For Compliance Verification periodic testing, how frequently should an ESD control item be checked? Answer: It is user defined, so it is up to you. Best practice is to test each and every ionizer, but you could also decide (if you got good results) to test a percentage of a particular ESD control item. The…
Question: I am confused on ESD connections. I understand that you cannot clip a cord from a wrist strap to the edge of an ESD protective mat. I know that the common cord for wrist straps has 1 megohm of resistance and that the point to connect the wrist strap cord should have less than…
“Any auxiliary grounds (water pipe, building frame, ground stake) present and used at the workstation must be bonded to the equipment ground.” A low resistance connector (such as metal wire) should be soldered or mechanically attached electrically connecting the building electrical system AC ground (Equipment Ground) to the Auxiliary Ground. ESD Handbook TR20.20 section 5.1.3…
Read more What is the proper procedure for connecting the ESD ground to the building ground?
Question: What happens if you staple ESD Bags shut? Does that damage the ESD Bag’s effectiveness? What if the ESD Bag is heat sealed shut & a staple on the seam is used to attach paperwork? Answer: Desco Statshield® ESD Shielding Bags have a layer of metalized film which creates continuous conductive enclosure or Faraday…
ElectroStatic Discharge (ESD) is the hidden enemy within your factory. You cannot feel or see most ESD events but they can cause electronic components to fail or cause mysterious and annoying problems. There are two types of ESD damage: 1) Catastrophic failures, and 2) Latent defects. By definition, normal quality control inspections are able to…
What Not to Do with an ESD Shielding Bag Replacement circuit boards or other ESD sensitive items should be handled by the grounded operator or be on a grounded mat. Since the ESD sensitive item comes packaged in an ESD (metal-in or metal-out) shielding bags, many people believe they should continue to use the bag.…
> by Rick Cardinale, Bird Electronic Bird Electronic, founded in 1942 by J. Raymond Bird, soon became a leader in radio frequency instrumentation. Today, Bird also has moved into digital instrumentation test equipment. With the development of digital instrumentation came the increased need for controls to prevent ESD events. Improving ESD protection has been an…
Read more Reducing Floor Maintenance Costs while Improving ESD Performance
We do have a product that Desco recommends for field service work when an AC outlet (equipment ground) is available. The problem is that for grounding to work, the AC outlet needs to be wired correctly (hot, neutral, and ground). Improper wiring more frequently occurs with drop down cords and power strips; we have seldom…
There is a 133 page handbook for implementing ANSI/ESD S20.02; it is ESD TR20.20. Here’s what it says about equipotential grounding and field service kits. Included in section 5.1.3: “When neither AC equipment or auxiliary grounds are available, an equipotential bonding system may need to be used. In this situation, all of the items in…