How to Set Up an ESD-Safe Workbench
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 พ.ค. 2024
- This episode is sponsored by PCBWay www.pcbway.com
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Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) is a problem for all kinds of electronics, even for our beloved retro integrated circuits! What can we do about it? Is an ESD wrist strap enough? Join me today as I transform my workbench into an ESD-safe (or safer at least) workspace. Let's keep those chips safe for many more years to come.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:50 The ESD problem
02:23 Layout out the ESD mat
03:35 Common ground
06:25 Earth terminal
07:55 Grounding the mat
09:37 How do ESD mats work?
10:47 Is the ESD mat temperature resistant?
12:51 ESD-safe chip storage
14:46 Cost breakdown
15:40 Update after 2 weeks
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One thing I failed to mention in the video is that both the wrist strap cable and the mat cable have a 1M resistor built-in. That's important because it prevents any accidental discharge through that cable. In addition to that, a few people like @Cyborgdelta1 and @Mark Singleton also pointed out that it's safer to have the earth cable also have a 1M resistor (in case something goes wrong in the wall plug or even some accidental contact in the terminal I screwed on to the bench). There are also pre-made earth connectors with the 1M resistor built-in like these: cpc.farnell.com/antistat/070-0021/euro-esd-plug-1x10mm-2xb/dp/SA03649?st=earth+bonding+plug so I'll be getting one of those soon. Thanks for pointing that out!
I just added the 1M resistor directly to the earth cable by the terminal: facebook.com/NoelsRetroLab/photos/p.210627027078545/210627027078545
Regarding ESD matting you want to have a look at Dave Jones EEblog #585: th-cam.com/video/NNXo4AbaKFc/w-d-xo.html
I live in Australia so it might not be relevant but I got a 2m end that cost me about $150 back in the day and its been in solid heavy use for many years and while it has a few burns and so forth from using a hot air gun over it, they are very minor and honestly where caused by long uses of hot air on a component. end mats are like anything else we buy in life such as there are a considerable range of quality/durability/cost avaliable on the market.
intoendmajorsupplierthatsmellsIsolder directly on my mat o don't get any fumes from it even it I held the iron on it long enough to burn it
esd mats and from what I've found it that the green and blue ones fade a lot over a few years and some can look quite horrible when they do. it a personal preference thing but I went for a grey mat myself to avoid those cosmetic issues down the road
Why did you not test the iron on the bit you cut off?
@@TheErador I totally should have, but I didn't have it around anymore! ☹️ I ended up recording the temperature test weeks after I initially cut it and set it up.
You had a piece of mat from the part you cut, where to do the soldering iron tests :-D
Anyway, great video. I have to buy one like that too.
You'd think that would make sense 🤷♂️ Unfortunately I didn't have the piece I cut out by the time I got around to recording the soldering test. Oh well 😃
@@NoelsRetroLab I'm kinda triggered by that. I'm someone who always keeps the junk that comes in packages or, like in this case, cuts off of some thing. You might never know when it can come in handy when you're doing some handiwork for gifts or other things. ✂️😛
@@Terkzorr Haha, that's what happens when you have a tiny space filled with computers to the brim. Keep only the absolute essentials! 😃
@@Terkzorr you know there is a term for people who keep a lot of "useless" stuff, right? 😃 Also, my collection of things I could definitely still use one day keeps growing...
@@siamsurf Yes, the term is "electronics enthusiast" :P
Nice video, I like how you decorate your technical assistant ;) Great Team!
Great video Noel! It's definitely time I invested in a better ESD-safe setup so there's some good inspiration here 😃
Thanks! Yeah, it's one of those things that makes sense if you're going to be doing stuff with electronic components regularly.
Interesting video Noel. I have nothing like this at all, which is probably why I break more stuff than I actually repair. 😁
nice job Noel.. i need to invest in an ESD safe space!
Thanks for the vid 👍 was going to say about the 1m resistor, but saw it below 😊
You're welcome! Yes, other people alerted me that it would be safer with an extra 1M resistor to mains ground, which makes a lot of sense. I'm surprised the original terminal didn't come with one to be honest.
Awesome video Noel
Glad you enjoyed it
She was absolutely cute. Thanks for the ESDS info, there are a lot of new electronic hobbiest coming up. I wouldn't worry too much about matt damage
Thanks! Glad you found it useful. And she was thrilled to pose for this 😃 And, most importantly, she's actually interested in this and seems to understand most of the concepts!
I don't know why, but Matt Damage sounded like a great name for a special agent!
"Matt Damage, the agent that all bad guys fear".
@@MeneGR 🤣🤣🤣
Love it, excellent job Noel :-)
Thanks! It was in big part due to your prompting that I started looking into all of this, so thank you!
Very helpful
What a great and educational video!! I have a Kaisi repair insulation pad that look just like your except mine is blue. I love your setup with the green ESD mat and want to set up a station like that. Question, If I set it up likes yours and then put the repair pad on top, is the repair pad also grounded or would that be defatting the purpose of the ESD mat?
I am sure it has been said somewhere below over the last few months, but there are types of ESD matts that are a lot more heat resistant. They don't easily melt at soldering iron temperatures. The heat gun will still overheat and damage them rather quickly and at the very least discolor the matt. I learned that and often use a silicon matt on top if I am using the heat gun. They can't take pushing ic legs into them, xacto knives etc, but they are fairly resistant to damage from dragging a board across them. Don't put a board on them and push an ic into a a tight socket though.. The other thing is they tend to discolor. Browning over time, kind of like old plastic from the 80s etc, some things do stain them. IPA has a little effect but nothing dramatic. One time some computers with very cheap nasty black rubber feet were set on the matts at work and it left permanent brown stains (feet were quickly removed and thrown away, these were brand new cases not old rubber going bad). Dave's video mentioned in the pinned comment I am sure probably goes over a lot of that, it has been awhile since I watched that one.
thanks helpful video!
You have the most cute lab assistant :)
Hello Noel, the black carbon type foam is great for short periods of time but can corrode terminals if stored in humid area. Best to use the pink ESD foam for component storage.
Interesting, I didn't know that. I don't even remember seeing pink ESD foam anywhere! I take it it's made of some significantly different material? Thanks for the tip.
1:33 I've NEVER considered "reverse ESD"... you've got a great point there.
I've got a mat, which is always in place.... but always forget my wrist strap because that needs some thought but the mat is "just there". :/
It always annoys me when they ship chips in white foam because it looks to me like it's "ESD generating" rather than ESD safe.
Smart using your smaller spokesperson to demo the point :-)
16:30 A mat is a consumable; its purpose is to protect the workbench and provide a safe surface. (In theory, you could dispense with the mat and get an ESD-safe workbench instead.) They also provide a slightly soft surface that can help protect your workpiece. I certainly wouldn’t get annoyed at it getting scuffed up. You should see the mats in real world electronics labs: they’re always scuffed, marred, scratched, and have minor scorch marks. That means they’re doing their job! :)
Consumable? You know how much a mat costs right?
@7:50 what did you measure the other end of the probe to? The ground pin on the wall?
Me personally, I don't care if the mat is of a low quality. It's better than what I currently have which is nada. Would you be willing to provide a link to the one that you bought along with the other ESD items?
BTW: it's really cool that you got your daughter in this video. Reminds me of when my 2 daughters were at that age. (My eldest is about to turn 18...)
I get the impression that the intended use of that bracket is to be bolted on the underside of the desk, or if you want it to the side where you put it, bolted on the *outside*, like an L-shape sticking out to the side if that makes any sense. That way the rubber cover and the contacts won't interact with the furniture at all.
You're right! It didn't instantly click because the desk I have has a drawer underneath, so that wouldn't have worked. But on a regular workbench that would make sense.
If you place the grounding point under the front edge to the side of your non-dominant hand, you can strap that hand and the cable tends to stay out of the way more than strapping your dominant hand and having the cable run to the side. If you choose to strap your ankle, make sure you are strapping to bare skin it is usually easier to use a Velcro or snap equipped ESD strap. I used to use an "S" plastic glove clip over my hip pocket so I could leave the bench without removing the strap from my ankle, plugging the banana plug back in before returning to work.
Also, if you are handling MOS in the rain ... it is all right:)
And if you think that to the end: Service work in your bathtub, submerged with diving mask, ist the most sensible handling of our beloved metal-oxide friends. Hehehe
BTW that is unusual, but true. And if you take it with a grain of salt, then the conductance will further improve:P
Thank you for the video:)
Hello, the earth connector that you have that one with the button's an banana plug have an issue, make sure that the button part is connected with the banana part because I have they same one and I found that problem and I fix that running a wire to connect them together and remember to add at least 1M ohm resistor in the process of fixing that issue
Great job! On ESD, I thought the 1MOhm resistor you find in those connecting cables would be enough to prevent a shock even though your desk is not ESD safe - so when you just wear the wrist wrap. It doesn't hurt of course. Definitely make sure you have that 1MOhm resistors on both lines otherwise in case you touched something charged, it would discharged to ground too quickly causing potential damage.
Now I think about it, the mat is probably slow in discharging anyways - you measured Mega Ohms with your meter - but your wristwrap goes straight to earth so that needs the resistor IMHO.
Curiously enough, my ESD mat is slightly conductive on top as well. I am indeed not sure I should put anything live on it...
My mat doesn't get damaged like yours though :) I think I paid it £40 from RS component though.
Right. The cables have the 1M resistor except for the one from the terminal to earth. I ended up adding it myself after people mentioned it could be a safety risk. I may look at RS Component for your mat, because I can't find any good sources in Europe (most of them are in Australia for some reason!).
If your soldering tip is grounded, do the IM resistor too.
I'm 73, and have been working with electronics since I was 9. I've *NEVER* used a ground-strap, and have *NEVER* blown a Chip!!
Yes, that's totally possible. I'm sure some of it depends on your environments (humidity, temperature). But it's a relatively cheap precaution that will make me feel better 😃
Your very lucky! The Commodore SID chip is notorious for dying from static. That's why its so hard to find them. They are now selling for $80 or more for that chip. I just bought 3 C64's that I saw working and checked to make sure it was a real SID and not one of the new replacement ones. I can get a whole 64 for just a little bit over the price or the same price of a SID chip.
Hey man. Great video. Sounds like you made a mistake or two and a lot of commenters were quick to point that out. Nice to see you take the criticism with humility.
As for those ESD comments you flashed up... don't focus on those. As your channel gets bigger you'll get tons of one line 'r/iamverysmart' comments from morons who would rather just carp from the sidelines. Most of us enjoy what you do and don't feel the need to critique and nitpick, especially seeing as every minute of footage you create probably took you an hour. Don't give those trolls too much credence.
Thanks! I appreciate the comment. I'm always open to feedback, and I often learn quite a few things from the comments, like in this case. So it's all good 😃 As for the comments I referred to in the video, that was a bit more of a joke and a poke at them than anything. They don't really bother me.
I was going to ask if it was ok to wear around your ankle and you already answered my question.
One step ahead of ya! 😃I still haven't figured out what's less annoying though. Around the ankle is really annoying if you're getting up for stuff frequently.
You can also have the entire floor have anti-static coating, then you wear a heel strap as so. We did this in our factory :)
www.esdgoods.com/product/esd-products/heel-strap.html#:~:text=Anti%20static%20Heel%20strap%20also%20called%20ESD%20ankle,to%20ground%20resistance%2C%20adjustable%20Velcro%20and%20conductive%20ribbon.
@@booboo699254 Whoa! That's pretty hard core! I guess it makes sense for a factory though.
Maybe my idea is silly or just too much, but besides the "main mat" I have some leftover, which is also grounded, and I often use that piece to put on the "main mat" when doing something which can result damaging the mat, so at least then I ruin only that smaller piece. But again, I may worry just too much ... As it looks really sad in my eyes to have a very "worn" mat. And btw, I liked the demonstration assistant :)
That makes a lot of sense actually! I should have kept that piece I cut out!!! 😃 The assistant was thrilled to be part of the video (and she actually understands what's going on too!).
Would this work well as an electrostatic dissipation solution for underneath a CNC router?
slide the wristband up to your elbow..
get a thick piece of aluminum, a half foot cut of half inch sheet, or similar. Acts as a heatsink, you can solder on it as it electrically conducts to your esd surface, solder won't stick to it and you can wash excess flux off it.
How connect the Manpower with ESD grounding through wrist band series or parallel ?
The banana plug seems JUST large enough to make proper contact when inserted into the ground hole of a north american NEMA plug. Obviously it isn't specifically made for that, but if you're looking for a portable solution (i.e. for occasional things like PC building), it seems like that might work.
Do your wrist-strap have a built-in a 1M resistor? because you should have one somewhere along the line, and I don't see it on that black attachement 5:38
It must because I measured it and it was a pretty high resistance. Maybe it's built into the wrist part?
I know Dave at EEVblog has recommended some very durable ESD mat material, but that stuff is quite expensive.
Right, and it's from Australia and they don't ship to Europe ☹️
@@NoelsRetroLab Im sure if you have a look you might be able to find some
Why didn't you test the soldering on your offcut piece?
That would make sense, right? Unfortunately it was long gone (video was recorded over a period of several weeks because things didn't arrive in time) ☹️
what was that board you had at the end of the video. memory, chips, some winbond chips (i/o?),...
That must have been the Sinclair QL boards I was repairing at the time. There's a video about them from a couple of weeks ago.
I remember years ago I static'd an AWE 32 soundcard.. it was annoying as it had 32 mb of ram on board and was tricky to get a new one
Yikes! Really? Did you actually feel the moment where that happened and you zapped it, or did it just stop working? That must have been really annoying!
So if I have a silicone mold that has a lot of static built up in it, will this dissipate the static? or would I need a grounded work bench for that?
I'm not sure the silicone mat can have static build up, but if it did, I'm not sure it would dissipate it because silicone is not conductive, so touching it while strapped might not be enough. But I really don't know, I'm just guessing 😃
@@NoelsRetroLab it would be a silicone mold for resin making. I get static a lot in my silicone molds.
Isn’t there supposed to be a resistor in line with the ground?
Hi, can connect mat and wire band directly to the ground with alligator clips without banana splitter?
thanks
yes, you can also made one
I bought a much more expensive mat from a reputable seller (Farnell). My experience with scratches and heat damage were exactly the same as yours. I think the material they are made from is generally not durable. Also, if you are doing any hot air work, you must go back to your silicone soldering mat. I ended burning a very big hole in my ESD mat when I used the hot air gun.
That's disappointing! I had heard of the hot air problems from other people as well. I need to remember that!
With that type of mains socket, where are you located? I don't understand what is hot, cold, and ground there. Can you plug a socket either way with that system? 73 DE W8LV BILL
where did you buy all the components for this?
They should be linked in the description.
Can I use any chair to sit and work on the ESD safe station the way you built yourself?
An ESD-safe chair is better, but your body and bench being grounded are more important. Try to avoid rolling around a non-ESD chair if possible. An all-wood chair (without rubber wheels or bumpers) is a great budget ESD-safe option.
Thanks for the interesting video Noel. I have made some research and it seems that the ESD mats and the alcohol are not good friends. It seems that it may affect its conductivity and render it useless... Certainly disappointing taking into account one of the main uses of an ESD mat is electronics handling and IPA is always involved on that.
Really?? That is disappointing! Now I'm going to have to read more about it. It's hard to even imagine how the alcohold can disrupt the ESD properties. Do you have some good links for that? Thanks!
@@NoelsRetroLab I got an initial hint checking a quite big antistatic mat provider (Antistat). I read the product datasheet of a couple of their mats, for example this one: www.antistat.co.uk/product/esd-bench-mat-2-layer-textured-finish/ (there is a link in the web to the datasheet) saying this about cleaning "Please note that contact between the matting surface and any acid or alkali solvent is strictly prohibited (such as
Benzene, Alcohol etc)".
I thought that this may be related to the materials used by this company in concrete but I continued searching and got to this forum that confirms it forum.digikey.com/t/esd-mat-cleaning/6011 it is a short entry but certainly dramatic about the difficult relation between ESD mats and alcohol.
Well check Dave Jones. He has a good video about ESD mats - the better ones. I watched long time ago, so I cannot clearly remember ... but I recall they were expensive. I think he was saying something like the blue ones are good
Thanks, I'll check it out. I watch some of his videos and I remember him doing some kind of big overhaul in his bench, but I don't remember seeing the one about the better mats. I'll go look for it. Thanks!
@@NoelsRetroLab The blue ESD mats that Dave Jones uses (which I also use) are far better then the green ones. Not cheap though but definitely worth the money. I can probe it quite hard with sharp DMM probes and it won't even pierce it and can also take a lot of heat i.e. from your soldering iron. This is the both Dave and I use. I had mine cut to size to fit my bench. These guys can cut to order: www.mektronics.com.au/premium-anti-static-bench-matting-blue-900mm-x-10m.html
@@rdp8545 Thanks! Now I need to find a source like that in Europe so the shipping doesn't cost me more than the mat itself 😃 Surprisingly, everybody pitching in about ESD mat sources are all from Australia. What's going on? Do you guys get ESD education in school or something? 😃
@@NoelsRetroLab Bugger about the shipping cost. With the Australian dollar not being so great the price of the mat might be relatively cheap depending on where you are in the world? Might be worth sending them a message to see how much the freight would be for piece cut to size?
@@rdp8545 I'll check with them. Thanks!
40 dollars to save priceless, irreplaceable retro machines is well worth the price of admission!
Exactly!
amazon has some good esd silicone mats dont burn or stain
I've seen some, but they were tiny! I'd love to get something close to these dimensions (without spending a fortune hopefully).
Please tell us you did not put a o-ring wire terminal just on top of the earth block, right in between and just a mm away from the live mains terminal. One movement of the attached wire terminal and it shorts to live and your grounding wrist wrap has becom a live wrist wrap. There are adapter plugs (with or without a megohm resistor) that are all plastic but the earth connection, terminating in a banana plug. Or at least use the original terminals of the sockets, where the attached wire goes. There is always room for 2 wires there and its in a save (-er) spot. Like this, its a catastrophe waiting to happen.
The last bit about ESD safe chip storage... Shouldn't you use ESD safe plastic containers too then? Those black ones, because the container will still build up a charge and charge your chips even better now that they are in conducting foam. Once you pick them up with your wrist band attached or put them down on the ESD safe mat, they will discharge and get damaged, right?
The more expensive ESD matt material is much more resistant to high temperatures and surface damage so yes you can improve on that. Regarding the 1M resistor, our "high end" ESD gear does have a 1M resistor in the ground lead and we use a plug with an external ground screw lug. It would be a good idea to pop a 1M resistor into that lead to your mains ground as Mark Singleton said below. As I said, well done and a 100% improvement over not doing anything at all, like many know-it-all (head in the sand) TH-camrs and prominent makers cough #adafruit...
Good to know about the better ESD mats. I'll look into it. And yes, I already popped in a 1M resistor in the cable to mains ground, so that should make it extra safe. 👍
Noel, do you just buy gear from no-name suppliers on ebay, or do you recommend a particular source ?
Generic gear I just buy off Ebay or Ali, no particular supplier. I get picker if I'm buying something that I know quality does matter or there's a chance I might be getting a counterfeit item (like old chips).
A question ? You actually had a chip damaged by a electrostatic discharge, when you are manipulating a chip or a board ?
I've had chips fail. Some of them on camera (look up the SVI 328 repair), but obviously I don't know if it was due to a discharge or not. I know the world is divided on this, but I did a bit of research and it seemed like a good thing to do. Call it a small insurance policy.
flashing the ankle there! better watch you don't get the youtube indecency police onto you!
🤣🤣🤣 I was curious to find out how many people watched it to the very end!
@@NoelsRetroLab I better go for a cold shower.
Informative and useful, and feature your cute daughter.
Haha, thanks! She was thrilled to be part of the video 😃
Nice informative video, except.. my OCD wants to know why you did not use the off cut for your temperature test. hmmm Lol.
Is an assistant your daughter? Sunny she is)
Greetings from Ukraine :)
Yes, she is! 😃 Thank you!
Hi Noel. If you want some of the pink ESD foam, where I work, it just gets disposed of. I can let you have some for free, if you pm me (each sheet is about 20cm square by about 5mm thick).
Hello friend. If I follow these steps will it matter if my wooden table is on carpet?
Thanks.
8 euro?!? Where did you get it! I cant find ANYTHING that cheap over here!
EEVBlog #585
I just watched a grown man destroying his brand new mat punching it with the soldering iron. He was even picking the right spot to do it. lol
All in the name of science! (Although I could have picked a better spot 🤪).
@@NoelsRetroLab Maybe you could have, I can't stop thinking about that excess square🙂 I appreciate your videos man. Keep them going👍
I feel like an idiot, I bought a pretty expensive soldering mat, and it doesn't have ESD protection, now I gotta throw it away I guess
Oh oh ... I spotted an injury. Soldering iron incident?
Haha, no basketball incident. That's my shooting finger that got a little banged up 😃
rather than the strap why not have a ESD-Safe Floor Mat. that way when you sit at your desk your feet is touching the floor or seat
I don't have a small child strapped to my set up. Should I be concerned? I tried strapping my son to my mat, but he is 22 and quite big and started to become aggressive.
Clearly you should have started his training when he was younger 🤣
hard to find good assistants these days
10 ++++++++++++++
So you grounded your child for making this video?
🤣🤣🤣
maybe she did some zhan zhuang exercise before