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So how do I really protect ESD during assembly?? Where to attach esd bracelet?

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pmap93

Registered
Joined
Jun 30, 2014
Location
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Hello

Soon all the parts I want for my first build will come and I wanted to buy an ANTISTATIC bracelet :D

After so many search results, it left me confused as to where to attach the darn bracelet. :-/

Any advice veterans?

Different results like touching PSU while powered off but attached, clipping bracelet to Bare metal part of chassis..I got confused and unsure what to do
 
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connect the bracelet to something that has bare metal contact with the steel of the case - any screw hole should work.

I've never used one of those bracelets, but I know some techs that do.
 
Personally I've never used an ESD bracelet while assembling. IF i ever touch anything internally once the system is powered up I make sure to touch the outside of my steel case first as this will discharge any static in my hand.

There's nothing wrong with using an ESD, I just don't see the need for it. If you do use one, just attach it to the steel frame work of the case or steel casing of the power supply.

Good luck with your build.
 
It's a troublesome task to find the bracelet around my place, so suppose I don't get the bracelet, do I just have to touch the back of my case (which is bare metal) every time? That's enough protection? :) PSU has to me mounted and attached to mains but rocker switch off yes?
 
I have never used one either...if you are that paranoid about it, just make sure you touch, say the case(even unplugged) so you are at the same potential (as blaylock said already).

You can use it, but it tends to be an overkill type of thing.
 
If you arent using a bracelet you can touch an unpainted, grounded metallic object periodically, and before you start.

Also you can use non-latex nitrile rubber gloves from the drug store. They don't conduct electricity.
 
I do most of my building on the carpet :p

I don't think you really need to use a strap.. Hardware is pretty tough to a point.. I wouldn't drag my feet on the carpet and touch a part.. Unless it was grounded :p
 
I do most of my building on the carpet :p

I don't think you really need to use a strap.. Hardware is pretty tough to a point.. I wouldn't drag my feet on the carpet and touch a part.. Unless it was grounded :p

It doesn't work like that. Even if a part is grounded you can still zap it. And you don't have to "feel" the shock (that little zap on your finger) for ESD to occur. ESD can occur at a much lower charge level than what it takes for a human to feel it and still cause significant damage.

Hardware is not tough unless it is shielded.
 
It doesn't work like that. Even if a part is grounded you can still zap it. And you don't have to "feel" the shock (that little zap on your finger) for ESD to occur. ESD can occur at a much lower charge level than what it takes for a human to feel it and still cause significant damage.


Hardware is not tough unless it is shielded.

Have you ever suffered the loss of an expensive part through esd? Can't say I have.. Like I also said, I've done all of my building on the same swatch of carpet since I've been a member here :thup:
 
Have you ever suffered the loss of an expensive part through esd? Can't say I have.. Like I also said, I've done all of my building on the same swatch of carpet since I've been a member here :thup:

I have to agree with you. I've done all my building sitting on carpet with no bracelet. I try to keep at least one hand touching the case at all times though, as much as possible. I do use nitrile gloves when I have them, but I haven't for a while.
 
I don't wear a wrist strap but wear short sleeves so I can easily touch bare metal on the case, but it's much better to cover your whole table top with anti-static material, like pink bubble wrap or foam wrap sold by Staples, Home Depot, Amazon, etc. (but not all pink wrap is anti-static -- look at its label, or dribble water from a faucet and hold it near the water stream after rubbing it --
). Wear short sleeves so you'll frequently be discharged through your bare forearms. It helps to have the anti-static material sag a few inches at the front of the table. Also don't wear shoes.
 
I've never "killed" anything from static but I have disabled my front USB a few times plugging in a flash drive and zap. A reboot has always brought it back. But I still wonder if one day it'll kill something.
 
I killed a 32g flash drive plugging it in, and I've baked a video card too...Michigan gets dry in winter, and static gets crazy bad. My homebuilt cases are often non conductive, so touching the metal cased I/O ports does the trick to equalize potentials.

There's dozens of chips in your computer that can only handle 50 volts max, a static poke needs to be 3,000+ volts for you to even feel it...teh math are simple!

Whether your PSU is plugged in or not, pick up a component, touch the case with your free hand/forearm, then install, and all should be just fine without a strap. I prefer to unplug the PSU with card installs..
Wearing all cotton clothes can really help too.

BTW, a strap without a built-in resistor can be downright dangerous, as it makes you a path to ground should you touch a charged capacitor or live circuit. Mine has a 100K Ohm resistor paired with it. The resistor has a stereo plug on one end and a crimped loop on the other, so I can hook it to a screw and plug my strap into the other end.
It's a professional Speidel strap that has a stereo plug, not a banana plug.
 
At least if I scrub the carpet when I move I do touch the case or psu. I always handle hardware by the edges etc.. Just in case ;)
 
I've never use an ESD bracelet, have built many systems and done a lot of repair and upgrades without incident. There are certain environmental conditions, however, that might make this a wise precaution such as very low humidity combined with certain types of floor covering. When I was a kid growing up on the east coast we would get a lot of static electricity during cold snaps when the humidity was unusually low. Every time we would walk across the floor and touch a door knob we would get zapped. But in the humid summer weather it never happened.
 
Obviously there is a wide spectrum of levels of "precautions" we can take when working on our machines. I have seen everything from one end to another. I saw a man at a computer repair shop taking PCB's (motherboards, vid cards) and BRUSHING the dust off of them with a paint brush. Now THAT's stupid.
 
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