Wireless technology is revolutionizing the ways
first responders and others who work under
difficult circumstances work better and safer.
Whether they are firefighters, police officers, EMTs,
miners, construction workers, military personnel
or others, wireless technology makes voice and
data communications faster and more reliable.
Actually, it makes them more reliable in two ways.
When most people think of network reliability, they
think of ensuring that communications are available
whenever and wherever you need them. But there’s
another kind of reliability that’s just as important.
Physical Reliability
This second kind of reliability concerns the physical
condition and durability of the equipment. What if
your handheld falls during a foot pursuit? What if
you spill a soda on your laptop’s keyboard? What
if your portable radio is completely immersed in a
creek? Strange things can and do happen to wireless
devices. Many of them are unpreventable. That’s
why the wireless industry spends an extraordinary
amount of time and resources to make our
equipment as impervious to physical damage and
environmental conditions as possible.
Where is ruggedized wireless technology most
commonly needed? Typically, it is the optimal
technology for mission-critical applications of
police and fire departments and of EMTs and
doctors providing care in the field. But ruggedized
equipment can also be the technology of choice for
other applications such as field service operations,
mining and construction sites, shop floor usage in
manufacturing organizations, transportation and
distribution industries and in personnel operating in
extreme climates from the arctic to the Equator.
Ruggedized Technology Categories
There are four unofficial categories of ruggedized
equipment. There are normal commercial-grade
products that do not typically face rugged conditions,
and so don’t need extra protection. There are
commonly referred to as “durable” models such
as the computers you see advertised on television
being dropped in airports. These somewhat improve
durability with such features as spill-proof keyboards,
accelerometers and hard-shell cases.
There are also “semi-rugged” models that conform
to certain standards and guard against difficult, but
usually not extreme environments. Then there are
fully rugged laptops and handhelds that conform to
the industry’s most stringent standards to promote
reliability in the most extreme conditions on earth.
International Testing Standards
It’s easy to see why global industry standards are
needed, especially for wireless equipment that must
perform in the world’s harshest environments. That’s
why various government agencies and industry
groups around the globe have developed and
published a number of performance and reliability
standards. Many also specify detailed testing
procedures to ensure standards adherence. Most
standards have intensifying degrees of testing that
measure various levels of ruggedization required for
durable, semi-rugged and fully rugged equipment.
Today’s most widely used ruggedness standards
include those from four highly respected sources:
the International Electrotechnical Commission
(IEC), the European Committee for Electrotechnical
Standardization (CENELEC) which publishes the
European IP (Ingress Protection) standards for
electrical equipment, and the United States military.
• International Electrotechnical Commission
(IEC) Standards. The IEC is a not-for-profit
international standards organization that develops
and publishes a series of standards for electrical,
electronic and related technologies. These range
from wireless computers to office technology,
home appliances and more. The IEC has
established a specific global system to facilitate
conformity testing of Electrotechnical Equipment
and Components (IECEE). Standards are described
numerically; for example, the most current
safety standard covering all telecommunications,
business and computer equipment in the U.S. and
Canada is 60950-1.
The IEC also provides the industry with three
global conformity assessment systems that certify
that technology systems and components are in
compliance with its international standards. The
organization enjoys international acceptance as a
National Certification Body (NCB) able to provide
certification reports and certificates that are
recognized and accepted by participating NCBs
around the world.
• European IP (Ingress Protection) Standards.
Water and dust are two of the elements most
commonly encountered in harsh environments.
Unfortunately, they can also be exceptionally
harmful to sensitive computer and electronic
equipment. IP standards use numeric ratings to
classify the amount of protection provided against
water and dust by the products being tested.
Standards use both letters and numbers. In the
typical code IP65, for example, the IP identifies
the standard, Ingress Protection. The number 6
identifies the highest level of protection from dust
and particulates and the number 5 a slightly lower
degree of protection from liquids.
The most widely used IP standards for ruggedized
computers and equipment are IP65 and IP54. In
each, the IP code shows the level of protection
the product provides. When a product is rated
IP65, it is completely protected against dust and
airborne particles as well as against water jets that
simulate the product being washed. An IP54-rated
product, on the other hand, is protected against
dust in somewhat less harsh environments and
against splashing water only. To simulate the most
difficult conditions, IP ratings can also go higher.
For example, an IP68 rating provides complete
dust protection and water protection against total
immersion.
• Military Standards (MIL-STD-810F). These are
a series of stringent standards developed and
published by the U.S. Department of Defense
and the U.S. Army specifying a variety of
environmental conditions that tested items are
likely to experience in actual field usage. The MILSTD-
810F, a significant revision of the previous
810E standard, is one of the most comprehensive
and effective standards in use today, and as
such, is used extensively not just in the U.S., but
throughout the world.
The standards emphasize the design and testing
of equipment, providing evidence that the
equipment will operate to specifications in the
environmental conditions the equipment is likely
to encounter during its useful life. The standards
specify chamber test methods designed to
replicate conditions the equipment will confront
in a range of difficult environments. The tests
themselves are identified with the standards
specification (MIL-STD-810F) followed by a
method number (Method 510.3) and explanation
(Sand and Dust Testing).
MOTOROLA’S COMPREHENSIVE TESTING PROCEDURES
Motorola’s testing process is as stringent as the standards we comply with, including all the standards
described in this report, with emphasis on MIL-STD-810F and IP54 and IP65 testing procedures.
Motorola tests products in three phases: design, pre-production and post-production. In the design
and development phase, equipment is usually tested at least three times, with test results informing
engineers how to improve product design. But we don’t stop there. We fully test prototypes before
they go into full production. Once in production, we do spot testing of regular production units from the
lines of Motorola and third-party manufacturers to ensure that production models are as reliable as the
prototypes. In addition, we continually perform Accelerated Life Testing (ALT)—a simulation of five years’
worth of use in the field—to help ensure long-term performance and reliability.
Although the U.S. Army does not provide or imply
certification, compliance with the standards
helps assure purchasers they will have optimal
equipment performance under even the most
extreme conditions.
Equipment “Torture Tests”
To make certain tested equipment conforms to their
standards, most standards organizations provide
exceptionally detailed instructions and procedures
for product testing. Manufacturers follow these
detailed “torture tests” to the letter, ensuring reliable
performance under the most difficult and dangerous
conditions around the globe. Major tests normally
performed include:
• Water Intrusion. When water or rain penetrates
a device, they can cause short circuits and
corrosion. Many manufacturers test their rugged
products against both MIL-STD-810F and IP54,
IP64, IP66 water and rain intrusion standards.
Testing for rain intrusion is normally done in a rain
chamber that drenches products with jets of water
of varying intensities from all possible angles, as
well as for dripping water for different periods of
time. Fully rugged models are also tested with full
immersion, to IP68 and MIL-STD-810F, Method
512.4.
• Salt and Fog. In coastal and marine
environments, salt and fog can cause electronic
equipment to short circuit or rust, affecting
performance both short and long-term.
Manufacturers normally test to the MIL-STD-810F
Method 509.3 standard using the specified five
percent saline solution.
• Humidity. Conditions of extreme humidity can
cause computers and electronic devices to
corrode and malfunction over time. Typical tests
are to MIL-STD-810F Method 507.3 specifications,
which specify 95 percent relative humidity and
worst-case scenario high temperatures up to
75°C.
• Dust Intrusion.
Dust and sand
intrusion in deserts,
shorelines, mines,
construction sites, or
other environments
can cause movable
parts like buttons
and keypads to clog and malfunction. Often
manufacturers test to both MIL-STD-810F,
Method 510.3 for sand and dust testing and IP
standards for blowing dust.
• Drop Testing. In the
field, it’s common
for handhelds and
other devices to be
knocked over or fall.
For laptop computers,
manufacturers test to
MIL-STD-810F Method
516.5 with 3- to 4-foot
free-fall drops to concrete, and also with tip-over
tests. For portable computers and devices, drop
tests of four feet or more are conducted—in some
cases, while the equipment is in operation. The
equipment is expected to remain fully operational
after multiple drops.
• H igh and Low Temperatures. Communications
and computing equipment must work reliably in
extreme temperatures, so manufacturers test
their technology under operating conditions of
minus 35°C (MIL-STD-810F Method 502.3) and
plus 60°C (MIL-STD-810F 501.3). In addition,
equipment is often stored under extreme
temperature conditions, and is expected to
work to specification when put into service.
Many manufacturers tests equipment storage in
extreme low temperatures down to minus 57°C
(also MIL-STD-810F Method 502.3) and high
temperatures up to 85°C (also MIL-STD-810F
501.3). These tests are especially important for
public safety and enterprise markets, including
construction, transportation, mining, utilities and
more.
The APX™ 7500 Mobile Radio is
rated IP55: protected against dust
and low-pressure jets of water.
RUGGEDIZED TECHNOLOGY AND TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP
How do municipalities and enterprises decide how much ruggedness their equipment needs? In many
cases, cost is the deciding factor. As organizations try to adapt to shrinking budgets, cost cutting has
become a priority. Non-ruggedized technology can be chosen, even for mission-critical applications,
simply because it is initially less expensive. In too many cases, however, this decision is a case of
being penny-wise and pound-foolish. For, as a recent study by VDC Research shows, although rugged
devices may initially be more expensive than commercial-grade equipment they have a significantly
lower failure rate over the product’s useful life. That presents a clear advantage in overall total cost of
ownership (TCO).
• Temperature Shock. Equipment is often
transported by airplane, or used outdoors and
brought inside, meaning it can be under extreme
cold for long periods of time, then deposited or
stored in extreme heat. Equipment is tested under
these precipitous temperature fluctuations to MILSTD-
810F Method 503, testing equipment that
has gone from storage of minus 57°C to 80°C and
vice versa.
• Sun Exposure. Equipment that is installed in, or
must work in, unrelenting sunshine—such as in
parking lots, on mountain tops, in deserts and
more—is tested to MIL-STD-810F Method 505.4
standards for enclosure and performance damage
from solar radiation. Tests normally last from three
to seven days, and are conducted in a specially
designed solar chamber.
• Shock and Crash Testing. Mobile and vehiclemounted
products are tested to make sure they
are installed correctly by subjecting them to
worst-case scenario accident impact tests. MILSTD-
810F Method 516.4 tests are exceptionally
stringent. Equipment must continue to operate
correctly under 75Gs, or 75 times the force of
gravity. Drop tests of varying heights to a steel
floor are also conducted. Equipment must stay
intact, mounted and continue to be 100 percent
functional.
• Vibration. Vibration testing to MIL-STD-810F
Method 514.5 measures how equipment reacts
to different levels of vibration, which can cause
wire chafing, intermittent electrical contacts,
display misalignment and other issues. Tests are
conducted in both standard vehicles such as cars
and trucks and under the more severe vibrations
caused by more vibration-prone vehicles such as
motorcycles, tanks and others.
• Low Pressure. High altitudes and dropping
pressure, such as in aircraft or on mountains, can
cause membranes in parts such as speakers,
microphones and keypads, to malfunction.
Manufacturers conduct low-pressure performance
tests to MIL-STD-810F Method 500.3 that ensure
100 percent equipment functionality.
Demanding Tests for Demanding Users
Technology manufacturers put so much effort into
rigorous and strenuous testing procedures for one
reason only: to keep the first responders and field
personnel who rely on their equipment safe and
productive. When fully rugged equipment is used
in mission-critical situations, and under difficult
environmental conditions, it must always operate
to specifications. As the testing processes outlined
in this report show, technology manufacturers do
not leave mission-critical performance to chance.
Equipment is tested as though lives depend on
it—because very often, they do.
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