WHAT IS MIL-STD CERTIFICATION AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR RUGGED LAPTOPS & TABLETS?
Working in demanding environments is made easier with Getac’s MIL-STD solutions, verified to withstand extreme temperature, dust, moisture, vibration, drop and shock.
WHAT IS MIL-STD?
The Military Standard (MIL-STD) or Defense Standard was established after WWII to provide uniform requirements and ensure interoperability for the military and its secondary industries, explicitly focusing on engineering and technical requirements, processes, procedures, practices, and methods. First used by branches of the military, MIL-STD certification now represents the ability to withstand extreme conditions.
WHAT DOES MIL-STD CERTIFICATION MEAN?
The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has created strict standards and thorough MIL-STD test requirements. If a device passes testing, it is MIL-STD-certified. However, many products claim to be MIL-STD certified that have not undergone this rigorous testing. The best way to know for sure is to ask for the test methods and results.
MIL-STD-810H VS. OTHER MILITARY STANDARDS
Two MIL-STD certifications for rugged tablets and laptops are MIL-STD-810H (formerly MIL-STD-810G) and MIL-STD-461G. The MIL-STD-810H certification means a product has passed rigorous testing focused on environmental conditions. Extreme temperature, moisture, dust and shock are a few of the nearly 30 testing situations. Devices earning MIL-STD-810H certification are verified to perform in extreme conditions and qualify as heat-resistant, water- and dust-resistant, and shock-resistant.
The MIL-STD-461G certification focuses on electromagnetic (EM) compatibility, as detecting EM interference or rogue signals can be critical to safety or communications secrecy in certain industries. MIL-STD-461G evaluates in four specific areas:
- Radiated emissions
- Conducted emissions
- Radiated susceptibility
- Conducted susceptibility
WHAT IS MIL-STD-810H?
There are nearly 30 tests that can be completed for a device or materiel (supply or equipment specifically used by the military) under the MIL-STD-810H certification. This standard focuses specifically on environmental stress and is widely used to test tablet and laptop ruggedness. MIL-STD-810H is a recent update as of 2019, with MIL-STD-810G being the prior standard, issued in 2014.
The MIL-STD-810H standard encompasses the following tests:
Low Pressure (Altitude)
Low Pressure (Altitude)
Low Temperature
Temperature Shock
Contamination By Fluids
Solar Radiation (Sunshine)
Rain
Humidity
Fungus
Salt Fog
Sand and Dust
Explosive Atmosphere
Immersion
Acceleration
Vibration
Acoustic Noise
Shock
Pyroshock
Acidic Atmosphere
Gunfire Shock
Combined Environments
Icing/Freezing Rain
Ballistic Shock
Vibro-Acoustic/ Temperature
Freeze/Thaw
Time Waveform Replication
Rail Impact
Multi-Exciter Test
Mechanical Vibrations of Shipboard Equipment (Type I - Environmental and Type II - Internally Excited)
*Please check product technical specifications for complete rugged features and certifications.
TESTING METHODS FOR MIL-STD-461G
A device that is MIL-STD-461G certified has been tested thoroughly and evaluated for electromagnetic (EM) emissions and susceptibility. There are 20 tests that assess equipment for MIL-STD-461G certification. These tests have an alphanumeric coding system starting with two letters followed by a three-digit number. The letters are:
- C - Conducted
- R - Radiated
- E - Emission
- S - Susceptibility
Test procedures focus on four specific areas:
- Conducted emissions (CE)
- Radiated emissions (RE)
- Conducted susceptibility (CS)
- Radiated susceptibility (RS)
CONDUCTED EMISSIONS (CE)
Conducted susceptibility (CS)
Radiated emissions (RE)
Radiated susceptibility (RS)
POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS FOR MIL-STD-810H-RATED LAPTOPS AND TABLETS
Work in demanding environments is made easier with Getac’s MIL-STD certified solutions. Verified to withstand extreme conditions, our fully-rugged devices work where you do: in your vehicle, in the field, or in the office.
Solutions with MIL-STD-810H certification are sufficiently rugged for:
- Extreme environments: Including locations where temperature vary drastically, where dust is present, and where vibration and shock may occur.
- Everyday incidents: Sometimes coffee gets spilled and devices get dropped.
- Any industry: No industry is too rough for a Getac MIL-STD-810H-rated device.