Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!csd4.csd.uwm.edu!jgreco
From: jgreco@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Joe Greco)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.cbm
Subject: Re: Grounding Oneself, the right way...???
Message-ID: <1239@uwm.edu>
Date: 29 Nov 89 03:21:08 GMT
References: <6058@cbnewsh.ATT.COM> <10936@max.u.washington.edu> <5126@tekgen.BV.TEK.COM> <11128@max.u.washington.edu>
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Reply-To: jgreco@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Joe Greco)
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In comp.sys.cbm article <11128@max.u.washington.edu>, scott@max.u.washington.edu wrote:
]Hmmm.... I thought grounding was bringing one's static level equal to that
]of the circuit that you are going to be working with, so as to avoid a 
]sudden large voltage/current exchange with yourself and the circuit (and
]thus consequent damage to the circuit components). Grounding oneself by
]touching the circuit-ground seems to be conflicting with the very thing
]that you are trying to avoid - trying to be at equal charge level as the        
]circuit without sudden current/volatage exchange.

The ground plane is "relatively" immune to static discharges, although I
would not try creating a large static charge and then dissipating it on the
ground plane.

Static is extremely detrimental to MOS logic circuits, and you are really
trying to avoid discharging into an actual logic circuit.  As I recall,
it is easily possible to blow certain kinds of MOS chips with the charge
from just a few steps on carpeting.

Since most people service their units on a workbench, it is probably most
logical to ground your unit to earth ground and get a wrist strap type
grounding gadget and ground yourself to earth ground.  You should be very
safe, but such extreme measures probably are not needed unless the air is
very dry and you are in a bad environment.

Me?  If I'm worried, I touch an outlet and then the ground plane of the
unit.

]And also one does not acquired static charge that easily and that
]quickly. 

Tell me that when you've just blown a 25 MHz 80386 processor or one of the
'x87 coprocessors.  You'd rather not risk the methods you mentioned.
Static is a sneaky enemy and will kill you when you least expect it..  :-)

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