ESD Ground Cords

Improving the Path-to-Ground of Worksurface Mats

Desco July 17, 2018 0

Worksurface and floor mats are most commonly grounded with a dedicated wire that is connected to electrical ground. Traditionally, the connection between the mat and wire is made with a snap. Snap connections can become electrically intermittent or accidentally disconnected, causing the worksurface to lose its connection to ground. To improve this connection, Desco offers…

Best Practices for Establishing an ESD Workstation

Desco April 14, 2017 0

ESD worksurfaces are typically an integral part of the ESD workstation, particularly in areas where hand assembly occurs. The purpose of the ESD worksurface is two-fold: (1) To provide a surface with little to no charge on it. (2) To provide a surface that will remove ElectroStatic charges from conductors (including ESD Susceptible devices and…

A Better Way to Connect to Ground

Video Desco October 28, 2015 0

Using snaps has long been the most common way of making a grounding connection (wrist straps, ground cords, etc) in ESD control products, but snaps have some drawbacks. Snaps can be easily unsnapped or damaged, and they are not normally used for making an electrical connections. Desco manufacturers a better design that is more durable and cannot be easily disengaged.

The design used in Desco’s dome style ground cords is made with a 10mm (0.395 in.) male threaded snap. Dome style ground cords are sometimes called a Floor Mat Ground, but they can be used on work benches too. With a screw and washer installed from the backside of the mat, the ground cord can be secured to the mat to reduce the opportunity for the mat to become ungrounded.

See a better way to connect in this video.

11 Steps to Establishing an ESD Control Plan

Desco September 22, 2015 0

1. Define what you are trying to protect. What is the Human-Body Model (HBM) withstand voltage of the most sensitive item? A prerequisite of ESD control is the accurate and consistent identification of ESD susceptible items. Some companies assume that all electronic components are ESD susceptible. However, others write their ESD control plan based on…

Resistors in Mat Ground Cords

Desco August 21, 2012 0

Using a current limiting resistor in the ground cord is the user’s choice; however, the resistor is not for ESD control purposes. The ESD Association standard for grounding is ANSI/ESD S6.1. ANSI/ESD S6.1 recommends a hard ground (no resistor), but allows the use of a current limiting resistor in the mat’s ground cord. “The grounding…