Test's & Certification's

Each Beltronic Bit-Rugged PC's® is designed and manufactured to meet a level of durability matched to an intended work environment. The range of Bit-Rugged PC's cover the ruggedized Portables, Notebooks and Customized Systems and include models with selected durability features like the remaining semi-rugged models.

At the very least, each Bit-Rugged Notebook features a magnesium alloy LCD case, 20 times stronger than ABS plastic, to protect this critical and expensive-to-replace component. Other models include full magnesium or aluminium cases to protect all system components. Hard disk drives are equipped with various degrees of shock insulation to protect mission-critical data from the dangers of shocks, bumps and drops. Some Bit-Rugged PC's also offer spill-resistant keyboards to provide protection from the spills and splashes that are a frequent part of mobile computing environments.

The key to choosing the right Bit-Rugged PC's is to consider your work environment and your performance and feature needs — your Beltronic specialists will help you understand which Bit-Rugged PC's is the right choice for your particular business requirements.

Reliability

Our most rugged Bit-Rugged PC's have been designed using MIL-STD-810F test procedures to measure levels of environmental reliability. Created by the U.S. government, the MIL-STD-810F specifications cover a broad range of tests that measure the durability of equipment used under harsh conditions. From the MIL-STD-810F test menu, Beltronic selected those that most closely reflect the challenges that mobile professionals face in the field, on the road, and in the office. These tests include drop-, shock-, moisture-, dust- and vibration-resistance, exposure to extremely low and high temperatures, and many others.

Passed the Test

And even though Beltronic conducts these environmental tests in our own factories with our own equipment, we didn't stop there. After we finished our in-house tests on the ruggedized Bit-Rugged PC's based on customer requirements we able to pass it to one of the leading independent environmental test agencies in Germany in order to certify our products.

Testing Procedures

And while not every Bit-Rugged PC's is designed to be as ultra-rugged as the Bit-RCS CDT or Bit-RNB A770, tests like the MIL-STD-810F help us to understand how to design all of our Bit-Rugged PC's with the best focus on durability features for the type of user and work conditions. The information below describes the tests we use to measure Bit-Rugged PC's durability.

MIL-STD-810F Test Procedures

The following MIL-STD-810F test procedures can be performed on the Bit-Rugged PC's:

Drop Test

The Drop test will be performed in accordance with MIL-STD-810F, Method 516.5, Procedure IV (Transit Drop Test). The Bit-Rugged PC's will be sequentially dropped in non-operating mode, onto each face, edge and corner for a total of 26 drops from a height of 36 inches. The drop surface is defined as two-inch-thick plywood over a steel plate over concrete. The Rugged PC's will be visually inspected after each drop and a functional check (boot-up into Windows) have to be performed after each drop.

Vibration

The Vibration shall be performed in accordance with MIL-STD-810F, Method 514, Procedure I, Category 24 (Minimum Integrity Test) for the non-operational condition and Category 20 (Ground Vehicles) for the operational condition. The unit should be clamped to an aluminum plate (approximating rigid mounting), and subjects to the following levels of vibration:

Non-Operational (from Figure 514.5C-17 of MIL-STD-810F) 0.04 g2 /Hz at 20-1000 Hz, -6 dB/Octave at 1000-2000 Hz, 1 hour/axis duration.

Operational (Figure 514.5C-1 of MIL-STD-810F) 0.001 g2 /Hz at 12.5 Hz, 0.034 g2 /Hz at 20~40 Hz 5.70E-06 g2 /Hz at 200 Hz, 1 hour/axis duration simulating 1000 miles of transportation.

The hard disk drive have to be spinning during the operational test. A functional test will be performed between each axis of testing, to catch any potential failures. The operational test is conducted using the vertical axis power spectral density (worst case condition for amplitude), as the orientation of the test item during transportation is not known.

Water Resistance

The Water Resistance test's will be performed in accordance with MIL-STD-810F, Method 506.4, Procedure III (Drip). The test items are subjected to this test with the LCD open and the unit operating, but with ports closed. The Tested Rugged PC's will be opened following testing to inspect for water intrusion.

Humidity

The Humidity test will be performed in accordance with MIL-STD-810F, Method 507.4 (Aggravated). The test items have to be tested for operation near the conclusion of the fifth and tenth cycles. Each cycle is one day (24 hours) and the entire test will be performed over 3 days. The temperature is cycled between 30°C and 60°C with the relative humidity at 95% constant.

Dust Resistance

The Dust Resistance test will be performed in accordance with MIL-STD-810F, Method 510.4, Procedure I (Dust). An operating temperature of 55°C will be used for this test. The upper non-operating temperature of 60°C is incorporated into the test as this is the «default» temperature given by the MIL-STD-810F guidelines. Silica flour as defined by the test standard was used. Failure was considered to have occurred if moving parts bind or are blocked, or if contacts or relays malfunctioned. The units must have continued to function also.

High Temperature

High Temperature tests will be conducted in accordance with MIL-STD-810F, Method 501.4, Procedures I (Storage) and Procedure II (Operation). Beltronic set the testing parameters as follows: 55°C Operational, 70°C Non-Operational

Low Temperature

The Low Temperature test will be performed according to MIL-STD-810F, Method 502.4, Procedures I (Storage) and II (Operation). Beltronic set the low operating temperature at -20°C and non-operating temperature at -40°C.

Thermal Shock

The Thermal Shock test was performed in accordance with MIL-STD-810F, Method 503.4. Beltronic set the high temperature non-operating temperature at 95°C and the low temperature non-operating temperature at -50°C. Three cycles were performed (high to low = one cycle).

Altitude

The Altitude test will be performed in accordance with MIL-STD-810F, Method 500.4, Procedure I (Storage) and II (Operation). The altitude level used for both procedures was 15,000 feet (highest equivalent altitude given within MIL-STD-810F for cargo pressures of military aircraft).

Full details of each test are contained in a test reports and can be supplied on customer request.