A rugged computer or ruggedized computer is a computer specifically designed to operate reliably in harsh usage environments and conditions, such as strong vibrations, extreme temperatures and wet or dusty conditions. They are designed from inception for the type of rough use typified by these conditions, not just in the external housing but in the internal components and cooling arrangements as well.What you need to know before purchasing a rugged mobile computer
, ''LXE'', 2004. Typical environments for rugged laptops,

tablet PC A tablet computer, commonly shortened to tablet, is a mobile device, typically with a mobile operating system and touchscreen display processing circuitry, and a rechargeable battery in a single, thin and flat package. Tablets, being comput ...

s and PDAs are

public safety Public security or public safety is the prevention of and protection from events that could endanger the safety and security of the public from significant danger, injury, or property damage. It is often conducted by a state government to ensur ...

, field sales, field service,

manufacturing Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to ...

retail Retail is the sale of goods and services to consumers, in contrast to wholesaling, which is sale to business or institutional customers. A retailer purchases goods in large quantities from manufacturers, directly or through a wholesaler, and ...

, healthcare,

construction Construction is a general term meaning the art and science to form Physical object, objects, systems, or organizations,"Construction" def. 1.a. 1.b. and 1.c. ''Oxford English Dictionary'' Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0) Oxford University Pr ...

transport Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land ( rail and road), water, cable, pipelin ...

ation/ distributionSupply Chain Management
Panasonic.com. Retrieved 10-2-2013. and the

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

. They are used in the agricultural industries, and by individuals for

outdoor recreation Outdoor recreation or outdoor activity refers to recreation done outside, most commonly in natural settings. The activities that encompass outdoor recreation vary depending on the physical environment they are being carried out in. These activitie ...

activities.

Construction

Virtually all rugged computers share an underlying design philosophy of providing a controlled environment for the installed electronics. Rugged computers are engineered to operate in the face of multiple challenges including: * Shock and vibration * Temperature and humidity * Corrosion and abrasion * Minimal size, weight, and power (SWaP) * Acoustic noise reduction * Low pressure/altitude * Ingress protection * Electromagnetic interference Rugged 1U Computer

Electronic components themselves may be selected for their ability to withstand higher and lower operating temperatures than typical commercial components. Design engineering decisions such as reduction of cabling, addition of liquid cooling and

heat sink A heat sink (also commonly spelled heatsink) is a passive heat exchanger that transfers the heat generated by an electronic or a mechanical device to a fluid medium, often air or a liquid coolant, where it is dissipated away from the device, th ...

s, and rugged materials, are made to ensure performance in harsh environments. Features include fully sealed keyboards to protect against intrusion by dust or liquids, and scratch-resistant screens that are readable in direct sunlight.How ruggedness reduces TCO for mobile computers
, ''VDC Research'', 2009. Rugged units have higher prices. However, one research study found that in environments where rugged computers are commonly used,

total cost of ownership Total cost of ownership (TCO) is a financial estimate intended to help buyers and owners determine the direct and indirect costs of a product or service. It is a management accounting concept that can be used in full cost accounting or even ecolog ...

was 36% lower for rugged

notebooks A notebook is a small book often used for writing. Notebook or The Notebook may also refer to: Computing *Laptop, a type of personal computer * Google Notebook, a discontinued online application * Notebook interface, a type of programming envir ...

and 33% less for

handhelds A mobile device (or handheld computer) is a computer small enough to hold and operate in the hand. Mobile devices typically have a flat LCD or OLED screen, a touchscreen interface, and digital or physical buttons. They may also have a physical ...

and PDAs, compared to conventional non-rugged versions. The lower overall cost is due to lower failure rates, the related impact on

productivity Productivity is the efficiency of production of goods or services expressed by some measure. Measurements of productivity are often expressed as a ratio of an aggregate output to a single input or an aggregate input used in a production proces ...

, and other factors.TCO Insights on Rugged Mobile Computers
, ''VDC Research'', 2007.

Laptops

A ruggedized laptop is built to operate reliably in dusty or wet environments and conditions. These computers have a thicker and stronger housing than a regular laptop, and are mainly used for industrial, construction and military purposes. Engineered to be mobile, they are vibration, shock, drop, and dust resistant, and

waterproof Waterproofing is the process of making an object or structure waterproof or water-resistant so that it remains relatively unaffected by water or resisting the ingress of water under specified conditions. Such items may be used in wet environme ...

, yet are able to comply with other important requirements such as high performance and governmental grade security. They are equipped with both current and legacy I/O ports including serial, ExpressCard, PCMCIA, VGA, and others that are commonly used in outdoor environments. The levels of ruggedization are not standardized, but they are measured by various certifications such as

MIL-STD-810 MIL-STD-810, U S Department of Defense Test Method Standard, Environmental Engineering Considerations and Laboratory Tests, is a United States Military Standard that emphasizes tailoring an equipment's environmental design and test limits to the ...

, IP, or

ATEX The ATEX directives are two EU directives describing the minimum safety requirements for workplaces and equipment used in explosive atmospheres. The name is an initialization of the French term ''Appareils destinés à être utilisés en ATm ...

Tablets

Embedded World 2014 Rugged Computing Tablet

A rugged tablet may be semi-rugged or fully rugged. The semi-rugged might have a protective case, rain-resistant body. Fully rugged tablets are engineered from the inside-out to work in extreme temperatures and other harsh conditions. They are designed to resist drops, shocks and vibrations while maintaining strength to be dust- and waterproof. A tablet has internally a

solid state drive A solid-state drive (SSD) is a solid-state storage device that uses integrated circuit assemblies to store data persistently, typically using flash memory, and functioning as secondary storage in the hierarchy of computer storage. It is ...

and no moving parts. Unlike many laptops, most tablets do not require a fan, improving their dust and water resistance. Many rugged ones have options such as a

barcode scanner A barcode reader is an optical scanner that can read printed barcodes, decode the data contained in the barcode to a computer. Like a flatbed scanner, it consists of a light source, a lens and a light sensor for translating optical impulses int ...

because they serve in the logistics and transport sector. Levels of ruggedization are measured by various certifications such as IP,

Smartphones

Rugged smartphone A rugged smartphone is a specific type of toughened smartphone which is designed to be completely sealed within a durable housing to protect it against damage from, among other things, water, shock, dust, and vibration. Some rugged smartphones have

Push-to-Talk Push-to-talk (PTT), also known as press-to-transmit, is a method of having conversations or talking on half-duplex communication lines, including two-way radio, using a momentary button to switch from voice reception mode to transmit mode. H ...

(PTT) capabilities, NFC and

barcode reader A barcode reader is an optical scanner that can read printed barcodes, decode the data contained in the barcode to a computer. Like a flatbed scanner, it consists of a light source, a lens and a light sensor for translating optical impulses into ...

functions which suit their use for industrial and construction logistics.

Standards

: Specifically MIL-STD-810G CN1 (2014), a military standard, issued in 1962, which establishes a set of tests for determining equipment suitability to military operations. Often used as a reference in the commercial laptop industry. *

MIL-STD-461 MIL-STD-461 is a United States Military Standard that describes how to test equipment for electromagnetic compatibility Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) is the ability of electrical equipment and systems to function acceptably in their electr ...

: A United States Military Standard that describes how to test equipment for electromagnetic compatibility. * MIL-S-901: a military standard for shock which applies to equipment mounted on ships. Two levels apply. Grade A items are items which are essential to the safety and continued combat capability of the ship. Grade B items are items whose operation is not essential to the safety and combat capability of the ship but which could become a hazard to personnel, to Grade A items, or to the ship as a whole as a result of exposure to shock. Qualification testing is performed on a barge floating in a pond where TNT is detonated at various distances and depths in the pond to impart shock to the barges. * IEEE 1156.1-199
IEEE Standard Microcomputer Environmental Specifications for Computer Modules
* IEEE 1613 Computers in electrical substations used to concentrate data or communicate with SCADA systems follow IEEE 1613 "Standard Environmental and Testing Requirements for Communications Networking Devices in Electric Power Substations." * IP (Ingress Protection): ''see''

IP Code The IP code or ingress protection code indicates how well a device is protected against water and dust. It defined by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) under the international standard IEC 60529 which classifies and pro ...

* IS (Intrinsic Safety): ''see''

Intrinsic safety Intrinsic safety (IS) is a protection technique for safe operation of electrical equipment in hazardous areas by limiting the energy, electrical and thermal, available for ignition. In signal and control circuits that can operate with low curre ...

* TEMPEST: ''see''

Tempest (codename) TEMPEST is a U.S. National Security Agency specification and a NATO certification referring to spying on information systems through leaking emanations, including unintentional radio or electrical signals, sounds, and vibrations. TEMPEST covers bot ...

* ATEX (Potentially Explosive Atmospheres): ''see'' Equipment and protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres * NEMA (

National Electrical Manufacturers Association The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) is the largest trade association of electrical equipment manufacturers in the United States. Founded in 1926, it advocates for the industry, and publishes standards for electrical product ...

) * IK Code (Also known as EN50102) ''see'' EN 50102 * European standard EN 50155, "Railway Applications—Electronic Equipment Used On Rolling Stock", provides an example of a tough non-military specification. It extends operating temperature range (−25 – +70 °C), resistance to humidity, shocks, vibrations, radiation - encountered in vehicle or airborne installations.

Wireless connectivity

Wireless Wireless communication (or just wireless, when the context allows) is the transfer of information between two or more points without the use of an electrical conductor, optical fiber or other continuous guided medium for the transfer. The most ...

capability is a key requirement for most enterprise

mobility Mobility may refer to: Social sciences and humanities * Economic mobility, ability of individuals or families to improve their economic status * Geographic mobility, the measure of how populations and goods move over time * Mobilities, a conte ...

applications, and it has been reported that wireless-transmission failure rates are three times higher for non-rugged notebooks compared to rugged units. This difference is attributed to the greater experience of rugged-notebook vendors at integrating multiple radios into their products. Each transmission failure leads to five to ten minutes in lost

as the user has to re-login to the company network through a

VPN A virtual private network (VPN) extends a private network across a public network and enables users to send and receive data across shared or public networks as if their computing devices were directly connected to the private network. The be ...

. Since enterprises are turning to cellular networks to enable full-time connectivity for their users,Next Generation Rugged Handheld Device Requirements
, ''VDC Research'', 2011. major vendors of rugged computers offer both built-in

wireless LAN A wireless LAN (WLAN) is a wireless computer network that links two or more devices using wireless communication to form a local area network (LAN) within a limited area such as a home, school, computer laboratory, campus, or office buildi ...

and

wireless WAN Wireless wide area network (WWAN), is a form of wireless network. The larger size of a wide area network compared to a local area network requires differences in technology. Wireless networks of different sizes deliver data in the form of telephon ...

capabilities,Rugged Laptops - Toughbook Mobile Computer Product Comparison
/ref>Wireless Technical Info - Official Panasonic Toughbook Computers
/ref>Rugged Notebook Computers with Integrated Wireless and GPS from General Dynamics Itronix, "Wireless Capability by Product"
and partner with cellular carriers, such as

Verizon Verizon Communications Inc., commonly known as Verizon, is an American multinational telecommunications conglomerate and a corporate component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is headquartered at 1095 Avenue of the Americas ...

and

AT&T AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the world's largest telecommunications company by revenue and the third largest provider of mobile te ...

, as part of their offerings.Wireless Computer Partners - Official Panasonic Toughbook Computers
/ref>General Dynamics Itronix Wireless Activation Capabilities
During the handoff between the various wireless LAN and wireless WAN connections, a

mobile VPN Mobile may refer to: Places * Mobile, Alabama, a U.S. port city * Mobile County, Alabama * Mobile, Arizona, a small town near Phoenix, U.S. * Mobile, Newfoundland and Labrador Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Mobile ...

allows the connection to persist, creating an always-connected infrastructure that is simpler for the user and eliminates application crashes and

data loss Data loss is an error condition in information systems in which information is destroyed by failures (like failed spindle motors or head crashes on hard drives) or neglect (like mishandling, careless handling or storage under unsuitable conditions) ...

.General Dynamics Itronix Mobility XE Overview Page

References

{{reflist Classes of computers fr:Ordinateur renforcé zh:工業電腦