ATEX Tablets and Handhelds

A rugged tablet is sealed and drop tested, but it can still produce a spark or hot surface that could ignite gas. An ATEX tablet is also assessed and marked for use in a potentially explosive atmosphere, with a protection type, gas group and temperature class on its label. Many ATEX models start as a rugged tablet and are then redesigned and certified for the zone.

Usually, yes. If an area is classified as Zone 2 or Division 2, electrical equipment taken into it should normally be suitable for that classification, however briefly it is there. Some sites allow uncertified devices under a hot work permit with gas testing, but that adds supervision every time. Your site's area classification and safety rules decide this, so check them with the duty holder.

No. Zone 2 equipment, including Ex ic devices, is assessed for areas where an explosive atmosphere is not expected in normal operation and would only be present briefly. Zone 1 needs equipment with a higher protection level, such as Ex ib or Ex ia intrinsic safety, marked Gb or better. Always check the label against the zone drawing.

Not necessarily. Protection for Zone 2 limits ignition sources in normal operation, so a Zone 2 tablet can keep a mainstream mobile processor and a bright bonded screen. Devices for Zone 1 and Zone 0 limit energy much further, which usually means lower power processors and smaller batteries. Battery and accessory choices can be narrower on any certified model.

It is the marking string on the label. Ex ic is the protection type, intrinsic safety at the level used for Zone 2. IIC is the gas group, which covers hydrogen and acetylene as well as less demanding gases. T4 means surface temperatures stay at or below 135 °C, and Gc is the equipment protection level for Zone 2.

Not always. Explosion-proof, or flameproof Ex d, equipment contains an internal explosion inside a strong enclosure. Most ATEX tablets instead stop ignition happening at all, through intrinsic safety or limited energy, which keeps them light enough to carry. Search terms often mix the two, so judge a device by its marking rather than its name.

Only if the area is classified for combustible dust, as Zones 20, 21 and 22, such as grain, flour or powder handling. Dust markings use group IIIA, IIIB or IIIC and a maximum surface temperature in degrees Celsius, separate from the gas marking. A device can carry both, so check each line of the label against the gas and dust zones on your drawing.

They cover similar conditions in different systems. Class I, Division 2 is the North American classification for gas present only under abnormal conditions, while Zone 2 is the IEC and ATEX equivalent. Some tablets carry both, but a Division 2 listing on its own does not meet the UK or EU rules, and an ATEX marking on its own does not meet North American ones.

Start with the zone drawing: gas or dust, the zone number, the gas group and the temperature class. Then choose the form, a tablet for forms, drawings and inspection software or a handheld for scanning and quick entries, and the operating system your applications need. Finally check sealing, battery life across a shift and which accessories the certificate allows.

Yes. We supply every ATEX tablet and handheld with the operating system installed and set up to your requirements, including applications, Wi-Fi and mobile data profiles and device management enrolment. We work within the certified configuration, so any accessory or internal option has to be one the certificate allows.