Armadex · Certified Ex case
Armadex Ex UniCase
- Zone 2/22
- ATEX
- IECEx
- IIC
- T6
Check availability. New in 2026. Armadex lists it for pre-order and also says it ships from stock; check lead times when ordering.
The Armadex Ex UniCase is a universal restricted-breathing (Ex nR) case for 10- to 11-inch tablets (Galaxy Tab, Surface Go and iPad), certified for Zone 2/22 under ATEX and IECEx. It takes a standard tablet from the supported list, so it works with the same apps and device management.
- Certified for
- Zone 2/22
- Protection
- Restricted-breathing enclosure (Ex nR)
- Screen
- 11-inch
- Temperature class
- T6 (≤ 85 °C)
- Ambient temperature
- −20 °C to +50 °C
- Operating system
- iPadOS 27
- Security updates
- At least until March 2030 (Apple's minimum)
- Price
- On request
Overview
Strengths and limitations
Strengths
- ATEX and IECEx certified, with published certificate numbers
- T6 temperature class, the strictest rating
- 5G on cellular versions
- Takes standard 10- to 11-inch tablets (Galaxy Tab, Surface Go or iPad), so you keep your usual apps
Limitations
- Zone 2 only, so not for Zone 1 areas
- In-use weight not published
Best for
Certification
Where you can use it
Gas
- Zone 0not certified.Explosive gas present continuously or for long periods
- Zone 1not certified.Explosive gas likely in normal operation
- Zone 2certified.Explosive gas unlikely, and only briefly
Dust
- Zone 20not certified.Combustible dust present continuously or for long periods
- Zone 21not certified.Combustible dust likely in normal operation
- Zone 22certified.Combustible dust unlikely, and only briefly
The Ex marking, decoded
ATEXCertificate OBAC 26 ATEX 0194X
Gas atmospheresZone 2
II3GExnRIICT6Gc
IIEquipment group- Group II: equipment for surface industries (not mining).
3GATEX category- Category 3 for gas: suitable down to Zone 2.
ExExplosion protected- Certified to the IEC 60079 / EN 60079 series.
nRProtection type- Restricted-breathing enclosure: the case is sealed so an explosive atmosphere can only seep in very slowly. Zone 2 only.
IICGas group- Gas group IIC, e.g. hydrogen and acetylene. The most demanding group; also covers IIA and IIB.
T6Temperature class- Surface stays below 85 °C. T6 is the strictest class.
GcProtection level- Equipment protection level Gc (enhanced): suitable for Zone 2.
Dust atmospheresZone 22
II3DExtcIIICT85°CDc
3DATEX category- Category 3 for dust: suitable down to Zone 22.
tcProtection type- Protection by enclosure for dust, level "tc": suitable for Zone 22.
IIICDust group- Dust group IIIC: conductive dust. The most demanding group; also covers IIIA and IIIB.
T85°CMax surface temperature- Surface stays below 85°C in dust.
DcProtection level- Equipment protection level Dc (enhanced): suitable for Zone 22.
IIEx as above.
IECExCertificate IECEx OBAC 26.0005X
Gas atmospheresZone 2
ExnRIICT6Gc
ExExplosion protected- Certified to the IEC 60079 / EN 60079 series.
nRProtection type- Restricted-breathing enclosure: the case is sealed so an explosive atmosphere can only seep in very slowly. Zone 2 only.
IICGas group- Gas group IIC, e.g. hydrogen and acetylene. The most demanding group; also covers IIA and IIB.
T6Temperature class- Surface stays below 85 °C. T6 is the strictest class.
GcProtection level- Equipment protection level Gc (enhanced): suitable for Zone 2.
Dust atmospheresZone 22
ExtcIIICT85°CDc
tcProtection type- Protection by enclosure for dust, level "tc": suitable for Zone 22.
IIICDust group- Dust group IIIC: conductive dust. The most demanding group; also covers IIIA and IIIB.
T85°CMax surface temperature- Surface stays below 85°C in dust.
DcProtection level- Equipment protection level Dc (enhanced): suitable for Zone 22.
Ex as above.
Safe use
Rules for the hazardous area
- Ambient temperature (Ta)
- −20 °C to +50 °C
- Charging
- Outside the hazardous area only
- Battery swap
- Outside the hazardous area only
- Ports and accessories in the zone
- USB lid and test port plug fitted at all times in the Ex area; USB used outside the Ex area only
- Certified accessories
- Armadex Ex BT-Key-02 Bluetooth keyboard (IECEx KSCP 24.0011X issue 1, 2026-06-18: Ex ic IIC T6 Gc / Ex ic IIIB T85°C Dc, Ta 0°C to +60°C, so dust group IIIB only and not below 0°C) and OZC-3 digital camera (IECEx OBAC 25.0008X issue 1, 2026-06-12) are separate Armadex products; whether they are approved for use with the UniCase is not stated. Samsung and Microsoft hosts are batch 4's.Unconfirmed, see note 1
- IP code in the Ex certificate
- IP64 (annex 'Degree of protection')
- Operating temperature
- −20 °C to +50 °C
Conditions of use
The Ex UniCase may only be opened or closed outside the hazardous area. The USB lid and test port plug must always be mounted in the hazardous area. The device must be protected from high-energy impacts, excessive UV light emission and high electrostatic charge processes. Annex: routine test of IEC 60079-15 cl. 10.3 required for each new type of mobile device installed in an nR housing. Rated data: internal Li-ion 3.7-7.6 V DC; USB for use in non-hazardous areas only; WiFi and Bluetooth; IP64.
Specifications
Full specifications
Device specifications are for the iPad (A16) inside. “What works through the case” shows which of its features you can use in the case.
Certification
- ATEX marking
- II 3G Ex nR IIC T6 Gc / II 3D Ex tc IIIC T85°C Dc
- ATEX certificate
- OBAC 26 ATEX 0194X
- IECEx marking
- Ex nR IIC T6 Gc / Ex tc IIIC T85°C Dc
- IECEx certificate
- IECEx OBAC 26.0005X
- Protection level (EPL)
- Gc / Dc
- Dust group
- IIIC
- Max surface temperature (dust)
- 85 °C
Device
- Type
- Certified Ex case
- Tablet inside
- iPad (A16)
- Also fits
- iPad Air 11-inch (M3), iPad Air 11-inch (M4), iPad Pro 11-inch (M4), iPad Pro 11-inch (M5), Samsung Galaxy Tab S11, Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE, Samsung Galaxy Tab A11+, Microsoft Surface Go 4 for Business
- Fitting
- Supplied as a complete unitUnconfirmed, see note 2
- Tablet can be removed
- Yes (swap the inlay; no recertification for new tablets, per Armadex), but the certificate requires opening only outside the hazardous area and a routine nR test for each new device typeUnconfirmed, see note 2
- Launched
- 2026Unconfirmed, see note 3
- Part numbers
- UC-CASE (case + first inlay set); sets e.g. UC-SET-IPAD-A16-128-WIFI, UC-SET-IPAD-AIR-M3-128-WIFI, UC-SET-IPAD-AIR-M4-128-WIFI, UC-SET-IPAD-PRO-M4-256-WIFI (55 configurations in the catalogue)
- Operating system
- iPadOS 27
- Edition
- iPadOS (consumer; no LTSC or enterprise edition)
- OS at launch
- iPadOS 18.4
- OS upgrades
- Still supported by iPadOS 27 (current)
- Security updates
- At least until March 2030 (Apple's minimum)
- Processor
- Apple A16 (5-core CPU)
- Processor architecture
- Arm
- Memory (RAM)
- 6 GB
- Storage
- 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB
What works through the case
- Smart Connector / keyboard
- Bluetooth keyboard only (Armadex Ex BT-Key-02, IECEx KSCP 24.0011X, sold separately); Smart Connector not accessible (inferred)Unconfirmed, see note 4
- Side and volume buttons
- Three stainless steel push buttons via a patented inlay; 'physical buttons fully operable' (device-specific inlay)
- Rear cameras
- Front and rear camera 'supported' through the transparent back plate (maker)Unconfirmed, see note 4
- LiDAR
- Armadex spec table says 'LiDAR: Yes' for iPad Pro M4/M5 and 'No' for A16/Air; whether the LiDAR works through the back plate is not statedUnconfirmed, see note 4
- Front camera
- Supported through the transparent front window (maker)Unconfirmed, see note 4
- Touchscreen
- Touchscreen interaction through the transparent front cover (certificate); Gorilla Glass window on the A16/Air datasheets, polycarbonate on the older Pro datasheet
- Screen cover
- Integral front window (Gorilla Glass or polycarbonate)
- Charging
- USB-C socket with sealing cover; charge only in a non-hazardous area (certificate)
- Speakers and microphones
- Microphone and speaker 'supported' (maker)Unconfirmed, see note 4
- USB-C port
- USB-C port behind a sealing cover; USB socket only for non-hazardous areas
- SIM card
- No SIM tray exposed; 5G sets rely on eSIM (these iPads are eSIM only)Unconfirmed, see note 4
- Removed or disabled
- Nothing removed; inlays are device-specificUnconfirmed, see note 4
Field capabilities
- Push-to-talk
- Via app (third-party PTT apps over Wi-Fi/cellular; no PTT key; Ex-rated? n/a)Unconfirmed, see note 5
- Lone worker
- Via app (third-party lone-worker apps)Unconfirmed, see note 5
- Barcode scanning
- Via app (camera-based scanning; no scan engine)Unconfirmed, see note 5
- NFC reading
- Not possible (no NFC reader on any iPad)Unconfirmed, see note 5
- 3D scanning / LiDAR
- Depends on the host: iPad Pro M4/M5 have LiDAR (Armadex spec table 'LiDAR: Yes'); through-case function not statedUnconfirmed, see note 5
- Remote expert / video calls
- Via app (FaceTime, Teams or remote-assist apps; needs camera and audio access through the case)Unconfirmed, see note 5
- Windows desktop software
- Not possible (iPadOS only)
- Bluetooth gas detectors
- Via app (Bluetooth per host; the certificate lists WiFi and Bluetooth as the wireless interfaces; vendor app; no maker-certified integration listed)Unconfirmed, see note 5
Display and camera
- Display
- 11-inch Liquid Retina IPS LCD, True Tone, fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating (no antireflective coating or full lamination listed by Apple)
- Resolution
- 2360 × 1640 (264 ppi)
- Brightness
- 500 nits
- Pen / stylus
- Apple Pencil (USB-C), Apple Pencil (1st generation) with adapter
- Rear camera
- 12 MP Wide, f/1.8
- Front camera
- 12 MP Center Stage, landscape
- Video
- 4K video
Connectivity
- Network
- Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi + Cellular (5G)
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), 2x2 MIMO
- Bluetooth
- Bluetooth 5.3
- Satellite positioning
- GPS/GNSS on Wi-Fi + Cellular models; digital compass and Wi-Fi location on all
- SIM
- eSIM only (cellular models)
Physical and power
- Ingress protection
- IP64
- Ruggedness
- Impact-resistant enclosure and screen (no standard stated)
- Battery
- 7698Unconfirmed, see note 6
- Battery energy
- 28.93
- Battery life
- Up to 10 hours web or video on Wi-Fi
- Hot-swap battery
- No
- Replaceable battery
- No
- Ports and expansion
- USB-C; Smart Connector
- Docking
- USB-C hubs and docks; Smart Connector or magnetic keyboard accessories where the iPad has them. Not usable through sealed Ex cases except the USB-C or Lightning charging port where the case exposes it.
- Keyboard
- Smart Connector (Magic Keyboard Folio)
Controls & Accessibility
- Keys
- Top button with Touch ID sensor, volume buttons; no programmable hardware key
- Push-to-talk key
- No
- Biometrics
- Touch ID (top button)
Fleet and support
- Manufacturer
- Armadex Explosion Protection B.V., Netherlands
Only specifications we could check are listed. A numbered marker next to a value means it is unconfirmed: it comes from a single or secondary source, or sources disagree. The matching note at the foot of the page explains each one. See the Armadex Explosion Protection B.V. website for the full data sheet.
Compare
How it compares
Best in this comparison
| ArmadexArmadex Ex UniCaseThis tablet | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Certified Ex case | Certified Ex case | Converted tablet | Certified Ex case |
| Screen size | 11-inch | 11-inch | 11-inch | 11-inch |
| Availability | Current | Current | Current | Current |
| Gas zones | Zone 2 | Zone 2 | Zone 2 | Zone 1, Zone 2 (best in this comparison) |
| Dust zones | Zone 22 | — | Zone 22 | Zone 21, Zone 22 |
| Protection | Restricted-breathing enclosure (Ex nR) | Intrinsic safety (Ex ic) | Increased safety and intrinsic safety (Ex ec ic) | Flameproof enclosure (Ex db) |
| Gas group | IIC | IIC | IIC | IIC |
| Temperature class | T6 (best in this comparison) | T6 (best in this comparison) | T4 | T6 (best in this comparison) |
| Certification | ATEX + IECEx | ATEX | ATEX | ATEX |
| North America | — | — | — | — |
| Ambient temperature | −20 °C to +50 °C | −20 °C to +50 °C | — | −20 °C to +45 °C |
| Charging in the Ex area | Not allowed | — | — | — |
| Operating system | iPadOS 27 | iPadOS 27 | iPadOS 27 | iPadOS 27 |
| Security updates | At least until March 2030 (Apple's minimum) | At least until March 2030 (Apple's minimum) | At least until March 2030 (Apple's minimum) | 7–8 years (based on previous iPad Pro support) (best in this comparison) |
| Weight | — | 656 g (best in this comparison) | 1050 g | 1350 g |
| Display | 11-inch Liquid Retina IPS LCD, True Tone, fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating (no antireflective coating or full lamination listed by Apple) | 11-inch Liquid Retina IPS LCD, True Tone, fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating (no antireflective coating or full lamination listed by Apple) | 11-inch Liquid Retina IPS LCD, True Tone, fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating (no antireflective coating or full lamination listed by Apple) | 11-inch Ultra Retina XDR tandem OLED, ProMotion 10-120 Hz, P3, True Tone, antireflective coating; nano-texture glass option on 1 and 2 TB |
| 5G | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pen / stylus | Apple Pencil (USB-C), Apple Pencil (1st generation) with adapter | Apple Pencil (USB-C), Apple Pencil (1st generation) with adapter | Apple Pencil (USB-C), Apple Pencil (1st generation) with adapter | Apple Pencil Pro, Apple Pencil (USB-C); magnetic attach and charge, hover |
| Replaceable battery | No | No | No | No |
| Hot-swap battery | No | No | No | No |
| Price | On request | On request | On request | On request |
FAQ
Common questions
Is the Armadex Ex UniCase certified for Zone 1?
No. It is certified for Zone 2/22 only, so it can be used in Zone 2 but not in Zone 1.
Can the Armadex Ex UniCase be used in Zone 0?
No. It is not certified for Zone 0. Zone 0 needs equipment with protection level Ga, such as Ex ia intrinsic safety.
What does T6 mean for the Armadex Ex UniCase?
Its surface stays below 85 °C, so it is suitable for gases that only ignite above that temperature. Check the ignition temperature of the substances on your site.
Can you charge the Armadex Ex UniCase in a hazardous area?
No. The certificate only allows charging outside the hazardous area.
Which tablet is inside the Armadex Ex UniCase?
A standard iPad (A16). It is also certified for the iPad Air 11-inch (M3), iPad Air 11-inch (M4), iPad Pro 11-inch (M4), iPad Pro 11-inch (M5), Samsung Galaxy Tab S11, Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE, Samsung Galaxy Tab A11+ and Microsoft Surface Go 4 for Business. A certified enclosure that lets a standard consumer tablet be used in hazardous areas.
Which ports and accessories can be used with the Armadex Ex UniCase in the hazardous area?
USB lid and test port plug fitted at all times in the Ex area; USB used outside the Ex area only
What operating system does the Armadex Ex UniCase run?
iPadOS 27. Apple guarantees security updates until at least March 2030; earlier iPads have had longer support.
Is the Armadex Ex UniCase still available?
New in 2026. Armadex lists it for pre-order and also says it ships from stock; check lead times when ordering.
How much does the Armadex Ex UniCase cost?
Prices for certified hazardous-area tablets depend on volume, configuration and region, so they are on request. Contact us for a price.
Notes on unconfirmed values
- Not checked against the certificate for this exact model. Return to note 1
- Not stated by the maker for this exact model. Return to note 2
- Approximate: the maker doesn't publish a launch date. Based on the certificate date or the maker's announcement. Return to note 3
- Inferred from related information; not stated by the maker for this exact model. Return to note 4
- Not confirmed by the maker for this exact model. Return to note 5
- Apple states battery capacity in watt-hours only; this figure is from the case maker's documents. Return to note 6
Sources and verification
Facts last verified on against:
- OBAC (Gliwice, Poland): Type Examination Certificate OBAC 26 ATEX 0194X, issue 0, 12 May 2026 (read from scan)
- OBAC (Gliwice, Poland) / IECEx: IECEx OBAC 26.0005X issue 0, 2026-05-28, Current, with annex (read from Armadex PDF)
- IECEx: IECEx online certificate database: holder searches for Getac, Winmate, Zebra, Panasonic, Dell, Durabook, Xplore, Twinhead (2026-10-25)
- Armadex: UniCase datasheets: iPad A16 and iPad Air (V2, 6-2026); iPad Pro M4 (v1, Jan 2026, certificate fields 'Revealed soon')
- Armadex: Product Catalogue 2026
- Xciel: XCRiPad 11 inch (A16) datasheet (PDF)
- Armadex: Ex UniCase overview page (read 2026-10-25)
- Armadex: Ex UniCase iPad model pages: iPad A16, Air M3, Air M4, Pro M4 (prices, SKUs)
- Apple: Identify your iPad model (model numbers, years)
- Apple: UK PSTI Statements of Compliance, one per model (regulatoryinfo.apple.com/ukpsti): first supply date and minimum 5-year defined support period
- Apple: iPadOS 27 compatibility list (apple.com/os/ipados)
- BGR / EveryMac / 9to5Mac: iPadOS 27 drops iPad mini 5, iPad 8, iPad Air 3, iPad Pro 11-inch 1st gen (release 2026-09-14)
Always check the certificate for your exact model before use. Spotted an error? Tell us.