When buying a product, people first of all look at its technical characteristics. Most consider themselves experts in a particular field, but few understand the secondary characteristics of devices. For example, a novice photographer can understand the quality of the lens, resolution and functionality of the camera, but do not understand what the interpretation of the IP67 code in the technical documentation means.
Definition
What is IP (degree of protection)? The interpretation of this concept is in no way connected with computer programs and network technologies. We are talking about the physical shell of any technical device and the ability to block the penetration of third-party objects into the frame. Degree of protection IP is a classification system that determines, according to international standards, how safe one or another mechanism is in use.
IP (degree of protection) decryption consists of three points. Usually, two numbers are indicated in the technical specifications, as well as an additional letter, if necessary. Let's look at the IPXX notation in more detail.
First digit
What can the inscription in the technical specifications mean - IP6X. What does the notorious "six" mean? For IP (degree of protection), the decoding of the first sign means the ability of the shell to prevent the penetration of solid objects inside.
- 0 - lack of any protection. For example, bare wires.
- 1 - objects larger than 5 centimeters. Lack of protection against deliberate interference.
- 2 - objects with a diameter of about 1.25 centimeters (fingers, pencils).
- 3 - more than 2.5 millimeters (thick cables, tools).
- 4 - over 1 millimeter (wire).
- 5 - the device is protected from contact with foreign objects, however, a small amount of dust may get inside.
- 6 - complete isolation from penetration.
As you can see, nothing complicated. What else is IP protection responsible for? Decryption (GOST 14254-96) of the following value is not much more difficult. Most importantly, remember the basic principle of the protection indicator - the higher the number, the better the device is protected from external influences.
Second digit
The following IP score is responsible for its resistance to water procedures. This is quite an important parameter for those devices and devices that should be installed on the street.
- 0 - lack of protection against liquid.
- 1 - protection against vertical drops.
- 2 - similar to the previous version, only the device can be tilted by 15 degrees.
- 3 - the device is protected from light rain (water falls at an angle of up to 60 degrees).
- 4 - full protection against rain. The device can be placed either side against splashes.
- 5 - jets of liquid are not capable of causing serious harm to the device.
- 6 - waves. You can pour the appliance from a bucket, but the liquid that has got inside cannot harm the appliance.
- 7 - temporary immersion. The device is able to withstand water pressure at a depth of up to one meter. However, continuous operation under water is not guaranteed.
- 8 - the device can work under water at a depth of more than 1 meter for at least 30 minutes.
Now you know what IP (degree of protection) is. To better understand what is at stake, we give a specific example. The recently announced iPhone has an IP67 degree of protection. This means that even if you drop it in the bath, but immediately get it out, the device will continue to work fine. In addition, users of new gadgets can not worry about cleaning their chips from dust, as is often the case with other phones.
Additional notation
In addition to numbers, sometimes there are additional letter marks that indicate special conditions for the protection of the device. They can be divided into two groups. The first is a category where devices that have a degree of protection higher than declared, as well as without specifying the first digit, can be attributed.
- A - the device is protected from access by the back of the hand.
- In - protection against fingers.
- C - similar to the number 3.
- D - full protection against attempts to "pick" with wire.
The second block of letters has a more versatile orientation, expanding IP values (degree of protection). The decoding of the letters will be as follows:
- H means that you are dealing with high voltage equipment.
- M - The device was turned on when testing the protection against water.
- S - the device did not work when checking with water.
- W - a performance test was carried out under various weather conditions.
Thus, to decipher the degree of protection of the device, it is enough to simply compare the numbers with the data in the tables. It is also worth remembering that in many cases one of the indicators affects the other. For example, if you are holding a device with IPX7 in your hands, then full protection against water also guarantees the impermeability of the device frame to dust.
In addition, there is a German standard for degree of protection IP69K, which was developed specifically for high-temperature pressure washing. Simply put, for washing cars. However, at present it is also used in various branches of the heavy and light industries.