IEC 60529 (IP Protection Codes Standard)
The international standard that classifies the protection of enclosures against the ingress of solid objects and water with a two-digit IP code. The first digit indicates solid object and dust tests, the second water tests. The code is the test result for the product when new; it does not guarantee that the sealing will last.
The standard defines a separate test arrangement for each digit. For the first digit, levels 0-6 test the ingress of fingers, wires, granules and dust; for the second digit, levels 0-8 (and 9 with IPX9) test dripping, splashing, jets and immersion. Tests are carried out on a new sample.
- Cumulativeness: the first digit is cumulative; the second is not. An enclosure that passes IPX7 is not deemed to have passed IPX5.
- The letter X: if the relevant property was not tested, an X is written instead of a digit (e.g. IPX7).
- Ageing: hardened seals, loosened cover screws, incorrectly tightened cable entries and a cracked housing effectively invalidate the code. For this reason an IP declaration is not a maintenance promise but an initial measurement.
The IP64 and IP67 values quoted for the ST/SF sets are expressed according to this standard; when writing a specification, writing the required test condition next to the code prevents misunderstanding.
Context in which this term is used: Receiver-transmitter pairing procedure