Electrostatic/Grounding Bracelet

[lifemagic]

Hi,

My dearly loved, 2yo eeepc 701-4gb won't boot suddenly, out of warranty. I'm going through a list of things to try. Now I want to reseat the RAM and reset the CMOS, IOW, open it up and mess about.

I'm in BK. I went to Panthip today and got a really nice set of those little electronics screwdrivers for 75, but no one knows what an electrostatic/grounding bracelet is, nor what an electrostatic mat is.

I walked around the various floors and saw various little shops opening up computers and working on boards, apparently taking no measures/precautions against ES discharge, and I'm thinking they just don't sell that kind of thing here. It goes against the 'live in the moment and eat frequently' mindset of everyone.

So, can I get one, a bracelet and mat I mean? If not, then what's the best thing to put the computer on when working on it (I'm thinking flip flops but that could be insane, not sure). But I don't really know how to stay grounded. I'm on the 4th floor of a hotel, and unfortunately there isn't a cold water pipe running through my room straight into the earth below.

This is the first time I'm opening a computer, so I'm a bit nervous.

Thanks.

[TheKingfisher]

If you always keep your skin touching the metal frame you should be ok... its a bit.... well..... rural but it works..

[gregb]

You can take the pink conductive foam that many electronic components are shipped with, wrap it in a circle around your wrist and secure it with rubber bands. Then press a copper wire into the foam far enough it makes good contact.

Done this a number of times when I was working on something sensitive (read expensive) and there was nothing else available. Personally, with commodity items like reseating RAM I've never bothered. I've never once in over 20 years seen a RAM chip lost this way, but I have been in enough places handling boards worth 10's of thousands of dollars where this problem does cross my mind.

Simply wear rubber shoes and touch a grounded item before working on your computer. You'll be just fine. Or you can use the above method if you are really concerned and there is no other option. It isn't worth worrying about for commodity items.

[siamect]

Don't be too nervous... Back up you data first and then...

ESD damage should be taken seriously of course but you have to put it into the perspective where it belongs. If you live in a place where the humidity is low the you should definitely use a bracelet.

If you are producer of electronic equipment or if you repair electronic equipment then you should use bracelet and a mat or set up a workplace with ionizers and a conductive floor. Use conductive shoes.

For private persons, I don't know. When you live in Thailand and the humidity is high (turn off your aircon and open the windows for a while), you don't have the same problem. If you have the air on you can have a really dry air and you should use the bracelet/mat.

So that's my advice...

How do i do it? I live in a house where all doors and windows are open. Close to the sea with salty air... high humidity... I have never used a bracelet working on my own stuff at that place.

When I worked in BKK in aircon rooms, visited customers and so on... I used bracelet/mat.

The factory I work in now produces electronic parts and all the operators have bracelet, floors are conductive, regularly waxed with conductive wax and measure on a regular schedule and the protocols are kept.... Ionizers are installed and maintained according to schedule and so on... conductive shoes are worn by all people entering the areas and the shoes and the bracelets are tested on a regular schedule....

So how do you decide... Normally you cannot know... You cannot feel a voltage that will kill sensitive components.

I'm in a situation were I have access to ESD voltmeters and I have played around a little and although it is difficult to know, you get a feeling for what is causing electrostatic voltage.

I use the bracelet when professionally handling other peoples equipment, if there are no conductive floor and conductive grounded mat on the desk....

Martin

BTW only about 20%of the ESD damages is really causing the componen to stop functioning... the rest weakens the components....

Edited August 20, 2010 by siamect

[opalhort]

Have Air conditioning off and open windows. This will increase humidity. Don't stand on a synthetic carpet. Don't wear any shoes or socks, barefoot is best.

This is not perfect but will help a lot.

Also hold the cards at their edge and try to avoid touching any contacts or the soldering side of the cards.

opalhort

[siamect]

You can take the pink conductive foam that many electronic components are shipped with, wrap it in a circle around your wrist and secure it with rubber bands. Then press a copper wire into the foam far enough it makes good contact.

Can be done but make sure you don't put the copper cable directly to your skin. The idea with bracelets is that it should have maybe a few Mohm of resistance.Two reasons:

1.personal safety, If you touch a 220VAC and you are grounded on the other end, you are a fried banana....

2.discharge of static electricity should go slowly. If it goes with a spark there is a current pulse,causing a magnetic field that can induce high voltages in circuits near by...

Martin

[lifemagic]

OK, thanks. I think I've got it.

I haven't opened it, but am assuming there will be a metal frame inside, I keep touching that. Keep the window open (or do it on the rooftop, is that good?). One post says rubber shoes, one barefoot. I only have one pair of flippies. Perhaps barefoot and computer on the rubber soles as I'd planned.

Only one question, in the context of living in a hotel... what would be a 'grounded object'. I could go to the common area on the ground floor, but all the objects going to the ground are painted.

Stupid question... (another one), there *is* a garden in the back. A copper wire around my wrist, pushed deep into the soil... that would just be silly/paranoid I presume?

[siamect]

OK, thanks. I think I've got it.

I haven't opened it, but am assuming there will be a metal frame inside, I keep touching that. Keep the window open (or do it on the rooftop, is that good?). One post says rubber shoes, one barefoot. I only have one pair of flippies. Perhaps barefoot and computer on the rubber soles as I'd planned.

Only one question, in the context of living in a hotel... what would be a 'grounded object'. I could go to the common area on the ground floor, but all the objects going to the ground are painted.

Stupid question... (another one), there *is* a garden in the back. A copper wire around my wrist, pushed deep into the soil... that would just be silly/paranoid I presume?

Copper against skin is always questionable, for your own safety use a real bracelet with a few Mega Ohm resistance. Just in case you touch anything 220VAC or worse.

Conductive shoes have a a few mega ohm resistance for the same reason

Rubber shoes are ok for you safety but is bad from the ESD point of view. Bare feet is dangerous in case you touch 220VAC.

Open the window, turn off Air... use shoes and touch the metal... You are not calculating production yield in tens of % here....

Martin

[opalhort]

Of course barefoot is dangerous if you work near 220V!!!

When you open the computer to work inside of it EVERYTHING, incl. the mains have to be disconnected first!

Being barefoot reduces the risk of you being charged with static electricity.

If for some reason you have to work inside the PC while it is connected to the mains then yes follow the advice about grounding, rubber soled shoes etc. given by many posters.

In any case if you pull our a RAM card or any other card form the PC then it HAS TO BE DISCONNECTED from the mains!

opalhort

[sarahsbloke]

"I'm in BK. I went to Panthip today and got a really nice set of those little electronics screwdrivers for 75, but no one knows what an electrostatic/grounding bracelet is, nor what an electrostatic mat is."

You don't need to do this, and haven't needed to do it for the past 15 years, modern electronic components are very robust. In the 1980s CMOS was unprotected and much easier to kill.

The people you see in Pantrip, working on boards, are using modern standards and working safely, I suggest you let one of them work on your PC as you really appear to have no idea (no insult intended).

If you wear a conductive bracelet of some sort (which as I have already described is not needed) and manage to touch a live wire with the other hand, you will most surely die .... very dangerous.

Edited August 21, 2010 by sarahsbloke

[siamect]

"I'm in BK. I went to Panthip today and got a really nice set of those little electronics screwdrivers for 75, but no one knows what an electrostatic/grounding bracelet is, nor what an electrostatic mat is."

You don't need to do this, and haven't needed to do it for the past 15 years, modern electronic components are very robust. In the 1980s CMOS was unprotected and much easier to kill.

The people you see in Pantrip, working on boards, are using modern standards and working safely, I suggest you let one of them work on your PC as you really appear to have no idea (no insult intended).

If you wear a conductive bracelet of some sort (which as I have already described is not needed) and manage to touch a live wire with the other hand, you will most surely die .... very dangerous.

Unfortunately you are wrong!

Modern components are also sensitive.... everything else is BS. I work with these things everyday and we keep ourselves updated..The reason you don't see bracelets at Pantip is probably because they use conductive floor and shoes and they avoid any materials that are generating static charges. Or some may be as ignorant to these fact as you are. (no insult intended)

Bracelets for this purpose shall have a resistor to save your life when you touch 220VAC.

Martin

Edited August 21, 2010 by siamect

[longball53098]

Try this place they have what you need

ESD wrist strap

[lifemagic]

I think Sarah's bloke was joking?

I think I've got the gist of it; I'm going back home now. Unless there's a thunderstorm I'll give it a go.