Electrostatic Discharge

The most common threat to computer or other electronic hardware is electrostatic discharge (ESD), commonly known as static electricity. Damage by ESD can cause a catastrophic failure, destroy components, or cause an upset failure that produces unpredictable malfunctions of components, which are often difficult to detect or diagnose.

When working on a computer, the three best protections against ESD are a ground strap, a ground mat, and static shielding bags. A ground strap, sometimes called a ground bracelet or a static strap, is worn on your wrist and is grounded to a ground mat, computer case, or a ground prong of a wall outlet, as shown below. A Ground Bracelet Protects Against ESD.

A ground mat, also shown below, often comes equipped with a cord to plug into the ground prong of a wall outlet. There is also a snap on the mat to which you can snap the end of your ground strap. Static shielding bags are often used to ship new components. These bags can be saved and used to store other devices not currently installed on your PC.

Added Protection From ESD

Below is a list of other ways to protect yourself, your hardware, and your software from ESD:

Don’t touch chips or edge connectors on boards unless absolutely necessary.

Don’t stack boards.

Don’t touch chips with magnetized screwdrivers.

Don’t use graphite pencils to change DIP switch settings.

Don’t put cards on top of or next to the monitor.

Don’t touch the inside of the computer when the computer is turned on.

When laying components down, lay them on a grounded mat or static shielding bag.

Always turn off the PC before moving it even a few inches. This will protect the hard

drive.

When working inside a monitor, be careful to NOT ground yourself.

When unpacking hardware or software, remove the packing tape from the work area as soon as possible.

Don’t place a PC on the floor where it might get kicked.

Keep disks away from magnetic fields, heat, and extreme cold.

Don’t open a disk’s shuttle window or touch the surface of a disk.

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