This week's EYE ON NPI is from a supplier that will challenge your expectations! It's Challenge Electronics' IP68/IP65 Waterproof Battery Holders (https://www.digikey.com/en/product-highlight/c/challenge-electronics/ip68-ip65-waterproof-battery-holders) A series of durable, waterproof battery cases that will do great at powering your board even in intense dusty and wet conditions!

Challenge Electronics’ IP-rated battery holders provide a low-profile form factor with a watertight seal. Designed for AA and AAA batteries, these holders feature a sleek and easy-to-integrate design ensuring waterproof mounting under the harshest environments to save time in the design cycle.

A lot of electronic devices these days are designed to be sealed plastic enclosures (https://www.ifixit.com/smartphone-repairability) - and if they are battery powered, the battery is a LiPoly that is tucked inside and recharged. But there's a lot to be said for the common AA and AAA batteries. These are available anywhere around the world, instantly recognizable, and come in various temperature grades and recharability. For user-or-field replacement, or in use of extreme temperatures, they've still got a place in product design.

The down-side is that battery cases (https://www.adafruit.com/product/4779) are often plastic-retained clips that allow dust, humidity, and spilled-diet-coke in, which can cause icky corrosion to the steel or tin terminals. This Flickr image (https://www.flickr.com/photos/sometoast/3242192055) shows a similar self-corroding affect, but having dampness won't help! Challenge's battery holders are compact, but have 4 screws for secure closure and a built-in gasket that will get you IP65-level sealing (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_Code). That means fully dust-tight and water-proof to jets of water. Note this doesn't mean you can dunk it underwater - for that you'd need IP67 or IP68 - these are better for outdoor use or in some industrial settings where there may be liquids flying around.

Challenge Electronics makes Waterproof Battery Holders (https://www.digikey.com/short/8nw43fr8) in three varieties, with AA and AAA sizes. All have the same IP65 rating. If we had to pick one, the 3xAA will give you a good 2500-4000mAh and 3.6V to 4.5V nominal, great for powering a 3.3V LDO project, and AA's are the most common battery. All three types are available right now at Digi-Key for immediate shipment. Book and order today and it will ship immediately so you can have it in your hand tomorrow afternoon.