Palm 700wx manual Static Electricity, ESD, and Your Device, Description of ESD, 112

Static Electricity, ESD, and Your Device

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) can cause damage to electronic devices if discharged into the device, so you should take steps to avoid such an occurrence.

Description of ESD

Static electricity is an electrical charge caused by the buildup of excess electrons on the surface of a material. To most people, static electricity and ESD are nothing more than annoyances. For example, after walking over a carpet while scuffing your feet, building up electrons on your body, you may get a shock—the discharge event—when you touch a metal doorknob. This little shock discharges the built-up static electricity.

ESD-Susceptible Equipment

Even a small amount of ESD can harm circuitry, so when working with electronic devices, take measures to help protect your electronic devices, including your Palm® device, from ESD harm. While Palm has built protections against ESD into its products, ESD unfortunately exists and, unless neutralized, could build up to levels that could harm your equipment. Any electronic device that contains an external entry point for plugging in anything from cables to docking stations is susceptible to entry of ESD. Devices that you carry with you, such as your device, build up ESD in a unique way because the static electricity that may have built up on your body is automatically passed to the device. Then, when the device is connected to another device such as a docking station, a discharge event can occur.

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