IPX Water Ingress Protection Ratings

Electrical and electronic topics for small boats
jimh
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IPX Water Ingress Protection Ratings

Postby jimh » Thu Jun 29, 2017 10:01 am

Consumers of marine electronic devices have become accustomed to see ratings of a devices's ability to withstand intrusion of water as an "IPX" rating. The source of these ratings is a formal standard known as ANSI/IEC 60529-2004, American National Standard - Degrees of Protection Provided by Enclosures (IP Code). The standard describes its purpose:

This standard describes a system for classifying the degrees of protection provided by the enclosures of electrical equipment.


The complete standard is not available for free download, so herein I rely on secondary sources for more information, such as Wikipedia and DSM&T.

The general form of the marking or code is to be "IPmn" where "m" is a digit that represents protection against intrusion of dust into the device and "n" a digit the represents protection against water. A possible coding might be IP54. If a device is not rated for one of the elements, an X is used instead of a digit. We often see marine electronic devices rated as IPXn, with digits 0 to 9, and, for example, a device might be rated "IPX6."

The ten levels of water intrusion protection are shown below according to secondary sources. Note that attributes accumulate only in levels 1 to 6, that is, a device rated IPX7 does not necessarily also possess all the attributes of an IPX6-rated device. Here is one secondary source's description of the rating requirements:

Code - Protection
IPX0 = none
IPX1 = dripping water
IPX2 = dripping water when tilted 15-degree
IPX3 = spraying water
IPX4 = splashing water
IPX5 = water jets
IPX6 = powerful water jets
IPX7 = immersion up to 1-meter depth
IPX8 = immersion greater than 1-meter depth
IPX9 = powerful high-temperature water jets

More details at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_Code#Second_digit:_Liquid_ingress_protection

For each rating code there is also a minimum duration of the testing specified. A common rating is IPX8, and the manufacturer usually specifies the duration and depth of the testing. For example, a GX1300 radio from Standard Horizon is rated IPX8 with the notation "1.5M or 4.92 feet for 30 minutes" to clarify the test depth and duration.

A rating of IPX7 or higher does not mean the device is also rated for protection against water intrusion from any of the elements in codes 1 to 6. For example, powerful water jets (IPX6's test) might cause water intrusion in an IPX7 rated device

Ridge Runner
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Re: IPX Water Ingress Protection Ratings

Postby Ridge Runner » Tue Jul 04, 2017 9:06 am

With modern day to day consumer electronics such as mobile phones now being advertised with different levels of "IP" ratings this has certainly increased the awareness and possibly the confusion in the rating system:

The Apple iPhone 7 is rated as IP67 and the Samsung Galaxy S8 is rated as IP68. Both phones have the same ingress dust rating but the iPhone 7 is rated to be submerged in depths of under 1m for 30 minutes and not sustain any permanent damage, while the Galaxy S8 can be underwater for 30 minutes at depths of up to 1.5m.

One thing to note about the rating and certification process is that with devices like mobile phones the IP tests are conducted under lab conditions while the phone is in standby mode, so there's a much greater chance it won't stand up as well if you attempt to take pictures underwater.

A few years ago Sony sent out promotional material of a new IP68-certified phone being used to take photos underwater. It later altered its stance to advise buyers not to use them under water. “Remember not to use the device underwater," Sony said. “The IP rating of your device was achieved in laboratory conditions in standby mode, so you should not use the device underwater, such as taking pictures.”
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number9
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Re: IPX Water Ingress Protection Ratings

Postby number9 » Tue Jul 04, 2017 4:06 pm

One thing to note about the rating and certification process is that with devices like mobile phones the IP tests are conducted under lab conditions while the phone is in standby mode, so there's a much greater chance it won't stand up as well if you attempt to take pictures underwater.

And all ratings are based on fresh lab water. Many devices will/may have some water ingress and results will likely vary with salinity.
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