A rugged computer or ruggedized computer is a

computer A computer is a machine that can be Computer programming, programmed to automatically Execution (computing), carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (''computation''). Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic set ...

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

laptop A laptop computer or notebook computer, also known as a laptop or notebook, is a small, portable personal computer (PC). Laptops typically have a Clamshell design, clamshell form factor (design), form factor with a flat-panel computer scree ...

s, tablet PCs 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 ensu ...

, 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 the secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer ...

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

healthcare Health care, or healthcare, is the improvement or maintenance of health via the preventive healthcare, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, treatment, wikt:amelioration, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other disability, physic ...

construction Construction are processes involved in delivering buildings, infrastructure, industrial facilities, and associated activities through to the end of their life. It typically starts with planning, financing, and design that continues until the a ...

transport Transport (in British English) or transportation (in American English) is the intentional Motion, movement of humans, animals, and cargo, goods from one location to another. Mode of transport, Modes of transport include aviation, air, land tr ...

ation/

distribution Distribution may refer to: Mathematics *Distribution (mathematics), generalized functions used to formulate solutions of partial differential equations *Probability distribution, the probability of a particular value or value range of a varia ...

Supply 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. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...

. 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 * Optimizations on performance Rugged 1U Computer

Electronic components themselves may be selected for their ability to withstand higher and lower

operating temperature An operating temperature is the allowable temperature range of the local ambient environment at which an electrical or mechanical device operates. The device will operate effectively within a specified temperature range which varies based on the de ...

s 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 thermal management (electronics), ...

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 eco ...

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 **Notebook (laptop), a specific, smaller class of laptop *Google Notebook, a discontinued online appli ...

and 33% less for handhelds and PDAs, compared to conventional non-rugged versions. The lower overall cost is due to lower

failure rate Failure is the social concept of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, and is usually viewed as the opposite of success. The criteria for failure depends on context, and may be relative to a particular observer or belief system. On ...

s, 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 proce ...

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

Laptops

A ruggedized or rugged

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, 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 ExpressCard, initially called NEWCARD, is an interface to connect peripheral, peripheral devices to a computer, usually a laptop, laptop computer. The ExpressCard technical standard specifies the design of slots built into the computer and of expa ...

, 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, IP, or ATEX.

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 type of solid-state storage device that uses integrated circuits to store data persistently. It is sometimes called semiconductor storage device, solid-state device, or solid-state disk. SSDs rely on non- ...

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 or barcode scanner is an optical scanner that can read printed barcodes and send the data they contain to computer. Like a flatbed scanner, it consists of a light source, a lens, and a light sensor for translating optical impulses ...

because they serve in the logistics and transport sector. Levels of ruggedization are measured by various certifications such as IP, MIL-STD-810 or ATEX.

Smartphones

A rugged smartphone has a thicker and completely sealed housing which protects it against all kinds of elements such as water, dust, shock and vibration. This kind of smartphone can be left out in a sandstorm, frozen in a blizzard or go underwater. A true fully rugged smartphone is substantially less susceptible to damage than a non-rugged smartphone. Like a rugged tablet, it typically meets IP certification and military standard specifications for dust, shock, vibration, rain, humidity, solar radiation, altitude and temperature extremes. Only a few manufacturers make a rugged smartphone due to its complicated structure, different use of material and high level of quality expectation. 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 or barcode scanner is an optical scanner that can read printed barcodes and send the data they contain to computer. Like a flatbed scanner, it consists of a light source, a lens, and a light sensor for translating optical impul ...

functions which suit their use for industrial and construction logistics.

Standards

* MIL-STD-810: 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: 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 International Protection code indicates how well a device is protected against water and dust. It is defined by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) under the international standard IEC 60529 which classifies ...

* IS (Intrinsic Safety): ''see'': Intrinsic safety * TEMPEST: ''see'': Tempest (codename) * ATEX (Potentially Explosive Atmospheres): ''see'': Equipment and protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres * NEMA ( National Electrical Manufacturers Association) * 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 (''telecommunication'') between two or more points without the use of an electrical conductor, optical fiber or other continuous guided transm ...

capability is a key requirement for most enterprise mobility 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. Since enterprises are turning to

cellular network A cellular network or mobile network is a telecommunications network where the link to and from end nodes is wireless network, wireless and the network is distributed over land areas called ''cells'', each served by at least one fixed-locatio ...

s 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 building ...

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. ( ), is an American telecommunications company headquartered in New York City. It is the world's second-largest telecommunications company by revenue and its mobile network is the largest wireless carrier in the ...

and

AT&T AT&T Inc., an abbreviation for its predecessor's former name, the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the w ...

, 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 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

{{Computer sizes Classes of computers