Preventing Electrostatic Damage

Preventing Electrostatic
Damage
Installation Manual
D3P00681202
PN1:005
Revision B November 1995
This manual supercedes the issue dated September 1988.
See CE Statement in Section 1

PROVOX is a mark of one or more of the Fisher-Rosemount group of companies.
All other marks are the property of their respective owners.
Fisher-Rosemount Systems, Inc. 1983, 1988, 1995. All rights reserved.

Printed in USA
The contents of this publication are presented for informational purposes only, and while every effort
has been made to ensure their accuracy, they are not to be construed as warranties or guarantees,
express or implied, regarding the products or services described herein or their use or applicability. We
reserve the right to modify or improve the designs or specifications of such products at any time without
notice.
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Fisher-Rosemount Systems, Inc.

Technical Documentation Editor
8301 Cameron Road, MD#12
Austin, TX 78753
FAX Number: (512) 834-7200

Attention: Technical Documentation Editor
FISHER-ROSEMOUNT USE ONLY forwarded to:
Lead Writer
Engineering
Technical Support
Marketing
Project File
Documentation Map
Documentation Map
Preventing Electrostatic Damage
This map shows manuals used to plan the installation of a PROVOXr Process
Management System. The number, title, and binder location are shown for each
document, identifying where specific information is located. See the descriptions
on the back of this map for more information.
PROVOX
Instrumentation
YOU ARE HERE
Installation
Manual
PN1:005
PN1:002
Planning the Installation
PN1:003
AC and DC Power and Ground Wiring
PN1:004
Signal Wiring and Highway System
Guidelines
PN1:006
Environmental Considerations for
Instrumentation systems
PN1:007
Lightning Protection Guidelines for
Instrumentation Systems
PN1:008
Site Evaluation

PN1:005
iii
Documentation Map
PROVOX documentation supports each stage of system development.

System Development Stages
System Design
Document Type & Contents

Configuration Engineering Manuals
Configuration data-entry help for a
product, including theory of
operation for improved product
use.
Installation and User Manuals for
Configuration Products
Installation procedures, and
operating methods and procedures
for using the configuration
software.
Technical Reference Manuals
Advanced user information for
expanding the capability of the
PROVOX system.
System Managers Guide
Expert users information for
managing operating systems.
System Planning and

Installation
Installation Manuals
Site preparation, including the
environment, power, and
grounding. Also, product signal
wiring, cable connections, and
hardware installation.
System Startup and

Operation
User Manuals
Maintenance
Maintenance Manuals
Operating methods and

procedures for a product, and
software installation.
Tutorials
Structured training for operators.
Preventative maintenance,
calibration, troubleshooting, and
repair procedures.
Ordering Information To order additional manuals, contact your local
sales representative, specifying the number, title, and quantity of each
document required.
iv

PN1:005
Contents
Section/Title
Page
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Intended Audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CE Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Manual Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Related Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Reference Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Excellence in Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1
1
2
2
2
3
Electrostatic Damage Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Static Electricity Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Preventing Electrostatic Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Preventing Static Electricity Buildup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Using Grounding Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Flooding the Air with Ions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using Static Shielding Containers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Handling Static Sensitive Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5
5
6
6
7
Warning Label on Conductive Shipping Boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Common Static Electricity Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.5
Figures
1
Tables
1

PN1:005
Contents
This page intentionally left blank.
vi

PN1:005
Introduction
Almost all printed-circuit wiring boards (PWBs) are vulnerable to damage
from static electricity. This document explains the nature of such
electrostatic damage, and tells how to protect static-sensitive devices.
Four subsections cover this subject:
1.1
Electrostatic damage characteristics
Sources of static electricity
Preventing electrostatic damage
Handling static-sensitive devices
Intended Audience
Installation planning manuals are intended for use by plant engineering
personnel, especially those charged with planning a control system
installation.
1.2
CE Statement
If you intend to have your PROVOXr system certified for compliance to
appropriate European Union directives, the following CE statement is
extremely important to your ability to achieve that compliance.
This manual describes installation and

maintenance procedures for products
which have been tested to be in
compliance with appropriate CE
directives. To maintain compliance,
these products must be installed and
maintained according to the
procedures described in this manual.
Failure to follow the procedures may
compromise compliance.
PN1:005
1.3
Manual Conventions
This manual uses the following conventions:
J
1.4
Acronyms and Abbreviations Terms are spelled out the first time
they appear in text. Thereafter, only the acronym or abbreviation is
used.
Revision Control The title page lists the revision level and the
printing date of this manual. When the manual is revised, the revision
level and the printing date are changed.
References References to other Fisher-Rosemount Systems
manuals include the name and catalog number for manuals.
Related Documents
The planning manuals listed below provide further information for system
installation planning:
J
PN1:002, Planning the Installation
PN1:003, AC and DC Power and Ground Wiring
PN1:004, Signal Wiring and Highway System Guidelines
PN1:006 Environmental Conditions for Instrumentation Systems
1.5
PN1:007, Lightning Protection Guidelines for Instrumentation

Systems
PN1:008, Site Evaluation
Reference Documents
The documents listed below provide further information on static
electricity and the problems it creates for electronics.
J
PN1:005
Testone, Anthony Q., Static Electricity in the Electronics Industry,

Testone Enterprises, Inc., 1980.
Department of Defense Handbook 263, Electrostatic Discharge
Control Handbook for Protection of Electrical and Electronic Parts,
Assemblies and Equipment (Excluding Electrically Initiated Explosive
Devices), Department of Defense, 2 May 1980.
EIA Interim Standard No. 5, Electronic Industries Association,
January 1983.
1.6
Excellence in Documentation
Our goal is to provide documents that meet your needs. Through
surveys and interviews, we continually evaluate our documents as part
of the broad Fisher-Rosemount Systems customer-support program.
Various manuals are produced for different purposes and for readers
with varying backgrounds and experience.
Please assist us in the evaluation of this manual by completing the
reader evaluation form located at the front of the document. In addition, if
you have any suggestions for specific pages, return a marked-up copy
along with your survey.
Electrostatic Damage
Characteristics
Static electricity can cause damage in two ways: through direct
discharge or through induction. Direct static discharge occurs when a
static-sensitive device comes in contact with something at a different
electrical potential. For example, a person who is statically charged can
damage the device merely by touching it. Or, the device itself can be
statically charged, and then be damaged in the same way by coming in
contact with a ground.
Statically charged objects also can cause inductive damage in a
static-sensitive device. An electrically charged object has a magnetic
field. If a static-sensitive device moves through such a field, and the field
is strong enough, the field can induce a damaging current in the device.
The faster a device passes through a strong static field, the greater the
chance for such damage.
Occasionally such electrostatic damage is severe enough to cause a
device to fail immediately. Normal testing usually reveals such damage.
Unfortunately, devices damaged by static electricity seldom fail outright.
The usual result is degradation of the junctions in the device. A device
with such degradation may function perfectly during normal testing, but
suffer premature failure. Devices with junction degradation are also
prone to erratic behavior at elevated temperatures. Such failures are
seldom traced back to their true cause.
Every semiconductor is, to some degree, static sensitive. Crystal and
precision film resistors are also susceptible to electrostatic damage. But
these devices can vary widely in their sensitivity to static electricity. Some
can be damaged by less than 30 volts, while others can withstand
several thousand volts. Since the sensory threshold for humans is about
3,000 volts of static electricity, damaging static voltage usually goes
undetected.
PN1:005
Protection against electrostatic damage is built into some devices, but

the degree of such protection varies. The protection is never total.
Protection built into MOS devices, for example, lowers static sensitivity,
but the devices still require proper handling. A common myth is that
devices mounted on printed circuit cards are protected from electrostatic
damage. This is not true. Printed circuit cards with static-sensitive
devices should be protected using the same handling practices as used
with individual static-sensitive devices.
Static Electricity Sources

Static electricity is caused by physical contact, followed by separation, of
dissimilar materials. This means that it can have an almost infinite
number of sources. The generated voltage potential depends upon the
materials, the relative humidity, and other factors. Table 1 lists some
common sources of static electricity in the workplace and typical
voltages. Notice the degree to which humidity affects voltages. Other
common static electricity sources include:
J
Synthetic clothing
Rubber or plastic shoe soles
Plastic tools, tote boxes, trays, and so forth (unless made from
special anti-static plastic)
Styrofoam packing material
Cellophane wrappers and tape
Moving air (for example, air moved by solder suckers, heat guns,
cold sprays, or other such devices)
As explained in section 4, eliminating potential sources of static

electricity is one of the best ways to prevent electrostatic damage.
Table 1
Common Static Electricity Sources

Electrostatic Voltages
Means of Static Generation
PN1:005
10 to 20 Percent
Relative Humidity
65 to 90 Percent
Relative Humidity
Walking across carpet
35,000
1,500
Walking over vinyl floor
12,000
250
Worker at a bench
6,000
100
Vinyl envelopes for work instructions
7,000
600
Common poly bag picked up from bench
20,000
1,200
Chair padded with polyurethane foam
18,000
1,500
Preventing Electrostatic
Damage
There are four main ways to prevent electrostatic damage:
4.1
Prevent the buildup of static electricity.
Use grounding devices to drain static charges from conductive objects.
Flood the air with ions to neutralize static charges.
Use static shielding containers.
Preventing Static Electricity Buildup

If no static electricity is present, it cannot damage anything. Prevent static
buildup by using anti-static objects, anti-static coatings, and anti-static
containers. anti-static objects or products prevent static buildup. An
anti-static object is a normally nonconductive object that has a thin,
conductive surface layer built in. As long as this layer is intact and moist, it
lets any static electricity dissipate instead of building up. Common
examples of such objects are: plastic bags, plastic trays, tote boxes, work
surfaces, and packing material. anti-static coatings are available for
products that are not already anti-static. These coating form a conductive,
anti-static layer; they can be applied to most nonconductive surfaces.
anti-static containers prevent the buildup of static electricity in any device
placed inside.
Of course, such anti-static products do not function forever, or in all
circumstances. If the anti-static layer dries out or if friction wears it away,
the layer no longer can prevent static buildup. Some cleaning agents can
dry out or neutralize the layer. And, although anti-static containers
prevent static electricity from building up inside, they do not provide
complete protection from external static fields.
4.2
Using Grounding Devices

Using grounding devices is another important way to prevent
electrostatic damage. The most common of these devices are grounded
work surfaces, floor mats, and wrist straps. Any such devices should be
connected to a good earth ground, through a resistor of at least one
megohm. The resistor acts as a current limiter to prevent a possible
shock hazard.
A grounded work surface, such as a conductive mat, drains to ground a
static charge of any conductive object placed on the work surface.
PN1:005
Grounded floor mats dissipate any charges you may accumulate while
walking on carpet or vinyl tile, if your shoes are conductive. (If your
shoes have plastic or rubber soles, use heel straps as well as grounded
floor mats.) A grounded wrist strap drains static charges from a person.
Friction between clothes and the body, or between shoes and the floor,
causes such static. Note that the wrist strap must be worn next to the
skin, not over a shirt sleeve.
Remember that grounding devices cannot drain static charges from
nonconductive objects. For example, a statically charged nonconductive
tote box placed on a grounded conductive work surface does not lost its
static charge. Likewise, grounded floor mats cannot ground rubber-soled
shoes unless the shoes have conductive heel straps. And although a
grounded wrist strap drains a static charge from your body (your body is
conductive), the strap cannot ground a static charge in your synthetic,
nonconductive, clothing.
4.3
Flooding the Air with Ions

Ionization is an effective and convenient way to prevent static buildup in
a small area such as a workstation. An ionizer floods the area with both
positive and negative ions. These ions neutralize any positive or
negative static charges in the area, even charges on nonconductive
objects. Some ionizers, however, produce a small amount of
electromagnetic interference that may affect sensitive test instruments.
An ionizer may need more than a minute to neutralize a strong static
charge.
4.4
Using Static Shielding Containers

Containers made of a special conductive plastic or conductive coated
cardboard prevent electrostatic damage during transportation and
storage of static-sensitive devices. Unlike anti-static plastic, conductive
plastic is conductive through its entire depth. Static shielding containers
take advantage of the Faraday cage effect: if a hollow conductive object
is statically charged, the charge is only on the outer surface of the
object. A device in a closed static shielding container cannot be
damaged by an external electrostatic discharge or static field. To drain
any static charge from the outside of a static shielding container, merely
touch the container to a grounded surface. The most common static
shielding container is a conductive plastic bag. Others are conductive
tote boxes and conductive shipping boxes.
PN1:005
4.5
Handling Static Sensitive Devices

When handling static sensitive devices, follow the guidelines listed below
to prevent damage caused by static electricity.
J
Treat all printed circuit cards as static-sensitive devices.

Many of the printed circuit cards in PROVOX instrumentation
systems contain static-sensitive devices. These cards vary in their
sensitivity to static electricity. To simplify electrostatic protection, treat
all cards as if they were static sensitive.
Handle printed circuit cards as little as possible.

Handling cards, for example, removing them from card files,
transporting them, or storing them, entails the greatest risk of
electrostatic damage. Accordingly, handle cards as little as possible.
Wear a grounded wrist strap whenever you handle printed circuit

cards.
Each cabinet and console or group of consoles should have a
grounded wrist strap with a protective one-megohm resistor. Connect
the wrist strap to a power supply common terminal on the bus bar of
a cabinet. Optionally, connect the wrist strap to signal common on
the bus bar or to a local or master ground point. For a console,
connect the wrist strap to the ground stud on the utility power strip.
The utility power strip must be plugged in to ground the wrist strap.
Before removing a card from a file, attach the wrist strap snugly to
your wrist and count to ten slowly. Pull back your shirt sleeves, so
that they do not touch the card. Hold a card only by its edges; never
touch components, the printed circuit on the other side of the card, or
the edge connectors.
Transport and store printed circuit cards in static shielding (not

merely anti-static) containers.
Always transport a printed circuit card in a static shielding container
(as distinct from a container that is merely anti-static). As long as the
container is sealed, no electrostatic damage should occur. Also, use
static shielding bags or boxes for storage and shipping of printed
circuit cards. The factory ships all individual PROVOX printed circuit
cards in boxes with conductive liners. Labels on these boxes clearly
identify the contents as static sensitive. (See Figure 1.)
Do not put static generating material inside a static shielding

container with printed circuit cards.
Never put a material that can generate static inside the container with
the card. This would negate the whole reason for using the static
shielding container.
PN1:005
WARNING
Contents subject to static discharge damage. Operator
must be grounded before inserting or removing
contents per the basic rules of static control.
THIS BOX IS A STATIC SHIELDING CONTAINER.
DO NOT DESTROY.
KEEP CONTENTS IN THIS BOX OR A STATIC
SHIELDING CONTAINER UNTIL INSTALLATION.
Figure 1
J
Warning Label on Conductive Shipping Boxes
Ground static shielding containers before removing printed circuit

cards.
Before removing cards from shipping containers, ground yourself and
the box conductive liner. Save such boxes for storage and future
transportation and shipping of cards. Remember to only use
anti-static or static shielding packing material.
Work on or examine printed circuit cards only at a static-controlled

workstation.
Do any work on or examination of a printed circuit card only at a
static controlled workstation. Such a workstation should have a
grounded wrist strap and a grounded table mat or table surface.
Keep all static producing materials well away from the work area.
Optionally, use grounded conductive floor mats and heel straps
instead of the wrist strap. The wrist strap included with the Type
CS6003 Calibrator can serve as a work area wrist strap, but the
calibrator must be plugged into a grounded outlet for the strap to be
effective. Ground all test equipment used at the workstation.
PN1:005
Notes
Notes
PN1:005
Notes
Notes
PN1:005
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PN1:005

Preventing Electrostatic Damage

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See CE Statement in Section 1

Fisher-Rosemount Systems, Inc. 1983, 1988, 1995. All rights reserved.

Your Evaluation Please . . .

Title and Department:

Years of Experience: ___ Instrumentation ___ Distributed

Education: ____High School ____Years College ____Degree

1. How and when do you use this manual?

2. How well is the manuals content

Read entire manual before attempting task

Good representative of the products

Average usable but can be improved

Read selected sections before attempting task

Fair not very usable, should be improved

4. How well do the manuals illustrations

Excellent very easy to understand,

Good easy to understand, applicable

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Excellent very easy to understand, extremely

Good easy to understand, very usable

Poor cannot understand, must be improved,

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5. Describe the amount of usable information

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Proper amount provided not too much nor

Too little information needed additional

7. How useful is the Glossary?

8. What is your overall impression of this

Please FAX or MAIL this form to:

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Fisher-Rosemount Systems, Inc.

FAX Number: (512) 834-7200

YOU ARE HERE

Revision B November 1995

PROVOX documentation supports each stage of system development.

Document Type & Contents

System Planning and

System Startup and

Operating methods and

Revision B November 1995