Teledyne API Ultrafine Particle Monitor - Model 651 Primer on Electro-Static Discharge
07506C DCN6727 95
Basic Principles of Static Control It is impossible to stop the creation of instantaneous static electric
charges. It is not, however difficult to prevent those charges from
building to dangerous levels or prevent damage due to electro-static
discharge from occurring.
General Rules
Only handle or work on all electronic assemblies at a properly set
up ESD station. Setting up an ESD safe workstation need not be
complicated. A protective mat properly tied to ground and a wrist
strap are all that is needed to create a basic anti-ESD workstation
(refer to Figure 10-2).
Wrist Strap
Protective Mat
Ground Point
Figure 10-2
Basic Anti-ESD Work Station
For technicians that work in the field, special lightweight and
portable anti-ESD kits are available from most suppliers of ESD
protection gear. These include everything needed to create a
temporary anti-ESD work area anywhere.
• Always wear an Anti-ESD wrist strap when working on the
electronic assemblies of your analyzer. An anti-ESD wrist strap
keeps the person wearing it at or near the same potential as
other grounded objects in the work area and allows static
charges to dissipate before they can build to dangerous levels.
Anti-ESD wrist straps terminated with alligator clips are
available for use in work areas where there is no available
grounded plug.
Also, anti-ESD wrist straps include a current limiting
resistor (usually around one meg-ohm) that protects you
should you accidentally short yourself to the
instrument’s power supply.
• Simply touching a grounded piece of metal is insufficient. While
this may temporarily bleed off static charges present at the time,
once you stop touching the grounded metal new static charges
will immediately begin to re-build. In some conditions, a charge