The 2007 version of the ANSI/ESD S20.20 was updated in 2014. The ESDA now offers a guided presentation of the changes on their website HERE The JAN/FEB edition of the ESDA’s Threshold details the changes – Significant Changes Made From the 2007 Version To The 2014 Version Of ANSI/ESD S20.20 To download a complimentary .pdf of…
Read more Presentation of What’s New in ANSI/ESD S20.20-2014
Most people notice a difference in the ability to generate static electricity when the air gets dryer (the % RH decreases). As an example, walking across a carpet can yield a charge of 35kV at 10% RH [very dry air], but will drop significantly to 7.5kV at 55% RH. In an electronics manufacturing environment lower…
A complete static control program must also deal with isolated conductors that cannot be grounded and insulating materials (e.g., most common plastics). If an insulator cannot be removed from the ESD Protected Area, substituted with an ESD protective version, or controlled with a topical antistat, ionization must be used. These insulators are often referred to…
Lenovo Service posted a video on their youtube site called “Understanding Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) for Technicians.” We encourage you to take a look. The video is very informative and does a good job of covering the basics of ESD control when working with ESD susceptible devices or components. The basic practices of controlling ESD when…
Conductors Electrical current flows easily Can be grounded Materials that easily transfer electrons (or charge) are called conductors and are said to have “free” electrons. Some examples of conductors are metals, carbon, and the human body’s sweat layer. Grounding works effectively to remove ElectroStatic charges from conductors to ground. The other term often used in…
As electronic technology advances, electronic circuitry gets progressively smaller. As the size of components is reduced, so is the microscopic spacing of insulators and circuits within them, increasing their sensitivity to ESD. Industry experts estimate that average electronics product losses due to static discharge range from 8 to 33%. Others estimate the actual cost of ESD damage…
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…
A new blog post on the EDN Network titled Static Electricity Aims To Power Wearable Devices discusses how static electricity may be used for energy harvesting to power devices such as fitness bands, medical monitoring systems, and watches. In addition to the discussion about using static electricity for the energy that it can provide, the post…
Low Profile The profile of a right angle banana plug when inserted in a banana jack is approximately 4 times less than a straight banana plug. The lower profile reduces the opportunity for people, carts, or other things in the work area to accidentally disengage or damage the banana plug. Reduced Strain on Cord…
On the EDN Network‘s “Rowe’s and Columns” blog, Martin Rowe’s recent post is about the disintegration of his wrist strap. I’ve used ESD wrist straps whenever I work on a computer and have never had an ESD problem, even in dry winter conditions. Today, I needed to open a desktop computer so I reached for…