IP Ratings: What do they mean & what do you need?

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Categories: Blogs, Tech Tips

There is a lot of complicated information and industry jargon that goes with working in the world of cars, sensors and all things cameras. We here at Connect2Vision we are determined to make sure you understand what you’re purchasing for your vehicle. The IP ratings system for weatherproofing is attached to any camera system worth its salt and is a seal of quality ensuring it will be capable of withstanding anything you throw at it.

But I’m sure a quick look through our wide selection of cameras throws up even more questions. Most of our camera systems are rated IP67 and up but there are a whole host of ratings that we do not use because they simply do not reach our high standards for quality. So, lets break down the numbers to explain why.

IP simply stands for Ingress Protection, meaning how much stuff is stopped from entering an object. Therefore an IP Rating is a code for protection by mechanical and electrical casings against intrusion of dust and water.

Now we come to the numbers, the first number is a rating for foreign object ingress ie: dust and debris, it is graded from 1 to 6.

  1. No objects larger than 50mm
  2. No objects larger than 12.5mm
  3. No objects larger than 2.5mm
  4. No objects larger than 1mm
  5. Dust protected, not sealed
  6. Dust tight, no ingress

The second number in the IP Ratings determines the amount of liquid ingress the product is protected against, it is rated between 0 and 9K.#

0. Not Protected

  1. Vertical Dripping Water

2. Dripping water when tilted up to 15 degrees

3. Water spray when tilted up to 60 degrees

4. Water splash

5. Water jet 6.3mm

6. Powerful water jet 12.5mm

7. Immersion in water up to 1m

8. Immersion beyond 1m

9(K). Close-range high-power water jets

On some products you may see an IP69K rating, this was the previous highest possible rating given under the previous regulations, this has since been superseded by the IP69 rating which includes all the testing held under the IP69K testing only with more specific water jet placement.

If there are any more industry terms like the IP Ratings system you do not understand feel free to reach out to our customer support team who will be happy to help.