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In the final instalment of our series decoding the various acronyms and abbreviations found in the world of rugged devices we explore the meaning of ATEX certifications...

When looking at a rugged devices spec sheet we will often see the words ATEX certified. So what is ATEX certification who is it relevant to and why is it important?

ATEX is the name given to two European Directives relating to controlling explosive atmospheres. The name actually comes from the French term ‘Atmospheres Explosibles’ and generally if you don’t think you need your devices to be ATEX certified then the likelihood is they don’t need to be - because if your devices do need to be ATEX certified then they really, really do need to be ATEX certified and you should know all about the subject already.

However, for the rest of the class and as a general recap lets take a quick look through the world of ATEX, starting by what exactly is an explosive environment.

So what is an explosive atmosphere?

Contrary to popular belief, in official terms at least, explosive atmospheres are not those situations where you’re engineer turns up 2 hours late and then realises within 5 minutes he doesn’t have the right parts in his van.

In the realms of ATEX at least, an explosive atmosphere can be caused by flammable gases, mists or vapours or by combustible dusts. If there is enough of the substance, mixed with air, then all it needs is a source of ignition to cause an explosion.

Of course explosions can cause loss of life and serious injuries as well as significant damage to company property, assets and equipment. Therefore, preventing releases of dangerous substances, which can create explosive atmospheres, and preventing sources of ignition are two widely used ways of reducing the risk.

 

Using the correct equipment can help greatly in this, and if your customers operate in such environments, then it is vital (and probably contractual) that your engineers also comply with the regulations. This means that if you want them to benefit from the various positives of a digital workflow then the devices you provide them with must be ATEX certified.

Where can explosive atmospheres be found?

Perhaps surprisingly for some, ATEX workplaces are not restricted to oil refineries, petrol stations or grenade factories.

In fact, many workplaces may contain, or have activities that produce, explosive or potentially explosive atmospheres. Examples include places where work activities create or release flammable gases or vapours, such as vehicle paint spraying, or in workplaces handling fine organic dusts such as sawdust or grain flour - yes even an old flour mill can be a potential home for violent explosions.

So what exactly is ATEX?

As mentioned earlier ATEX is the name commonly given to the two European Directives for controlling explosive atmospheres:

1) Directive 99/92/EC (also known as ‘ATEX 137’ or the ‘ATEX Workplace Directive’) on minimum requirements for improving the health and safety protection of workers potentially at risk from explosive atmospheres.

From the field service providers point of view this is the area of ATEX that your customers need to worry about.

2) Directive 94/9/EC (also known as ‘ATEX 95’ or ‘the ATEX Equipment Directive’) on the approximation of the laws of Members States concerning equipment and protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres.

Now this is the one that from a field service operations perspective we need to pay closer attention to, because it is our responsibility to ensure our engineers are given ATEX certified devices if we are sending them into such an environment. Fortunately, many rugged tablets are ATEX certified so selecting one shouldn’t be too big an issue.

So what about those outside of Europe?

OK, so this is where things get a little complicated as there are essentially three separate certifications across the globe. In the USA there is Hazloc which is part of the National Electronics Code.

Hazloc and ATEX aren’t necessarily interchangeable - i.e. Hazloc certified devices would not be acceptable to use within the EU unless they are also ATEX certified.

 

As for us folks stuck in dear old Blighty?

Well when Great Britain pulls the plug on Europe and triggers Brexit as with many EU directives change will be required, although in this instance we’ve pretty much got it covered with our own regulatory equivalent of Directive 99/92/EC which are put into effect through regulations 7 and 11 of the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR).

However, there is also the IECex certification which is a conformity Scheme developed by The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). The hope is that the IECex will eventually become a single mark of conformity that can be accepted worldwide in order to facilitate trade and reduce certification procedures and costs. In essence, “one standard, one test, accepted everywhere.”

Why the ATEX sign is so important

Basically, manufacturers/suppliers (or importers, if the manufacturers are outside the EU) must ensure that their products meet essential health and safety requirements and undergo appropriate conformity procedures.

This usually involves testing and certification by a ‘third-party’ certification body (known as a Notified Body) but manufacturers/suppliers can ‘self-certify’ equipment intended to be used in less hazardous explosive atmospheres. Once certified, the equipment is marked by the ‘EX’ symbol to identify it as such.

Certification ensures that the equipment or protective system is fit for its intended purpose and that adequate information is supplied with it to ensure that it can be used safely - which means that you can assure your customers and your staff that you have taken the required steps to offer safe working conditions whenever challenged by a potentially explosive environment.

 

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A selection of ATEX certified tablets...

AEGEX 10: €2,559.00 Aegex’s modern tablet will be the first of its kind to run Windows 10 furthermore be affirmed ATEX Zone 1, IECEx Zone1 and UL C1D1 for worldwide use on the planet’s most dangerous situations.

PANASONIC FZ-G1. € 2,749.00 The FZ-G1 is built to operate flawlessly in every environment - from intense heat and sunlight, to pouring rain and freezing temperatures.

XPLORE BOBCAT: €2248.92 With a MIL-STD-810G rating, optional hazardous area ATEX/IECEx Zone 2 certification (Pending), and Windows 8.1 Pro, the Bobcat can go from the boardroom to the work site without missing a beat and looking the part in every situation.

Getac T800 ATEX Windows Tablet: €2,317.00 Built for today’s mobile workforce, the new Getac T800 ATEX Windows Tablet features an 8.1 inch display, the latest wireless technology and unique SnapBack add-ons and runs Windows 8.1 Pro

Bartec Agile X Tablet PC: €3,222.00 The BARTEC Agile X is an extremely slim-line, rugged and highly flexible industrial tablet PC for rough environments. Thanks to its broad range of functions, the Agile X is the perfect assistant to service technicians, operating staff, engineers and project managers in the field and in industry.

 

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As we continue our series decoding the language used by rugged hardware manufacturers we turn our attention to one of the most widely cited certifications MIL STD 810G

Almost every rugged device you see will proudly boast the magical code MIL STD 810G somewhere in the specs but what exactly does it mean and why is it just so important?

Well as you may well have guessed MIL STD is actually short for Military Standard (the artwork was probably a give away wasn’t it?) In fact it is an American military standard that although has it’s origins with the US Air Force is now upheld in a tri-service agreement between the US Army, US Navy and US Air force. However, the standard is widely adopted amongst commercial products that need to be able to hold up to rigorous environmental tests.

The G if you were wondering relates to the current revision of the certification document and we have been at G since 2008.

General Program Guidelines

The first part of the MIL-STD-810G is a set of general guidelines that describes management, engineering, and technical roles in the environmental design and test tailoring process.

It focuses on the process of tailoring design and test criteria to the specific environmental conditions an equipment item is likely to encounter during its service life.

Laboratory test methods

The second element of MIL-STD-810G is focussed on the environmental laboratory test methods to be applied using the test tailoring guidelines described outlined in the general program guidelines.

With the exception of Test Method 528 (Mechanical Vibrations of Shipboard Equipment), these methods are not mandatory, but rather the appropriate method is selected and tailored to generate the most relevant test data possible.

Each test method also supports the test engineer by describing preferred laboratory test facilities and methodologies. These environmental management and engineering processes can be of enormous value to generate confidence in the environmental worthiness and overall durability of equipment and material.

 

However, it should be noted that there are always limitations inherent in laboratory testing that make it imperative to use engineering judgment when comparing lab results to how a device may cope in real world environments as in many cases, real-world environmental stresses (both singularly and especially when combined with other stresses) cannot be duplicated practically or reliably in test laboratories.

That said the MIL STD 810G is accepted as a global standard when it comes to the robustness of rugged devices.

The tests themselves are varied across a range of different environmental stresses which include:

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• Temperature ranges
• Shock
• Vibration
• Humidity
• Salt fog
• Explosive atmosphere

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As well as a number of other environmental stresses. However, a device can be tested and certified as MIL STD 810G for each and any of these tests individually and they are not mutually dependant on each other. So for example a device could be tested to MIL STD 810G for shock (test 516) only without having to be able to pass any other MIL STD 810G criteria.

In terms of rugged devices suitable for field service perhaps the most important of these tests (and the most likely you are going to see in manufacturers spec sheets) are Shock, Operating Temperature, and Vibration. There are MIL STD 810G tests for sand and dust ingress as well as contamination by fluids but generally most manufacturers stick with the IP rating system for these areas.

Test 516: Shock

Almost certainly the most widely cited of the MIL STD 810G tests by rugged manufacturers, this test method is often referred to as the “drop” test as it gauges how well a device holds up to impacts while falling from certain heights.

The tests are designed to find out just how much general physical abuse a device can take while in operation and there are eight different procedures to choose from that each use different ways to cause shock or impact but of these the most common is procedure IV.

 

Just how extensive the test is down to a devices weight but generally tablets, phones and laptops all fall into the first category (weights of less than 100 pounds and lengths of less than 91 cm). The devices are dropped from a height of 4ft onto each of it’s six faces 12 edges and 8 corners onto two inches of plywood over concrete (which apparently is the most common surface a device is likely to land on). Testers then visually inspect for damage and determine whether the device still works after each drop.

Tested to. Vs. Engineered to

One problem with MIL STD 810G testing is that it can be very expensive and it’s important to remember that MIL-STD-810 is not a specification per se but a standard. A specification provides for absolute criteria which must be satisfied to “meet the spec”. MIL-STD-810 as a standard provides methods for testing material for use in various environments but provides no absolute environmental limits.

Therefore, some OEMs will skip the whole second part of MIL STD 810G (the actual testing part) yet still claim their devices are engineered to meet MIL STD 810G standards.

Whilst such devices may well be more than capable of surviving the rigours of your field engineers toughest day, the simple fact is that they haven’t been actually tested to do so.

That said most of the dedicated rugged players within the space such as Getac, Panasonic and Xplore et al will all have their own internal testing facilities and will also often engage with a third party to validate their findings.

What MIL STD 810G does do however, particularly when it comes to the ‘drop test’ is give you a base line understanding of what you can expect your field service engineers shiny new tablet etc to withstand.

 

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Rugged comes in many different flavours from Business Rugged to Ultra Rugged. In the latest feature in our Rugged Decoded series Kris Oldland takes a look at each of the main different classes of rugged devices and outlines what level of rugged is right for your field technicians...

As we continue our series looking at the various elements that define what makes a rugged device rugged, and try to decipher what the various alpha numeric codes and other associated technical jargon actually mean in reality, we now turn our attention to perhaps one of the most confusing areas of terminology – namely rugged definitions.

So let’s take a broad look at what exactly companies mean by the terms semi-rugged, business rugged, fully rugged and ultra rugged, highlighting examples of each asset class, and their possible use cases.

Business Rugged:

The business rugged device is the first entry into the rugged sector, although business rugged devices essentially offer little more protection and reliability than a consumer device in protective casings. Generally business rugged devices are designed for travel use, but are not sealed and prepared in the same manner as a semi-rugged or fully rugged device.

A business rugged device will have shock mounted hard disk drives and magnesium casings, to protect them from light drops and knocks but they are not waterproofed and sealed. They can survive a small fall, but not necessarily a drop of greater than 18 inches.

They do, however, tend to have the most flexibility of rugged devices when it comes to style and performance, since a greater range of parts can be used as part of their design. A business rugged device is a generally regarded as being geared towards traveling executives and other people who will be on the road often, but who will not be using their device as part of fieldwork on a regular basis. Therefore business rugged devices are not ideally suited for most field service roles.

Semi-Rugged:

A semi-rugged device is a standard notebook, smartphone or tablet that has been adapted to rugged use.

Semi-rugged devices will have gone through a process known as ruggedization. This will includes giving them a magnesium case, a shock or gel-mounted hard disk drive, and a spill-proof keyboard.

Such devices are able to withstand reasonably high and low temperatures ranges, however they may suffer a decrease in performance in those environments. For example, the gel in the screen might freeze at very cold temperatures, reducing visibility for a short period of time.

Semi-rugged devices are still very good for travel and outdoor use, and are best for people who travel often and need to occasionally work outside, but who don’t want the higher cost of a fully rugged laptop.

Therefore, they can be a good option for field engineers who are largely working in indoor client sites, such as those working in office based maintenance and repair sectors like print services, vending machine repair or IT infrastructure.

Fully Rugged:

A fully rugged device has been designed from the ground up with one overall purpose in mind: to be able to function anywhere, even in outdoor, dusty, or extreme weather conditions.

Each component is carefully weatherproofed and sealed to prevent salt, sand, moisture, or other environmental hazards from affecting it. The screens are specially designed to reduce glare, making it possible to use the device outdoors and in bright sunlight.

These devices can typically withstand freezing temperatures and heat up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit and are able to still function without a significant reduction in operating performance in a greater range of temperatures than a semi-rugged device.

Fully rugged devices will also generally have been tested to MIL STD 801G which will include drop testing across numerous different angles from a set height, which means that the device is capable of withstanding most drops and knocks likely to occur in a a field service engineers day.

Fully rugged devices are ideally suited for field engineers working outdoors and in more challenging environments such as those in utilities, construction, oil and gas or anybody else who is likely to need a computer outside and in an extreme working environment.

Ultra Rugged:

Ultra rugged devices are the most rugged devices available. They are tested to be able to withstand even greater drops, be fully submersible and impervious to dust ingress and are essentially able to operate within the most inhospitable environments on Earth with little to no reduction in operational performance.

Generally for most field service requirements ultra rugged devices are perhaps a touch of overkill as they are generally designed primarily for military use, however, field technicians working in environments such as deserts or at sea including oil rigs might also want the uncompromising reliability that an ultra rugged device can provide.

 

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As we continue our series of features helping you decode the jargon and terminology of rugged device manufacturers, we turn our attention to one of the most important yet potentially fragile areas of any device, the screen. Kris Oldand takes a look at what some of the key screen technology developments mean exactly when it comes to selecting devices for your field service workers ...

 

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Read more form this series here

 

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We live in the age of the touch-screen. Indeed my own son, who is now an inquisitive three and a half year old with an obsession with the word why, really struggled to understand recently why when he swiped back fore on the TV it didn’t do anything.

In a world of smartphones and tablets touch-screens have become a universally understood means of interacting with a device. Whether it is inputting data or simply navigating through an operating system, I would put a hefty wager on the fact that anyone reading this article is both familiar and comfortable with using a touch-screen device, such is the prevalence of the technology today.

Touch-screens are an important, even critical part of the user experience of almost all modern tablets and smartphones.

Also, amongst handheld computers that for many years were the go to device for field service teams, touch screens are becoming more and more increasingly common, whether combined with a keypad like the more traditional form factor, or on their own as is appearing in new hybrid products such as the Gen2Wave RP1600.

Yet at the same time, the screen is of course the potential Achilles heel and obvious weak spot in a rugged device.

 

The balance therefore between delivering a screen that is sufficiently capable of with standing drops and knocks, whilst maintaining high usability, is absolutely critical for a rugged device.

So lets look at some of the various options you may find in differing rugged devices when it comes to the screen and explore exactly what these options actually mean.

Capacitive vs. Resistive

Almost certainly the biggest debate when it comes to screen choices in rugged devices is whether capacitive or resistive screens are better suited for the task. But what is the difference between the two?

The older of the two technologies is resistive which relies on pressure to register input. This pressure can be applied by your finger, a stylus or any other object - think of the handheld computers that many delivery companies use, often covered in ink because when the original stylus is lost, the delivery driver often just uses a regular pen to collect a signature instead.

Resistive touch screens consist of two flexible layers with an air gap in between and in order for the touch-screen to register input, you must press on the top layer using a small amount of pressure to make contact with the bottom layer. The touch-screen will then register the precise location of the touch.

 

Rather than relying on pressure, capacitive touch-screens instead sense conductivity to register input—usually from the skin on your fingertip but also from dedicated styluses.

Because you don’t need to apply pressure, capacitive touch-screens are more responsive than resistive touch-screens. However, because they work by sensing conductivity, capacitive touch-screens can only be used with objects that have conductive properties, which includes your fingertip (which is ideal), and special styluses designed with a conductive tip.

Initially one of the big advantages of capacitive touch screens was that they enabled multi-finger gestures - perhaps the most obvious example is pinching or stretching a document to zoom in or out. However, resistive touch screens have also supported multi-finger input for about three or four years now also.

The big advantage resistive screens have over their capacitive counterparts is the fact that the operator can still use the devices whilst wearing gloves - as the input is dependent on pressure rather than the electrical current being completed through a conductive material such as a finger.

An additional benefit is that light touch, such as rain landing on the screen, won’t register so the devices are far better to suited to being used in the wet.

Both of these factors are of course particularly useful in a number of field service environments.

However, another key factor for rugged devices is of course reliability and durability and in this respect capacitive touch screens have the advantage - especially in heavy use applications.

Resistive screens can have a tendency to eventually begin to wear down in frequently used areas. Such areas may be prone to becoming faded and may ultimately even become unresponsive.

 

Also in terms of reliability, if a capacitive touch-screen does happen to become pierced or cracked it is still likely to function - think how many times you have seen someone using a smartphone with a cracked screen?

However, a break anywhere on a resistive touch-screen will often mean that it no longer works.

In terms of field service this is a potentially huge advantage for capacitive screens as it allows for a field service technician to continue to utilise their device until they can get the screen repaired.

Going Gorilla...

A special mention here really needs to go to Corning, a specialist materials manufacturer based in New York whose Gorilla brand glass has achieved what very, very few component manufacturers have achieved by becoming a recognised brand beyond the confines of the technologically minded.

Other than chip manufacturer Intel, can you actually think of a component manufacturer with a brand you recognise? Such is the impact that Gorilla Glass has had on smartphone and tablet manufacturing, with devices ranging from Samsung’s latest consumer flagship smartphone the S7 Edge, through to the Motion F5M by Xplore Technologies rugged tablet, proudly declaring their use of the product. In fact Gorilla Glass has been designed into over 4.5Bn devices globally.

The process developed by Corning to create Gorilla Glass is to chemically strengthen the glass through an ion-exchange process that creates a deep compression layer on the surface of the glass substrate and this layer essentially acts as “armour” to reduce the introduction of flaws.

 

Produced in thicknesses ranging from 0.4 mm to 2 mm, Gorilla Glass is positioned as an ideal cover sheet for touch-screens. It’s tough enough to handle the surface pressures intrinsic to these devices, and exceptionally thin to enable more sensitive and accurate responses.

However, a quick look at the spec sheets of some devices at the higher end of the rugged spectrum from the likes of Panasonic, Xplore, Getac, et al, will reveal that Gorilla Glass isn’t quite so frequently used amongst such devices.

One reason for this is that the whole point of Gorilla Glass is that it can deflect impact significantly without breaking and while extreme deflection seems on the surface like a great a great characteristic for rugged devices, once a Gorilla Glass touch panel is installed over an LCD and a point impact occurs, the Gorilla glass deflects and the impact is transferred to the LCD glass which could potentially break, leaving you with a an undamaged sheet of glass covering a no longer working tablet.

Visibility

Finally, whilst the ability to use a touch-screen in various conditions is important, being able to read the screen in direct sunlight is the other significant factor to consider for field service operatives - who will be often working outdoors.

The key terminology here that you will often find listed in the spec list of rugged device is a level of NIT. Basically a NIT is a unit of visible-light  intensity, commonly used to specify the brightness and it is the crucial the number to look for in device specs for devices that are used outdoors.

On average, your general consumer device will offer something between 300 and 400 NITS, which as anyone who will has tried to watch a movie on their iPad (iPad 4 is specced to 364NITS) at the beach will attest is not bright enough to use in direct sunlight. By comparison, the ultra-rugged Xplore XC6 boasts 1300 NITS, whilst Panasonic’s Toughbook 20 and Getac’s V110 convertible laptop both offer 800 NITS, which makes the devices far more usable in the direct sunlight.

 

Also, in addition to improved NIT levels, many rugged manufacturers also offer their own enhancements to improve visibility such as Xplore Technologies’ ‘View Anywhere’, Getac’s ‘sunlight readable technology’, or Juniper Systems’ ‘Sun-to-Shade’ solutions.

Of course, as with all other considerations around device selection for your engineers, an understanding of their workflow and working environment should be considered. Are they likely to be working in direct sunlight for example or are they likely to be wearing work gloves?

Such questions should shape your requirements when it comes to the type of touch-screen you require in your field service engineer’s devices.

 

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In the second of our series examining what makes a rugged device, well, rugged, Sharon Clancy explores IP ratings...

IP environmental ratings along with MIL standards (MIL-STD) are perhaps the most widely recognised yet also perhaps the least fully understood of the standard definitions of what makes a mobile computer or tablet rugged.

Ingress protection is an important element in fit-for-purpose and Total Cost of Ownership considerations because it underpins reliability in the field.

Over-specify and you’ll certainly get a rugged device that won’t let you down, but you’ll push up the price because the more rugged it is, the more expensive the components.

 

You’ll also add weight, so potentially making it less appealing to your field workers.

In contrast, under-specify and you’ll be plagued by in-service unreliability and higher costs - not just of repairs but also those incurred by having technicians unable to carry out critical tasks.

As with all field service buying decisions, it’s a question of ensuring the mobile devices you select for your team are fit-for-purpose: reliable, user-friendly and able to cope with the demands made of them. And when it comes to environmental protection, it’s obvious that the device used by a technician fixing office equipment is less exposed to nature than a utility engineer working outdoors for much of the day.

There’s been lots written about the risks of under-specifying mobile devices for field service, but over-specification, particularly with IP ratings, is also widespread. It adds both unnecessary cost and can have a detrimental effect on productivity – taking us full circle back to the fit-for-purpose question.

“Specmanship” has led to the over-design of many rugged mobile computers, which has quickly led to the (completely unnecessary) over budget predicament many field service organisations are struggling with. A spokesman for Xplore technologies commented:

 

“In the case of IP ratings, less can be more (peace of mind and money in your pocket) and excess protection is counter to the mission of mobile workers, as surely as too little protection will be. It’s a Goldilocks-type situation that can be resolved by having just enough.”

On the other hand, rugged device manufacturers warn against “rugged” versions of consumer smartphones and tablets – often delivered with the addition of a case rather than designing in protection from the start with components such as sealed keyboards and ports and enclosed internal components.

What the IP figures mean 

IP ratings are defined by International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards and tell you how well devices are sealed against dirt and moisture ingress and the level of protection components have against whatever is thrown at them.

IP ratings have two numbers: the first indicates the degree of protection against dust, dirt and foreign bodies entering the device while the second is about how resistant the device is to the ingress of fluid from drops, sprays and submersion.

Ingress protection ratings can be affected by the number of ports on a device and whether they are sealed or open, by keyboard design and a number of other factors.

 

We’ve included a link to access a full IP ratings table at the bottom of the page, but for field service the numbers to look out for on a rugged mobile device are “5” and “6” for dust protection and 4,5,6, or 7 for water or fluid ingress. (In comparison, consumer devices typically have a rating of IP42 or lower.)

Both are important when assessing devices: if, like me, you’ve ever spilled tea or coffee on a computer keyboard, you’ll know that water ingress can be the kiss of death to electronic components.

Less dramatic but in the long term just as damaging are ingress of dust and dirt particles. They can cause keys to stick and generally penetrate causing damage to components.

While “6” is dust-proof, a “5” rating doesn’t mean the device will prove unreliable, just that it isn’t completely sealed against dust ingress.

It’s worth noting, too, that complete sealing against water and dust ingress may increase internal temperatures which in turn might impact on processor performance.

There are more numbers for fluid or water ingress: a “4” rating signals protection from splashes, “5” against water from a nozzle, “6” will cope with more powerful water jets or sprays, while “7” means you can submerge the device in water and it will still survive.

Again, which is best for your operations depends on the working environment - for many field-service environments, a “5” rating and even possibly a ”4 “will be perfectly adequate.

MIL-STD 810G

We’ll be taking a closer look at MIL-STDs later in this series, but we think it’s worth mentioning here that while most people associate MIL-STD 810G with drop and vibration checks, it also includes water-resistance and particle tests which tablet and notebook manufacturers also use to demonstrate the ruggedness of their products, especially in the ultra-rugged sector.

Panasonic, for example carries out water resistance tests in accordance with MIL-STD-810G, Method 506.5 Procedure I (Blowing Rain) and Procedure III (Spray). The test items are subjected to this test with the LCD open and the unit operating, but with ports closed.

 

Unlike some computer manufacturers, says Panasonic, it does not shorten the duration of liquid resistance tests. For instance, for the Blowing Rain test, Toughbook fully-rugged computers are tested for a full 30 minutes per surface with a 70 mph wind at rainfall of 5.8in per hour.

Toughbook fully-rugged computers are tested for a full 40 minutes on liquid resistance. Although different Toughbook and Toughpad models have different levels of water resistance, all can survive 6oz of water poured on a keyboard.

Panasonic’s dust resistance test uses MIL-STD-810G, Method 510.5, Procedure I (Dust) and Procedure II (Sand), at up to 140°F, using both fine-grain silica flour and abrasive sand. To pass the test, a device must continue to operate with no binding or blockage of moving parts and no malfunctioning contacts or relays.

A testing question

While IP ratings do provide a standard for comparing devices from different manufacturers, some buyer caution is advisable.

Testing costs money, so some low-cost units may “conform” to IP65, for example, but may not have “passed” the required test or even been tested at all.

It’s also sensible to check how the testing was done – in-house by the manufacturer, or by an independent lab.

Getac, for example, uses a 3rd party to test its tablets and notebooks to ensure they are done to the full requirements.

 

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Want to know more? Visit http://fs-ne.ws/10hVys to see full IP table

 

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In this new series we’ll be exploring mobile device specifications, helping organisations decide what’s essential for their field service operations and what’s “nice-to-have-but-not-critical”. In this first article, we ask: is rugged best?

It all starts with what’s fit-for-purpose, explains Sharon Clancy...

More people now use smartphones and tablets in their personal lives, we are used to having these powerful computing tools in our pockets, helping us to organise our lives, entertain us keep in touch with family and friends and to buy stuff.

We take for granted multi-functionality, intuitive user interfaces, simple-to-use apps and easy connectivity.

As a result, expectations of mobile devices in the workplace have gone up.

The impact of this trend – often called "consumerisation of IT” - in field service is considerable.

It has given new impetus not just to the longstanding debate about the merits of rugged devices versus consumer devices but also what type of mobile device is best suited for the task in hand: handheld computer, touchscreen phone, tablet or notebook.

 

Another affect is that field service companies deploying mobile devices want shorter times from project start-up to roll-out and a return-on-investment within months.

There’s also been a shortening in device refresh cycle times – down from a typical five years to three. No-one wants to risk being disadvantaged in operational efficiency and customer service because they still have two years to go before the planned device refresh.

As the consumer market for smartphones and tablets matures manufacturers can no longer rely on consumers frequently upgrading devices.

Consequently, consumer device manufacturers are casting their eyes at the potentially still growing and lucrative mobile enterprise and B2B sector.

Fit-for-purpose

With no shortage of devices to choose from, deciding what’s best for your service operation is no easy task.

Fit-for-purpose should be the starting point for any deployment, say the experts. What tasks will the device be used for?

Ease-of-use of can have a big effect on productivity and user-acceptance – would an integrated barcode scanner, for example, be better than a more fiddly-to-use camera?

 

Mobile devices in field service are mission-critical – they are not just “nice-to-have”, they are the lynchpin of your operations essential to the efficient running of the operation.

Once you’ve made the shift away from paper, there’s no going back – the mobile device is your service technician’s new pen and paper; it carries the job schedule, customer details and equipment data. Your customers will become used to the higher service levels.

So, above all, the device needs to be reliable. Can it survive the technician dropping it? Are the processor and memory up to running several apps at once if that’s required? Is the screen readable in strong light? Will the touchscreen work if it gets wet? Can it last a whole shift without recharging the battery?

Make sure you can monitor devices and users once they have been deployed.

If you don’t know what is causing unreliability, you can end up in a cycle of blame between hardware and software suppliers and mobile network providers.

In mission critical operations, how will you manage repairs, replacements and connectivity issues?

Rugged devices usually come with pre-installed device management firmware for monitoring battery status, usage, scans per hour, docking and other activities. Battery-health monitoring, for example, can prevent mid-shift failures, but also the too early replacement of batteries.

Size matters

With smartphone screens getting larger and tablets now available with 5in and 6in screens, form factor is another business-case/fit-for-purpose decision service companies will need to make.

What practical benefit would tablets bring compared to a rugged handheld device or rugged smartphone?

 

Would it make the job any easier? A device that fits into a pocket and combines voice and data can be a productivity booster.

If field service operations are largely outdoors, for example, rugged tablets and notebooks have superior screen specs.

If a service operation is task-based in a simple check in an indoor environment, a rugged smartphone might fit the bill.

Fit-for-purpose also means recognising that the service organisation will have to manage different devices.

The proliferation of mixed estates will increase the need for managed services and mobile device management tools – not necessarily available with consumer devices.

Mobile Device Management (MDM) can capture a lot of granular data automatically from devices, which in turn can be used to improve productivity, address user issues and deliver predictive analytics about imminent battery failures.

Total cost of ownership

Companies who have already deployed rugged devices understand total-cost-of-ownership so are not being tempted by consumer devices.

However, the low initial cost of consumer smartphones and tablets can be attractive to field service companies on a tight budget – after all, you can buy at least two consumer devices for the price of one rugged and they have user-appeal shine, with touch screens and intuitive apps.

 

While this can help get a green light a shift from paper to electronic capture and deliver some productivity benefits, there are some risks to this approach – not least in-service reliability.

The less robust components are not designed to last the rough-and-tumble of intensive, eight hour, daily use.

Crucially there is a proven risk of higher breakdowns and failures with consumer devices – they are simply just not designed for the day-in, day-out intensive use they get when used in the field by engineers and technicians.

The appeal of rugged

Rugged tablets and notebooks have given excellent service in sectors such as utilities and emergency services, where processing power, outdoor screen visibility and high levels of reliability are required.

Rugged handheld computers, with small 3.5in screen and mini-keyboards, were at the forefront of capturing mobile data in the field: reliable, versatile and easily configurable and well-suited to simple data capture tasks – a barcode scanner or a sign on screen delivery confirmation, for example.

However, in response to the challenge of consumer devices, rugged computer manufacturers have developed hybrid tablets and touchscreen devices that bridge the gap between consumer and fully-rugged – and are also cheaper.

 

Hybrids have various names but what they have in common is consumer-style skins and touch screens necessary for user appeal, underpinned with rugged features to enhance in-service reliability.

Small 5in, 6in and 7in rugged tablets are now widely available.

There may have been compromises on ruggedness, but only for those operations where this would not compromise reliability. The manufacturers point out that they understand the need for in-service reliability and device management.

How to decide

The choice of devices for your field service operations has never been wider. But comparing specs and ensuring your devices are fit-for-purpose has never been harder.

Our Rugged Decoded series will help you do that. We’ll be unpicking the mysteries of IP ratings and drop specs, capacitive or resistive screens, and what it takes to make a device suitable for specific sectors such as ATEX and clean room environments...

 

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