| IP00 | No stated protection against solid objects or water. | Both characteristic numerals are zero. | Clean, dry, protected indoor enclosures only. | Confirm whether the sensor will be installed inside a separate enclosure. |
| IP20 | Protected against solid objects 12.5 mm or larger; no water protection. | The 2.5 mm access probe must not enter hazardous parts; water protection is absent. | General indoor doors away from moisture. | Check for dust, cleaning spray, condensation, and accidental splashing. |
| IP44 | Protected against solid objects 1 mm or larger and water splashed from all directions. | Water splashes must not cause harmful effects under the specified test conditions. | Sheltered exterior doors, utility areas, and humid indoor locations. | Ask for the tested product configuration, including cable entry and mounting accessories. |
| IP54 | Dust-protected; protected against water splashed from all directions. | Dust ingress is not completely prevented, but it must not interfere with operation or safety. | Commercial entrances, warehouses, and covered outdoor access points. | Verify that the rating applies after installation, not only to the bare sensor housing. |
| IP55 | Dust-protected; protected against water jets from any direction. | Water projected by a nozzle must not cause harmful effects under the standard test conditions. | Industrial doors and areas exposed to routine wash-down from moderate jets. | Confirm nozzle, flow, pressure, distance, and duration used for the test. |
| IP65 | Dust-tight; protected against water jets from any direction. | No dust may enter during the dust-tightness test; water jets must not cause harmful effects. | Outdoor gates, dusty production areas, and exposed loading-bay doors. | Check gasket material, connector sealing, cable gland size, and enclosure aging resistance. |
| IP66 | Dust-tight; protected against powerful water jets. | Powerful water jets from any direction must not cause harmful effects. | Harsh industrial entrances, exposed gates, and high-pressure cleaning zones. | Determine whether high-pressure cleaning is direct, frequent, and performed at close range. |
| IP67 | Dust-tight; protected against temporary immersion in water. | Temporary immersion is tested with the enclosure submerged under specified conditions, commonly up to 1 m for 30 minutes. | Flood-prone thresholds, outdoor gates, and locations subject to accidental submersion. | IP67 does not automatically prove protection against powerful water jets; review the complete IP code. |
| IP68 | Dust-tight; protected against continuous immersion under conditions agreed between the manufacturer and user. | Depth and duration are application-specific and must be stated in the product documentation. | Specialized submerged or frequently flooded access-control installations. | Require the declared immersion depth, duration, mounting orientation, and cable-entry conditions. |
| First Digit: 0–6 | Indicates protection against access to hazardous parts and ingress of solid foreign objects. | Higher numbers generally indicate greater protection against dust and solid-object ingress. | Important for dusty factories, outdoor installations, and exposed mechanical switches. | Do not interpret the first digit as a water-resistance rating. |
| Second Digit: 0–8 | Indicates protection against harmful water ingress. | The level progresses from no protection to immersion protection under specified conditions. | Helps match the sensor to rain, splashing, wash-down, or immersion exposure. | A higher second digit does not necessarily cover every lower-level water test; check the standard and documentation. |
| IPX / IP0 | “X” means the characteristic is not specified; “0” means no protection. | An X is not a performance level and should not be treated as zero. | Useful when only one protection characteristic has been assessed or declared. | Request the missing test information before approving a product for outdoor or wet environments. |
| Certification and Documentation | An IP marking should represent a tested or assessed enclosure protection level under IEC 60529. | IEC 60529 ratings describe enclosure protection; they do not by themselves confirm electrical safety, impact resistance, chemical resistance, or operating life. | Supports technical comparison among door sensor switch suppliers for global projects. | Request the exact model, test report, declared standard edition, installation instructions, and complete assembly configuration. |