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A Primer on Electro-Static Discharge Teledyne API - T100 UV Fluorescence SO2 Analyzer
320
It still works so there was no damage: Sometimes the damaged caused by electro-
static discharge can completely sever a circuit trace causing the device to fail
immediately. More likely, the trace will be only partially occluded by the damage
causing degraded performance of the device or worse, weakening the trace. This
weakened circuit may seem to function fine for a short time, but even the very low
voltage and current levels of the device’s normal operating levels will eat away at the
defect over time causing the device to fail well before its designed lifetime is reached.
These latent failures are often the most costly since the failure of the equipment
in which the damaged device is installed causes down time, lost data, lost
productivity, as well as possible failure and damage to other pieces of equipment
or property.
Static Charges can’t build up on a conductive surface: There are two errors in this
statement.
Conductive devices can build static charges if they are not grounded. The charge
will be equalized across the entire device, but without access to earth ground,
they are still trapped and can still build to high enough levels to cause damage
when they are discharged.
A charge can be induced onto the conductive surface and/or discharge triggered
in the presence of a charged field such as a large static charge clinging to the
surface of a nylon jacket of someone walking up to a workbench.
As long as my analyzer is properly installed, it is safe from damage caused by
static discharges: It is true that when properly installed the chassis ground of your
analyzer is tied to earth ground and its electronic components are prevented from
building static electric charges themselves. This does not prevent discharges from
static fields built up on other things, like you and your clothing, from discharging
through the instrument and damaging it.
14.4. 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.
06807C DCN6650