The Latest Testing Standards for Rugged Computers

The latest testing standards for rugged computers ensure that your computer is properly protected from the detrimental elements and harsh environment in which it will be operated. If you're considering the purchase of a durable computer, here are several ratings and testing standards or certifications for which you should look.

Ratings

1.) IP Ratings

• IP (Ingress Protection) ratings are frequently used to signify protection from:
• Liquids (such as rain, fog, and humidity)
• Solids (such as dust, sand, smoke, detritus, and other small particulate matter)
• IP ratings are two digit numbers- the first number specifying protection from solids, the second number specifying protection from liquids
• IP ratings are typically used in Europe, but have also gained wide acceptance in the US.
• Details about IP ratings are discussed in the blog post, "What are IP Ratings?"
• View CDI's IP rated products:
• PAC-PCAP15 
• DisplayPAC-N2800-WN

2.) NEMA

• National Electrical Manufacturer Association standards are applied mainly to fixed enclosures and are seldom applied to mobile devices
• NEMA ratings are used to verify protection of an electrical enclosure from external ice, corrosive materials, oil, dust, and water, etc.
• NEMA ratings may seem similar to IP Ratings, however, NEMA testing standards reveal to the consumer the types of corrosive atmospheres against which the enclosure is protected
• NEMA ratings are typically used in the US
• NEMA standards include ratings for protection in a variety of environments, namely deep mines, steel mills, chemical processing plants, quarries, dairies and shipping docks
• View CDI's NEMA rated products:
• DisplayPAC-OPR (NEMA12) 
• VAMP-WN products with the Thinview plate (NEMA4)

Standards

1.) MIL-STD

• The MIL-STD 810 standard was established by the U.S. Department of Defense in 1962 (with the most recent update released in January 2008)
• It is a set of testing procedures that cover a wide range of environmental conditions such as shock, vibration and temperature
• This standard makes the computer more desirable to government agencies at the federal, state and local levels as well as for industrial customers that want some degree of protection against shock and vibration
• In order to be certain that a computer is also protected from salt fog, rain, and humidity, it is recommended to verify that the computer also has an IP rating
• View CDI's MIL-STD products:
• VAMP SSX 
• VAMP RPP 
• DisplayPAC RPP 

2.) IEC60068-2-27

• This is a method of test typically used to determine a computer's ability to withstand shocks of different severities
• The test will reveal mechanical weaknesses as well as degradation to specific performances or accumulated damage or degradation caused by the shocks

3.) IEC60068-2-6

• This is a method of test typically used to determine whether a computer still functions during or still works after being subjected to vibration of a harmonic pattern for a period of time
• The vibrations mimic those that commonly occur in aircraft, vehicles, and ships generated by rotating, pulsating, or oscillating forces

All Computer Dynamics' products are verified to comply with the FCC Class B rules and regulations regarding unlicensed transmissions and/or spurious or unintentional emissions - radio frequencies that are not deliberately created or transmitted - such as harmonic emissions. Class B limits are more stringent therefore the Class B certification process is much more rigorous than Class A. (Title 47 CFR Part 15).

For more safety information about any of our industrial computers or industrial monitors, visit our site or contact us today.