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The Case for using Dew Point for Testing ESD Control Materials
All ESD Association (ESDA) standards that are used to evaluate the properties of ESD controlled materials require testing under defined temperature and relative humidity conditions. Although the exact values vary by standards document the typical environmental conditions are: • Low Relative Humidity – 12% ± 3% RH and 230 C ± 30C • Moderate Relative Humidity – 50% ± 5% and 230 C ± 30C It is a well established fact many ESD control materials are affected by the presence of moisture in the air. Both the temperature and...
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For many years companies, that handle electrostatic discharge (ESD) sensitive products, have asked if it is safe to connect their employees to ground when they are working with powered equipment. The answer to this question is not a simple “yes” or “no”. The grounding methods required by ESD Control Programs such as ANSI/ESD S20.20 and IEC 61340-5-1 often conflict with the requirements for protecting personnel from hazardous electrical currents in some operations. The intent of this white paper is to call attention to the items that...
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What should you do when your customer tells you that their new product contains “Class Zero” parts? The wrong thing to do is panic. The right thing to do is ask a series of questions that will help to clarify the issue and assist in developing a course of action – if one is even needed. However, before we start asking questions let’s discuss the meaning of “Class Zero”. The term Class Zero has its origins in component and microcircuit test standards that deal with Human Body Model (HBM) testing. Documents such as ANSI/ESDA/JEDEC...
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