Electrostatic Sensitive Devices - advice please

Hello All

Looking at my H21LOB packaging there is warning about handling Electrostatic Sensitive Devices.

I have looked up the topic on the net and find talk about ESD wrist straps, mats etc. These require some further investment so I was wondering what you guys & gals out there do in the real world? Are the cheap (1 - 2 quid) straps effective? What does one connect the crocodile clips to if you do go this route?

Also, how do the electronics on Mendel remain protected during their working life?

Thanks

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/25/2010 10:38AM by AgeingHippy.

I've never bothered.... but I don't get shocks in my house.... YMMV.

I've been messing with IC's for years, and the only ones I throw away are because I've let the magic smoke out... usually by turning the knob on my power supply too far... or hooking up wires backwards... or touching something with a probe ground that I shouldn't.... or bridging some IC pins with a probe tip.... or forgetting that micro-controller pins only put out so much current before going dead forever.... or... you get the picture.. ;-)

I do make an effort to keep something on my desk grounded, and try to remember to touch it once in a while.

But the guys who come to work to repair computers always put the strap on.

Al...

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To a large extent it depends on what sort of clothes and shoes you wear, what your flooring is and the weather conditions. If you get shocks when you move around then you definitely need an earth strap.

You connect the strap to mains earth and it should have a high resistance resistor in the lead for safety. You don't want a direct connection from your wrist to earth because if you touch the mains with the other hand you will likely be electricuted.

I recently got some shoe earthing strips from 3M because my Mendel is very sensitive to ESD, my wife bought me some slippers with rubber soles and the air was very dry this winter. They are not expensive and allow you to move around the room freely, but you do need flooring that is not a good insulator.

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Also, how do the electronics on Mendel remain protected during their working life?

The answer is the Mendel electronics are not at all protected during their working life, although components are usually bit less vulnerable when in circuit. Commercial electronics have to pass ESD immunity tests and they achieve that by being enclosed in a case and having protection devices on the external connections, e.g. USB ports.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/25/2010 12:51PM by nophead.

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