Introduction

This article lists the essential handling requirements to avoid damage of components and products sensitive to Electrostatic Discharge (ESD). There are a number of measures to be taken to prevent the occurrence of ESD when handling sensitive devices.

We don't see many ESD issues with our products, however, we still recommend to adhere to the steps below to avoid any potential damage.

Warning: Always read and follow safety information when handling electronic devices.

General Guidelines

• Only handle unpackaged ESD sensitive items in a correctly ESD protected environment.
• Visually check that grounding cords are connected.
• Keep work area clean and clear of all non-essential insulators.
• Don't walk around with ESD sensitive devices and hand them over to others if not properly ESD protected.
• Pack your devices in ESD shielding boxes when moving them from one ESD protected area to another.
• Make sure the environment provisions a grounding plan.

Antistatic Surfaces

To prevent ESD between the board and the environment, place electronic components on an antistatic surface or appropriate ESD mat correctly grounded, as seen on the picture.

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  Antistatic Surface

Antistatic Straps

To prevent ESD between yourself and the board, always wear an antistatic grounding strap correctly grounded, as seen on the picture.

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  Antistatic Strap

More Information

For more information regarding ESD precautions and its side effects:

• ESD Explained: What is Electrostatic Discharge? by Saline Lectronics
• Electrostatic discharge on Wikipedia