How to read an IP code
An IP code is IP, a digit for solid objects and dust, a digit for water, and sometimes a letter. An X means that part was not tested. Up to 6, a water digit includes the lower ones: IPX6 also covers IPX5. 7, 8 and 9 do not: a radio that survives jets and immersion is marked with both, such as IP66/IP67.1 The tests use fresh water; sea water, soap and solvents are not covered.1
First digit: solid objects and dust
| Digit | What it keeps out |
|---|---|
| 0 | No protection against solid objects |
| 1 | Keeps out a hand: objects of 50 mm and more |
| 2 | Keeps out fingers: objects of 12.5 mm and more |
| 3 | Keeps out tools and thick wire: 2.5 mm and more |
| 4 | Keeps out most wires and small screws: 1 mm and more |
| 5 | Dust-protected: some dust may get in, not enough to stop it working |
| 6 | Dust-tight: no dust gets in |
| X | Not tested against dust |
Second digit: water
| Digit | What it survives |
|---|---|
| 0 | No protection against water |
| 1 | Dripping water falling straight down |
| 2 | Dripping water with the case tilted up to 15° |
| 3 | Spraying water up to 60° from vertical, like rain |
| 4 | Splashing water from any direction |
| 5 | Water jets from any direction (6.3 mm nozzle, 12.5 litres a minute) |
| 6 | Powerful water jets (12.5 mm nozzle, 100 litres a minute) |
| 7 | Under 1 m of water for 30 minutes |
| 8 | Under water longer or deeper than IPX7, on terms the maker sets |
| 9 | High-pressure, 80 °C water jets at close range |
| 9K | High-pressure steam-jet cleaning at 80–100 bar and 80 °C (road-vehicle standard) |
| X | Not tested against water |
IP69K comes from the road-vehicle standard (DIN 40050-9, now ISO 20653), not from IEC 60529: 14–16 litres a minute at 80–100 bar and 80 °C from 10–15 cm.2
How radios in our catalogue are rated
| Rating | Current radios |
|---|---|
| IP68 | 98 |
| IP54 | 59 |
| IP67 | 30 |
| IP65 | 13 |
| IP66 | 10 |
| IP69K | 8 |
| IPX4 | 4 |
| IPX9K | 4 |
| IPX8 | 2 |
| IP55 | 2 |
Of 291 current radios, 194 state an IP rating. 37 cite MIL-STD-810H and 32 the older 810G.
MIL-STD-810H test methods
MIL-STD-810H lists 29 laboratory test methods, from altitude to gunfire shock. Radio and rugged phone makers cite about a dozen of them: temperature, rain, humidity, salt fog, dust, immersion, vibration and shock. The drop test radio buyers ask about is Method 516.8 Procedure IV. Its default schedules are 26 drops from 122 cm for gear in transit, and 5 drops from 1.5 m for unpackaged gear carried by hand, onto steel backed by concrete. Datasheets rarely say which schedule, how many drops or onto what surface.3
| Method | Test | What it simulates | Seen in makers’ datasheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500.6 | Low Pressure (Altitude) | Storage or operation at high ground elevation, air transport in pressurised or unpressurised holds, and rapid or explosive decompression | Motorola TLK 110 and TLK 200 data sheets list '500.6 II' in the 810H column; Samsung Morocco page lists 'altitude' without a method number |
| 501.7 | High Temperature | Effects of high ambient or induced temperatures on materiel safety, integrity and performance (short-term, months not years) | TLK 110/200 data sheets: '501.7 I/A1, II/A1' |
| 502.7 | Low Temperature | Effects of low temperature on safety, integrity and performance during storage, operation and manipulation | TLK 110/200 data sheets: '502.7 I, II' |
| 503.7 | Temperature Shock | Sudden air-temperature change, defined in the method as more than 10 C (18 F) within one minute, for example cold store to hot sun | TLK 110/200 data sheets: '503.7 I-C' |
| 504.3 | Contamination by Fluids | Temporary exposure to fuels, hydraulic fluids, oils, solvents, cleaning fluids, de-icers, disinfectants | TLK 110/200 data sheets: '504.3 2.2.6 b' (a paragraph reference, not a procedure number) |
| 505.7 | Solar Radiation (Sunshine) | Heating effects of sunlight and photo-degradation (actinic) effects of solar radiation | TLK 110/200 data sheets: '505.7 I/A1' |
| 506.6 | Rain | Rain, blowing rain, water spray or drip against covers, cases and seals; water penetration and deterioration | TLK 110/200 data sheets: '506.6 I, III' |
| 507.6 | Humidity | Resistance to warm, humid atmosphere (tropical or humid storage/deployment) | TLK 110/200 data sheets: '507.6 II/Aggravated'; Samsung Morocco page lists 'humidity' |
| 508.8 | Fungus | Susceptibility of materials to fungal growth and its effect on use | — |
| 509.7 | Salt Fog | Screening of protective coatings and finishes, and effect of salt deposits; the method says there is no relationship to any real-world exposure duration | TLK 110/200 data sheets: '509.7 -' (no procedure shown); Samsung Morocco page lists 'salt fog' |
| 510.7 | Sand and Dust | Blowing dust (particles under 150 um) and blowing sand (150-850 um): clogging, abrasion, ingress | TLK 110/200 data sheets: '510.7 I, II'; Samsung Morocco page lists 'dust' |
| 511.7 | Explosive Atmosphere | Operating in fuel-air explosive atmospheres without igniting them, or containing an internal ignition | — |
| 512.6 | Immersion | Partial or complete immersion in water (including fording), then operation | Samsung Morocco page lists 'immersion'; Kyocera/Samsung/Sonim state IP68 depths instead |
| 513.8 | Acceleration | Steady-state inertia loads from platform acceleration, deceleration and manoeuvre; crash inertia | — |
| 514.8 | Vibration | Vibration exposure through the life cycle: transport (truck, rail, air, sea) and in-use platforms | TLK 110/200 data sheets: '514.8 I/Cat24, II/Cat5'; Samsung Morocco page lists 'vibrations' |
| 515.8 | Acoustic Noise | Resistance to severe acoustic noise environments (for example aircraft, launch) | — |
| 516.8 | Shock | Handling, transport and service shocks, including accidental drops | TLK 110/200 data sheets: '516.8 I, IV' (IV = Transit Drop; drop height not stated there) |
| 517.3 | Pyroshock | Shock from detonation of pyrotechnic (explosive or propellant) devices on the supporting structure | — |
| 518.2 | Acidic Atmosphere | Resistance of materials and coatings to corrosive acidic atmospheres near industrial areas or fuel-burning exhausts | — |
| 519.8 | Gunfire Shock | Repetitive shock transmitted to materiel during the firing of guns | — |
| 520.5 | Combined Environments | Synergistic effects of temperature, altitude, humidity, input electrical power and vibration, written for airborne electronics | — |
| 521.4 | Icing/Freezing Rain | Ice build-up from freezing rain or drizzle (or sea spray) and effectiveness of de-icing | — |
| 522.2 | Ballistic Shock | High-level shock from projectile, mine or artillery impact on armoured combat vehicles | — |
| 523.4 | Vibro-Acoustic/Temperature | Combined vibration, acoustic noise and temperature on externally carried aircraft stores in captive carry | — |
| 524.1 | Freeze / Thaw | Moisture phase changes (liquid to solid) as temperature cycles through freezing, and condensation from cold-to-warm transfers | — |
| 525.2 | Time Waveform Replication | Laboratory replication of measured field time traces (single exciter, single axis) | — |
| 526.2 | Rail Impact | Railroad-car impact during rail shipment and tie-down adequacy | — |
| 527.2 | Multi-Exciter Test | Dynamic environments replicated with more than one motion degree of freedom | — |
| 528.1 | Mechanical Vibrations of Shipboard Equipment (Type I - Environmental and Type II - Internally Excited) | Environmental and internally excited vibration of Navy shipboard equipment | — |
Questions
What does IP67 mean?
Dust-tight, and the radio survives 30 minutes with its lowest point 1 m under fresh water. It says nothing about water jets: a radio that also passed the jet test is marked IP66/IP67 or IP65/IP67.1
IP66 vs IP67: which is better?
Neither; they are different tests. Both mean dust-tight. IP66 is tested against powerful water jets (12.5 mm nozzle, 100 litres a minute), IP67 against 30 minutes in 1 m of water. Neither implies the other, so a radio needs both, written IP66/IP67, to claim both.1
What does IP54 mean?
Dust-protected (a little dust may get in, not enough to affect it) and protected against water splashing from any direction. It is not dust-tight and not rated for jets or immersion: rain and splashes are covered, hosing it down or dropping it in water are not.1
IP67 vs IP68: what is the difference?
Both are dust-tight. IP67 is a fixed test: 1 m deep for 30 minutes. IP68 is continuous immersion on conditions the maker sets, which must be harder than IP67. The depth and time are the maker’s own figures, so read them: IP68 alone states neither.1
Is IP68 waterproof?
Not in the standard’s words. IP68 means the case passed continuous immersion in fresh water, at a depth and time the maker states, without harmful ingress. Salt water, hot high-pressure cleaning and solvents are outside what the rating promises.1
What does IP57 mean?
Dust-protected but not dust-tight: some dust may get in, not enough to disturb it. The 7 means it survives 30 minutes under 1 m of water. It makes no claim for water jets unless a second code, such as IP56/IP57, is marked.1
What is MIL-STD-810H, and is a radio certified to it?
A US Department of Defense test method standard, dated 31 January 2019 (Change 1: May 2022). It describes 29 laboratory methods and tells users to tailor them. It defines no certification scheme, so check which methods and procedures a maker lists.3
MIL-STD-810G vs 810H: what changed?
810H replaced 810G in 2019. Nineteen of the 29 methods carry new revision numbers, for example shock 516.7 became 516.8 and vibration 514.7 became 514.8. The tailoring approach did not change. Ask which revision a radio was tested to.3
