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{{Short description|Standard for protection against intrusion of dust and water}}

{{Distinguish|IP address|Intellectual property}}

{{Hatnote group|

{{Redirect|International Protection|the treaty that grants asylum seekers protection|Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees}}

{{Distinguish|IP address|Intellectual property}}

{{Other uses|IP (disambiguation)}}

}}

{{use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}

{{Short description|Standard for protection against intrusion of dust and water}}

[[File:IPX Codes Explanation Chart (cropped).jpg|thumb|Example IP codes]]code. From left to right:

{{unordered list

|1=IP = International Protection

|2=2 = number from 0 to 6, or X

|3=3 = number from 0 to 9, or X

|4=C = (optional) letter A, B, C or D

|5=H = (optional) letter H, M, S or W

}}

]]

[[File:VIA VID Touch Screen Screen Display - VIA VID-2212-IP65 (5466727999).jpg|thumb|IP65 touchscreen display]]

[[File:09584jfCalumpit Pulilan Bulacan Landmarksfvf 17.jpg|thumb|IP65 LED lamp]]The '''IP code''' or '''ingressIngress protectionProtection code''' indicates how well a device is protected against water and dust. It is defined by the [[International Electrotechnical Commission]]&nbsp;(IEC) under the [[international standard]] IEC 60529<ref>{{Cite web |title=IEC 60529:1989+AMD1:1999+AMD2:2013 CSV {{!}} IEC Webstore {{!}} water management, smart city, rural electrification |url=https://webstore.iec.ch/publication/2452 |access-date=2024-05-08 |website=webstore.iec.ch}}</ref> which classifies and provides a guideline to the degree of protection provided by mechanical casings and [[electrical enclosures]] against intrusion, [[dust]], accidental contact, and [[waterproofing|water]]. It is published in the European Union by the [[European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization]]&nbsp;(CENELEC) as EN&nbsp;60529.

The standard aims to provide users more detailed information than vague marketing terms such as ''waterproof''. For example, a cellular phone rated at IP67 is "dust resistant" and can be "immersed in 1 meter of freshwater for up to 30 minutes". Similarly, an electrical socket rated IP22 is protected against insertion of fingers and will not become unsafe during a specified test in which it is exposed to vertically or nearly vertically dripping water. IP22 or IP2X are typical minimum requirements for the design of electrical accessories for indoor use.<ref>{{Cite web |title=IP Rating - Ingress Protection Explained {{!}} Tansun |url=https://www.tansun.com/gb_en/technical/technical-ip-rating.html |access-date=2024-05-08 |website=www.tansun.com}}</ref>

The digits indicate conformity with the conditions summarized in the tables below. The digit ''0'' is used where no protection is provided. The digit is replaced with the letter ''X'' when insufficient data has been gathered to assign a protection level. The device can become less capable,; however, it cannot become unsafe.

There are no hyphens in a standard IP code. IPX-8 (for example) is thus an invalid IP code.<ref name="NE Laser" />

== Etymology ==

In the original IEC 60529 standard from year 1976, the letters IP are used without providing an explanation, and referred as "characteristic letters".<ref>{{Cite book |title=IEC Publication 529: Classification des degrés de protection procurés par les enveloppes – Classification of degrees of protection provided by enclosures |publisher=[[International Electrotechnical Commission]] |year=1976 |edition=1st}}</ref> In the next editions of the standard, from years 1989 and 1999 respectively, the IP is explained to denote "international protection" on both French and English pages. According to the Finnish national committee of the IEC, one possibility is that the abbreviation is a combination of English word ingress and French word ''pénétration'' which stands for ingress, but finding the correct answer would require doing a historical study on the 1970's standardization, which is difficult because the experts preparing the original standards are likely retired or deceased.<ref>{{Cite web |title=SESKO: Frequently asked questions (in Finnish) |url=https://sesko.fi/yhteystiedot/usein-kysytyt-kysymykset/ |access-date=2023-08-22 |website=sesko.fi}}</ref>

==Code breakdown==

This table shows what each digit or part of the IP code represents.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sourceiex.com/Catalogs/IP%20Degress%20Testing%20Details.pdf |title=Degrees of Protection |author=Source IEx }}</ref>

[[File:IPX Codes Explanation Chart.jpg|thumb|IP codes]]

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! rowspan=2 | Code <br/>letters

! Code letters !! First characteristic numeral: Solid particle protection !! Second digit: Liquid ingress protection !! Third digit: Mechanical impact resistance !! Additional letter: Other protections !! Supplementary letter: Other protections

! First

! Second

! Third

! Additional

! Supplementary

|-

! Solid particle protection

| IP (Ingress Protection) || Single numeral: 0–6 or letter X || Single numeral: 0–8 or letter X || Single numeral: 0–9 || Single letter || Single letter

! Liquid ingress protection

! Mechanical impact resistance

! colspan=2 | Other protections

|-

| IP

| Mandatory || Mandatory || Mandatory || No longer used || Optional || Optional

| 0–6 or X

| 0–9 or X

| 0–9

| ''Letter''

| ''Letter''

|-

| By definition

| Required

| Required

| No longer used

| Optional

| Optional

|}

===First digit: Solid particle protection===

The first digit indicates the level of protection that the enclosure provides against access to hazardous parts (e.g., electrical conductors, moving parts) and the ingress of solid foreign objects.<ref name="IEC 60529">{{cite book |title=IEC 60529 - Degrees of protection provided by enclosures (IP Code) |series=International standard |author=International Electrotechnical Commission |edition=2.2 |year=2013 |page=21 |isbn=9782832210864 |oclc=864643678|ref={{harvid|IEC 60529|2013}} }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"

! Level sized !! Effective against !! Description

|-

! X

| ''Unknown''

|—

| X means there is no data is available to specify a protection rating with regard toabout this criterion.

|-

! 0

| —

| — || No protection against contact and ingress of objects

|-

! 1

| &gt;&nbsp;{{convert|50|mm|abbr=on|disp=br}} |
| Any large surface of the body, such as the back of a hand, but no protection against deliberate contact with a body part

|-

! 2

| &gt;&nbsp;{{convert|12.5|mm|abbr=on|disp=br}} |
| Fingers or similar objects

|-

! 3

| &gt;&nbsp;{{convert|2.5|mm|abbr=on|disp=br}} |
| Tools, thick wires, etc.

|-

! 4

| &gt;&nbsp;{{convert|1|mm|abbr=on|disp=br}} |
| Most wires, slender screws, large ants, etc.

|-

! 5

| Dust protected

| Dust protected || Ingress of dust is not entirely prevented, but it must not enter in sufficient quantity to interfere with the safe operation of the equipment.

|-

! 6

| Dust-tight

| Dust-tight || No ingress of dust; complete protection against contact (dust-tight). A vacuum must be applied. Test duration of up to 8 hours based on airflow.

|}

===Second digit: Liquid ingress protection===<!--where does this info come from? it doesn't seem to be using the standard terminology for the ratings-->

The second digit indicates the level of protection that the enclosure provides against harmful ingress of water.<ref name="NE Laser">{{citation|title=Ingress Protection: The System of Tests and Meaning of Codes|url=http://www.ce-mag.com/archive/06/ARG/bisenius.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130522115323/http://www.ce-mag.com/archive/06/ARG/bisenius.htm|archive-date=2013-05-22|url-status=dead}}.<!-- http://www.webcitation.org/6DGYoRMwp?url=http://www.ce-mag.com/archive/06/ARG/bisenius.htm --></ref>

The ratings for water ingress are not cumulative beyond IPX6. A device that is compliant with IPX7 (covering water immersion in water) is not necessarily compliant with IPX5 or IPX6 (covering exposure to water jets). A device that meets both tests is indicated by listing both tests separated by a slash, e.g. IPX5/IPX7.

{| class="wikitable"

! style="width: 5em;" | Level

Line 67 ⟶ 110:

|-

! X

| ''Unknown''

|—

| —

| X means there is no data is available to specify a protection rating with regard toconcerning these criteria.

|-

|-

! 0

| None |
| — |
| No protection against ingress of water

|-

! 1

| Dripping water

| Dripping water || Dripping water (vertically falling drops) shall have no unsafe effect on the specimen when mounted in an upright position onto a turntable and rotated at 1 RPM. || Test duration: 10&nbsp;minutes

Water equivalent to {{convert|1|mm|in|abbr=on}} rainfall per minute<br />

| Test duration: 10&nbsp;minutes

Water equivalent to {{convert|1|mm|in|abbr=on}} rainfall per minute<br />

|-

! 2

| Dripping water when tilted at 15° |
| Vertically dripping water shall have no harmful effect when the enclosure is tilted at an angle of 15° from its normal position. A total of four positions are tested within two axes. || Test duration: 2.5&nbsp;minutes for every direction of tilt (10 minutes total)<br />

Water equivalent to {{convert|3|mm|in|abbr=on}} rainfall per minute

|-

! 3

| Spraying water

| Spraying water || Water falling as a spray at any angle up to 60° from the vertical shall have no harmful effect, utilizing either: a) an oscillating fixture, or b) Aa spray nozzle with a counterbalanced shield.

Test a) is conducted for 5 minutes, then repeated with the specimen rotated horizontally by 90° for the second 5-minute test. Test b) is conducted (with a shield in place) for 5 minutes minimum.

|| For a spray nozzle:

Test duration: 1 minute per square meter for at least 5&nbsp;minutes{{sfn|IEC 60529|2013|p=27}}

Water volume: {{convert|10|liter/min}}

Line 97 ⟶ 145:

|-

! 4

| Splashing of water |
| Water splashing against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effect, utilizing either:

a) an oscillating fixture, or b) A spray nozzle with no shield.

Test

a) is conducted for 10 minutes.

b) is conducted (without shield) for 5 minutes minimum.

|| Oscillating tube: Test duration: 10 minutes, or spray nozzle (same as IPX3 spray nozzle with the shield removed)

|-

! 5

| Water jets || Water projected by a nozzle ({{convert|6.3|mm|in|abbr=on}}) against enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects. |
| Test duration: 1 minute per square meter for at least 3&nbsp;minutes

Water volume: 12.5&nbsp;litres per minute

Pressure: {{convert|30|kPa|psi|abbr=on|adj=on}} at distance of {{convert|3|meters}}

|-

! 6

| Powerful water jets

| Powerful water jets || Water projected in powerful jets ({{convert|12.5|mm|in|abbr=on}} nozzle) against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects. || Test duration: 1 minute per square meter for at least 3&nbsp;minutes

| Test duration: 1 minute per square meter for at least 3&nbsp;minutes

Water volume: {{convert|100|liters/min}}

Pressure: {{convert|100|kPa|psi|abbr=on|adj=on}} at distance of {{convert|3|meters}}

|-

! 6K

| Powerful water jets with increased pressure

| Powerful water jets with increased pressure || Water projected in powerful jets ({{convert|6.3|mm|in|abbr=on}} nozzle) against the enclosure from any direction, under elevated pressure, shall have no harmful effects. Found in DIN 40050, and not IEC 60529. || Test duration: at least 3&nbsp;minutes<ref>{{CitationCite web needed|title=IEC60529 Comprehensive Waterproof Test Chamber for IPX9K and IPX6K Tests |url=https://www.electricalsafety-testequipment.com/quality-12745139-iec60529-comprehensive-waterproof-test-chamber-for-ipx9k-and-ipx6k-tests |access-date=July2025-03-19 2016|website=Pego Electronics (Yi Chun) Company Limited |language=en}}</ref><br />

Water volume: {{convert|75|liters/min}}

Pressure: {{convert|1000|kPa|psi|abbr=on|adj=on}} at distance of {{convert|3|meters}}

Line 124 ⟶ 177:

|-

! 8

| Immersion, {{convert|1|meter}} or more depth || The equipment is suitable for continuous immersion in water under conditions which shallthe bemanufacturer specifiedshall by the manufacturerspecify. However, with certain types of equipment, it can mean that water can enter but only in such a mannerso that it produces no harmful effects. The test depth and duration isare expected to be greater than the requirements for IPx7, and other environmental effects may be added, such as temperature cycling before immersion. || Test duration: agreement with manufacturerthe manufacturer

Depth specified by the manufacturer, generally up to {{convert|3|meters}}

|-

!9K 9

| Powerful high-temperature water jets
|| Protected against close-range high -pressure, high-temperature spray downs.

Smaller specimens rotate slowly on a turntable, from 4 specific angles. Larger specimens are mounted in the intended position when being used, no turntable required, and are tested freehand for at least 3 minutes at a distance of {{convert|0.15|-|0.2|meters}}.

The specific requirements for the test nozzle are shown in figures 7, 8, & 9 of IEC (or EN) 60529.

This test is identified as IPx9 in IEC 60529.

| Test duration: Fixture: 30 sec. in each of 4 angles (2 min. total), Freehand: 1 min/m², 3 min. minimum

Water volume: {{convert|14|-|16|liters/min}}

Pressure: {{convert|8|–|10|MPa|bar|abbr=on}} at distance of {{convert|0.10|-|0.15|meters}}

Water temperature: {{convert|80|C}}

|}

(All tests with the letter "K" are defined by ISO 20653 (replacing DIN 40050-9) and are not found in IEC 60529, except for IPx9, which is the same as the IP69K water test.)

===Supplementary letter (optional)===

Line 147 ⟶ 202:

! Letter

! Meaning

|-

! G

| Oil resistant

|-

! F

Line 164 ⟶ 222:

|}

The letter K is specified in ISO 20653 (replacing DIN 40050-9), and not in IEC 60529.

== IP69KIPx9K and IPx9 ==

[[Deutsches Institut für Normung|DIN]] 40050-9 extended the newer IEC 60529 rating system with an '''IP69K''' rating for high-pressure, high-temperature wash-down applications.<ref>{{citation | title = [[DIN]] 40050-9: ''Straßenfahrzeuge; IP-Schutzarten; Schutz gegen Fremdkörper, Wasser und Berühren; Elektrische Ausrüstung'' [Road vehicles; degrees of protection (IP-code); protection against foreign objects, water and impact; electrical equipment] | date = May 1993}}. An English translation of the German original is available from DIN.</ref> Enclosures conforming with ISO 20653:2013 must notbe only beboth dust-tight (IP6X), but alsoand able to withstand high-pressure and steam cleaning.

The IP69KIPx9K standard was originally developed for road vehicles—especially those that need regular intensive cleaning (dump trucks, concrete mixers, etc.)—but it also finds use in other areas, such as [[food processing]] machinery and [[car wash]] systems. It was superseded by ISO 20653:2013 Road Vehicles-Degrees of protection (IP code),<ref>ISO 20653:2013 Road Vehicles-Degrees of protection (IP code) Protection of electrical equipment against foreign objects, water and access</ref> and complemented by the addition of a level 9 water ingress testing to IEC 60529, which includes essentially the same spray test as IP69KIPx9K, but also includes, in Figure 10 of the standard, a drawing for a test fixture designed to verify the correct water pressure.

=== Test setup ===

Line 181 ⟶ 239:

|-

! NEMA enclosure<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nema.org/Products/Documents/nema-enclosure-types.pdf |title=NEMA Enclosure Types |date=November 2005 |publisher=National Electrical Manufacturers Association |access-date=10 January 2017 |pages=7–9 |archive-date=10 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180610223224/https://www.nema.org/Products/Documents/nema-enclosure-types.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

! IP Codecode

|-

| 1 || IP20

Line 203 ⟶ 261:

==See also==

* [[Appliance classes]]

* [[EN 62262]] – IK code on resistance to mechanical impacts

* [[MIL-STD-810]]

* [[U.S. Military connector specifications]] for military equivalents

* [[Water Resistant mark]] on wrist watches

==References==

Line 214 ⟶ 272:

==External links==

{{Commons category|IP code}}

* [https://www.nema.org/Standards/ComplimentaryDocuments/ANSI-IEC-60529.pdf 2004 version of the standard]

[[Category:Certification marks]]