Board and system issues in ruggedized vs. mil-spec applications

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Board and system issues in ruggedized vs. mil-spec applications

Duncan Young

Well known and defined standards exist for true military specification (Mil-Spec) equipment, but standards do not exist for products that have been termed 'ruggedized'. The reason is that the word 'ruggedized' is imprecise, conjuring up diverse meanings that can describe entirely different situations. An example of this might be a product designed for a benign office/industrial environment that simply had its commercial components replaced with military components, where available, in an attempt to meet some form of pseudomilitary standard. The opposite of this would be a product designed and built to operate reliably in a more severe environment. Both instances could be, and, in fact, have been, termed 'ruggedized'. The word is far too subjective and open to too many interpretations by suppliers and their customers, alike. This paper attempts to narrow the definition of the term 'ruggedized' by removing from it those products that are strictly intended for commercial/industrial and true full Mil-Spec applications. It will then address the range of products that fall into the spectrum of 'rugged'.