5G equipment must work reliably in a wide range of environmental conditions. From development to field deployment, environmental testing is essential to ensure equipment meets global telecom standards and operator requirements. These tests simulate real-world conditions such as extreme temperatures, humidity, dust, water, vibration, and corrosion.
Macro base stations, micro base stations, and outdoor integrated base stations installed on towers, rooftops, and mountaintops; outdoor communication cabinets or power cabinets located along roads, in residential areas, and beside highways; 5G or 6G antennas, RF modules, and connectors; 5G or 6G smartphones and home 5G routers; as well as in-vehicle communication units and antennas all require environmental test chamber testing to verify their service life and long-term reliability.
LIB Industry provides complete environmental test solutions for 5G communications equipment, covering all key stress factors to ensure safety, performance, and long-term reliability.
Standards: IEC 60068 / ISO 16750-4
a) Purpose: Check if devices like power units, amplifiers, filters, and control modules work reliably in extreme heat or cold.
b) Method: Samples are stabilized at room temperature, then placed in a temperature chamber. The temperature is raised or lowered at a controlled rate to the desired limit (commonly -40 °C to +85 °C, or up to -55 °C / +150 °C for certain devices).
c) Dwell time: Usually 1–4 hours at each temperature.
d) Acceptance: No cracking, no functional failure, all key parameters remain within limits.
a) Purpose: Test thermal durability by repeatedly cycling between low and high temperatures to identify fatigue or material stress.
b) Method: Follow standard-defined temperature cycles; maintain each extreme until thermal equilibrium.
c) Cycles: Typically 30–300.
d) Acceptance: Device continues to operate correctly; no material or connection failures.
a) Purpose: Detect failures caused by rapid temperature changes.
b) Method: Move samples quickly between hot and cold chambers, with dwell times at each extreme.
c) Typical range: -40 °C / -55 °C to +125 °C / +150 °C; transition time ≤3 s for air-to-air type.
d) Acceptance: No structural damage; normal operation maintained.
Standards: IEC 60068-2-30
a) Purpose: Evaluate device performance under hot and humid conditions that may cause corrosion, insulation problems, or material degradation.
b) Method: Devices are placed in a temperature-humidity chamber with steady or cyclic conditions. Temperatures range from 25 °C to 65 °C with 85–95% relative humidity.
c) Operation: Samples can be powered on, intermittently on, or off, depending on test requirements.
d) Acceptance: Devices function normally; no corrosion or material failure.
| Standard | IEC 60068-2-30 — Damp Heat Test |
| Test Objective | To evaluate the resistance of communication equipment to cyclic temperature and high humidity, including condensation effects |
| Test Temperature Range | +25°C to +55°C |
| Relative Humidity | Up to 95% RH |
| Number of Cycles | 2 to 6 cycles |
| Dwell Time | ≥ 12 h per cycle |
| Temperature Change Rate | ≤ 1–3°C/min |
| Test Duration | 24 h to 96 h |
| Test Condition | Equipment unpowered or powered-on, as specified by product standard |
Standards: NEBS GR-63 / IEC 60068
a) Purpose: Ensure mechanical reliability of 5G equipment during shipping, installation, or seismic events.
b) Method: Apply horizontal and vertical vibrations, shocks, and transport simulations to racks, cabinets, and outdoor units.
c) Acceptance: No loose parts, no mechanical failures, normal operation maintained.
Standards: IEC 60529 / ISO 20653/ DIN 40050-9/ UL 50E/ SAE J1455/ JIS DO207/ MIL-STD-810H/ SO 16750/ LV 124/ SAE J575/ JIS D 0203/ JSS 55555/ GMW16001
a) Purpose: Test device resistance to dust, rain, water jets, and immersion.
b) Water Protection Test：
IPX1: Drip rate 1 mm/min, 10 min, specimen rotates at 1 rpm
IPX2: Same drip rate, 15° tilt in four directions, 10 min
IPX3: ±60° oscillation, φ0.4 mm holes, 0.07 L/min per hole
IPX4: ±180° oscillation (splashing water)
IPX5: 6.3 mm nozzle, 12.5 ± 0.625 L/min, 30–100 kPa, 2.5–3 m
IPX6: 12.5 mm nozzle, 100 ± 5 L/min, 100 ± 5 kPa, ≥ 3 min
IPX7 – Immersion depth up to 1 m for 30 min; simulates rainfall and splash scenarios.
IPX8 – Simulated immersion up to 50 m (5 MPa hydrostatic pressure); suitable for flood or diving conditions.
IPX9K: 8000–10,000 kPa water pressure, up to 88 °C
MIL-STD Rain Spray Test Chamber: Complies with MIL-STD-810H (Method 506.6), providing blowing rain and intensified rain testing with air speed ≥ 18 m/s, rainfall rate ≥ 1.7 mm/min, nozzle pressure 276 kPa, and a rotating turntable at 1–7 r/min to evaluate enclosure sealing and functional reliability under severe rain exposure.
c) Dust Protection Test:
Dust ingress tests are conducted using standardized dust chambers with talcum powder.
IP5X: limited ingress permitted
IP6X: no dust ingress
MIL-STD Dust Test Chamber: Complies with MIL-STD-810G, providing blowing dust and blowing sand tests with dust air velocity 1.5–8.9 m/s and concentration 10.7 ± 7 g/m³ for particles < 150 μm, and sand air velocity 18.0–29.0 m/s with concentrations up to 2.2 ± 0.5 g/m³ for particle sizes 149–850 μm, to evaluate enclosure sealing and durability under severe dust and sand environments.
c)Acceptance: Device remains functional; no water or dust ingress affects performance.
Standards: ISO 9227 / ASTMB 117/ ASTM G85/ JIS Z 2371/ SAE J2334/ Ford CETP / VW PV1210 / GM 9540P/ ISO 9223/UL 199 / UL 852/ISO 4524 / ASTM B604/IEC 60068/IEC 61701/ASTM D610 /ISO 2409
a) Purpose: Assess corrosion resistance of outdoor cabinets, connectors, and metal parts exposed to coastal or winter conditions.
b) Method: Expose samples to neutral or accelerated salt fog cycles, possibly combined with humidity or temperature cycles.
c) Acceptance: No penetration corrosion; all connections and materials remain functional.
Standard Item | ASTM B117 -Salt Spray Test |
Prepare salt solution | 5% ±1 NaCl |
Collecting solution pH | 6.5–7.2 |
Salt spray chamber temperature | 35±1.5°C |
Mist flow rate at horizontal collection area | 1.0–2.0 ml/h/80㎡ |
a) Purpose: Evaluate 5G/6G signal performance of mobile phones and wireless devices under controlled RF shielding conditions combined with temperature stress.
b) Method: Use an LIB RF shielding test chamber integrated with a temperature-controlled environmental chamber to measure signal strength, stability, and transmission performance across defined temperature ranges.
c) Acceptance: 5G/6G signals remain stable, with no abnormal attenuation or communication failure under all specified temperature conditions.
By combining temperature, humidity, vibration, dust, water, and corrosion tests, LIB environmental test chambers provide a complete solution for 5G communications equipment. They support testing at component, subsystem, and full system levels, ensuring reliability, safety, and compliance with global standards.
