in toughness – military standards. Right?

Well, yes – but that’s not the full story.

The terms ‘rugged’, ‘waterproof’ and ‘military certified’ sound impressive, but the important thing to understand is that they are general terms, and cover a very wide range of different levels of protection and operability.

Having worked with enterprise grade rugged devices for years, I’ve found that many organisations are not aware of the different levels of standards and testing. Here’s what I share with them to help them select exactly the right equipment for their workers’ needs.

Xenarc Technologies manufactures Small Form Factor 7" to 18" Touchscreen Display Monitors that are thoroughly tested and certified according to IP and Military Grade Certifications

The two key standards

There are two main categories of standards when it comes to tough devices: Ingress Protection (IP Rating) and Military Testing Standards (MIL-STD-810G). IP Ratings explained Ingress protection is a rating that defines the level of protection that a piece of equipment has from dust and water. The higher the IP rating, the higher the protection. An IP rating consists of two digits, where the first rates protection against solids (dust and other particles) and the second rates protection from liquids. For example: IP54 means that the item is protected from an amount of dust that would interfere with its operation (rating 5) and that it is splash-proof (rating 4). IP65 means that it is dust-tight (rating 6) and safe against water jets (rating 5). IP68 (the highest rating level) means total dust protection and the ability to withstand total submersion in water. Beware of vague terms – like ‘waterproof’ So you can see that when a consumer device says that it is ‘waterproof’, you really need to be asking more detailed questions to find out exactly what level of exposure to water, and for how long, it will withstand

Ingress protection is a rating that defines the level of protection that a piece of equipment has from dust and water.

MIL-STD-810G Explained

MIL-STD-810G Tested and Certified Xenarc Technologies 7" to 18" Touchscreen Display Monitors

The second standard it’s worth knowing more detail about is the MIL-STD-810G certifications. As the name implies, these were designed by the US military to test its equipment limits under various environmental conditions before deploying it in the toughest of frontline environments. It has now expanded to become a global standard, not only for military, but commercial deployments. MIL-STD-810G includes 29 standards with extensive test specifications including drop/shock, rain, vibration, altitude/pressure, sand and dust resistance, humidity, high/low temperature and temperature shock.

The U.S. Military Standard (MIL-STD) 810G tests are designed specifically to gauge the performance levels of rugged tablets  – and other mobile computers –in a variety of harsh environments.

Though each rugged computer manufacturer may use a different set of parameters for their MIL-STD-810G specification testing procedures, Xenarc Technologies www.xenarc.com always performs multiple MIL-STD-810G tests on its rugged devices at various impact levels during the design and engineering phases. This allows us to clearly determine the rugged thresholds and durability of each of our tough mobile tablets and help identify the best use case scenarios for our rugged mobility customers. Xenarc's MIL-STD-810G testing methods for each rugged specification, as well as their resistance levels, are communicated in each of our rugged product spec sheets.

LEARN MORE ABOUT MIL-STD-810G TESTING

MIL-STD-810G Drop Resistance Tests

Your workers drop their mobile devices more than they probably admit. Save money, save productivity levels and save your data by choosing a rugged mobile computer with these minimum drop test ratings.

MIL-STD-810G Vibration Resistance Tests

Ordinary mobile computers aren't vibration-proof. Xenarc Technologies rugged vibration-resistant tablets are MIL-STD-810G Vibration tested to withstand industrial settings.

  

MIL-STD-810G Wind/Rain Waterproof Resistance Tests

It’s windy, it’s raining, and you have a job to get done – fast. If you need to power through inclement weather without interruption, you need a rugged tablet with specific weatherproof features.

MIL-STD-810G Sand/Dust Resistance Tests

If even a single particle of dust or sand can penetrate through a crevice or I/O port connection, you are prone to experiencing significant device and data damage. Don’t take a chance.

MIL-STD-810G Crash/Shock Resistance Tests

Want to keep your applications processing, your connections strong and your data intact even after the most powerful impacts? Find out how much shock resistance your rugged mobile computer should assert to survive a crash.

MIL-STD-810G Fluid Contamination Resistance Tests

Spills and corrosive chemicals don’t have to be devastating to your mobile device. Whether your workers frequent the flightline or need to frequently disinfect their device, you’ll benefit from a rugged tablet that’s resistant to common contaminating fluids.

MIL-STD-810G Extreme Temperature Resistance Tests

Even rugged mobile computers can be sensitive to extremely hot or cold temperatures and shut down at certain thresholds. Find the rugged tablet that will maintain peak performance levels in your operating environment.

MIL-STD-810G Salt Fog Resistance Tests

Salt fog is considered a hazard to almost any electronic device. But there are rugged tablets that provide sea-based military and transportation organizations genuine protection against the harsh effects of salt air exposure. Find a corrosion-resistant tablet PC suitable for your maritime applications.

MIL-STD-810G Humidity Resistance Tests

Humid climate conditions – whether manmade or natural – can be harmful to mobile computers lacking the right level of protection. Learn about the minimum performance standards you should expect from your rugged tablet in both Natural Cycle Humidity and Non-Condensing environments.

MIL-STD-810G High Altitude for Pressure Resistance Tests

Don’t let the low pressures of high altitude environments bring down your level of mobile productivity. See what it takes to keep your connectivity solid and efficiency levels soaring with rugged mobile computers at 30,000, 40,000 or 50,000+ feet.

What you need to know about MIL-STD-810G

Here are the important questions to ask about the hardware when it’s presented as MIL-SPEC certified.

1.      Which of the 29 standards has the equipment been tested for? It may be drop but not temperature, or temperature but not altitude. You’ll want to be sure you have equipment that has been tested for the conditions that your workers find themselves in.

2.      To what level has the equipment been tested? For example, a drop of 70cm or 2m, temperatures down to zero or minus 20 degrees?

3.      How many times was the equipment tested? Was it dropped 200 times or 2000 times?

4.      Were all the tests carried out on a single piece of equipment? Some manufacturers will drop test one unit, then temperature test another, rather than use a single device for all certifications. 

5.      Most importantly - if a piece of equipment has been tested for even just one of these standards and to the lowest specification, the manufacturer can state that it is MIL-STD-810G certified.

Reading that a device is ‘waterproof and meets MIL-STD-810G’ certainly sounds impressive – but as the above shows, it’s not enough in itself. It’s important to dig deeper and ask specific questions.

Other considerations

As well as IP Ratings and MIL-STD-810G, there are some other things to consider when looking for hardware to be used out in the field; including battery life, replaceable batteries, sunlight viewable displays, touchscreen technology with glove and rain modes, and the lifecycle of the device to ensure longevity of the docking and vehicle mounting solutions installed.

Isn’t rugged computing expensive?

If equipping your workforce with a device that is truly ruggedised sounds very expensive – think again. The gap is closing between consumer and enterprise grade hardware, and there’s an important conversation to be had around the difference in Total Cost of Ownership.

IT continues to move out of the office and into just about every conceivable outside environment, driving demand for tougher equipment – so it’s worth making sure you know just what you’re getting in your ‘rugged’ device.

Want to know more?  

Xenarc Technologies is an Enterprise Mobile Small Display Mobility Touchscreen Display Monitor 7" to 18" Manufacturer and Small Form Factor Computing manufacturers. For more information, please connect with Sales by email at sales@xenarc.com, or call us at 888-656-6536 

MIL-STD-810G Tested and Certified Xenarc Technologies 7" to 18" Touchscreen Display Monitors

Low Temperature Testing

Waterproof Testing

Impact Testing

• 【TRULY RUGGED】 Ingress Protection (IP Rating) and Military Testing Standards (MIL-STD-810G), FCC, CE, E13, RoHs & "E" Mark Certified If you need Customized 7" to 18" solution, contact us at sales@xenarc.com