Electronic devices today are increasingly making their way into applications that require serious consideration for the environment that they are exposed to. As we enter deeper into the fourth industrial revolution, we see the possibility to connect virtually everything to a network. Whether it be the factory floor, the hospital operating room, or a GPS controlling a tractor, we need to be concerned about Ingress protection for the device enclosure in the environments in which they operate. 

Amphenol ICC has a full line of harsh environment connectors that provide varying levels of ingress protection for enclosures. This provides our customers with the possibility to provide IO ports to connect their devices to external cabling without being concerned about dust, dirt, and fluids from entering their device. 

Rather than simply referring to a connector as being "waterproof", it is important to understand the level of protection provided. The Industry standard IEC 60529 defines the level of ingress protection on a scale which is shown below. The format of the ratings follows a coding system where the first character after "IP" defines the solid particle protection and the second character defines the liquid ingress protection. Optional suffixes can be used to define special options. 

A rating of IP20 will define protection from fingers being inserted but will provide little to no protection from water or other liquid exposure. A rating of IP67 however, provides protection from dust as well as protection from water ingress when submerged under 1 Metre of water for 30 minutes, while IP68 defines protection from being submerged for extended periods of time. IP69K is a more recent designation which specifies protection from powerful, high-temperature water jets.

Amphenol ICC has a growing range of Harsh environment solutions that hold ratings of IP67 or higher. Some of our popular products include MRJR series modular jacks, MUSBR series USB connectors, MHDR Series HDMI connectors. Check out our other harsh environment products for further information.

Amphenol ICC provides a complete line of Harsh IO solutions that can help ensure reliable operation in the most challenging locations.