I've read a couple of threads about static and anti static and generally they're pretty confusing, I think.
What I got from them was two main things:
1. The main, real thing to worry about is only the difference in potential between self and the computer.
2. Thinking the important thing is to be at ground potential and connecting self to ground or leaving the computer plugged in and relying on it being at ground potential and grounding yourself through it is virtually inviting destruction if you should happen to touch a high potential (messing with a faulty PSU, maybe?).
So I'm thinking I should disconnect the computer whenever I work on it and ground myself on the computer either permanently with a strap or frequently by touching.
Can anyone confirm this as true, safe working?
And from there I've got a couple of further questions:
1. So what about if I'm also grounding myself to earth incidentally as I work? i.e. maybe bare feet or touching a steel work table that stands on a concrete floor? Is this alright or a potential (forgive the pun) problem?
And what about my shoe soles, standing on concrete, with a steel worktable or otherwise - rubber insulating soles makes a difference to the situation or just doesn't matter at all because static electricity runs over the surface of insulators?
And that thought makes me wonder how I can possibly generate a static voltage anyway in such a situation - why doesn't the static run to ground on the concrete slab?
2. What about when working with loose motherboards? No chassis to touch. Just pick them up and do what you like or there's some procedure to dissipate static first?
and lastly
3. Given a difference in static voltage potentials which can be in the tens of thousands of volts (I've read) then doesn't touching something create the very thing we're trying to avoid? i.e. doesn't it produce a sudden voltage spike in that thing?
Love to clear this up. I think I've recently zapped a couple of boards...
What I got from them was two main things:
1. The main, real thing to worry about is only the difference in potential between self and the computer.
2. Thinking the important thing is to be at ground potential and connecting self to ground or leaving the computer plugged in and relying on it being at ground potential and grounding yourself through it is virtually inviting destruction if you should happen to touch a high potential (messing with a faulty PSU, maybe?).
So I'm thinking I should disconnect the computer whenever I work on it and ground myself on the computer either permanently with a strap or frequently by touching.
Can anyone confirm this as true, safe working?
And from there I've got a couple of further questions:
1. So what about if I'm also grounding myself to earth incidentally as I work? i.e. maybe bare feet or touching a steel work table that stands on a concrete floor? Is this alright or a potential (forgive the pun) problem?
And what about my shoe soles, standing on concrete, with a steel worktable or otherwise - rubber insulating soles makes a difference to the situation or just doesn't matter at all because static electricity runs over the surface of insulators?
And that thought makes me wonder how I can possibly generate a static voltage anyway in such a situation - why doesn't the static run to ground on the concrete slab?
2. What about when working with loose motherboards? No chassis to touch. Just pick them up and do what you like or there's some procedure to dissipate static first?
and lastly
3. Given a difference in static voltage potentials which can be in the tens of thousands of volts (I've read) then doesn't touching something create the very thing we're trying to avoid? i.e. doesn't it produce a sudden voltage spike in that thing?
Love to clear this up. I think I've recently zapped a couple of boards...
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