[sdiy] ESD grounding in USA

[Tom Corbitt]

An important note. The wire doesn't connect directly to the wall earth
connection, it passed through a large ohm resistor (most of the ones
I've seen are 10 Meg) Connecting a wire straight from your wrist to
earth is a BAD thing.

There are a lot of companies that make a plug with the resistor that
connects to your standard banana jack. I also have seen a disposable
strap system packaged in some computer equipment before; they were
cloth and intended to be connected to the metal chassis of the server
while you installed the upgrade you had just purchased. Packaged a lot
like a band-aid. I remember they had 3M all over them.

Here's a pic of one of the plugs, you can probably find a cheap
version with some searching.
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/IDEAL-Replacement-Grounding-Plug-3T891?BaseItem=3T890

Here's the disposable ones I remember, probably closer to your price range.
http://www.globaltestsupply.com/c/225/3M_2209_Disposable_Wrist_Strap_packed_in_individual_envelopes.html

Tom Corbitt


On Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 7:48 AM, Seb Francis <seb at burnit.co.uk> wrote:
>  Thanks for the replies about this, both on and off list.
>
> It's funny that Barry said that wrist cords caused more damage than ESD :)
>
> It seems then that the norm in the US is to connect a ring terminal to a
> screw on an outlet socket which then connects to a grounding mat or ground
> distribution point, from which a wrist band cord can then be connected.
>
> However, what I really need (and I have a good reason for this) is a
> solution that allows a wristband cord to be connected directly and
> conveniently to ground in any location, ideally without removing any screws
> from the outlet socket.
>
> So I got to wondering whether I can modify some existing plug-in device.
>  For example take the US equivalent of this:
> http://uk.farnell.com/pro-elec/t203/plug-mains-tester/dp/1661468
> .... and add a 4mm banana socket (which is the standard plug on the end of a
> coiled wriststrap cord).
>
> This would provide the added benefit of testing the ground is ok wherever it
> was plugged in (not such an issue in the UK where virtually every building
> is properly grounded, but I understand this can be an issue in the US).
>
> So does anyone know of a similar tester to this in the US?  Must be cheap
> though, not like some high end fluke mains socket tester!
>
> Seb
>
>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Seb Francis" <seb at burnit.co.uk>
>> To: <synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl>
>> Sent: Sunday, October 17, 2010 17:19
>> Subject: [sdiy] ESD grounding in USA
>>
>>
>>>  Hello to my friends across the pond :)
>>>
>>> I'm wanting to put together ESD grounding kits suitable for use around
>>> the world, and I have a bit of a lack of knowledge about the US.
>>>  Specifically I'm not sure of what to use to connect the ground to.
>>>
>>> In UK we use something like this which plugs into the mains socket:
>>>
>>> http://www.vermason.co.uk/FullCatalog/BenchwareandFieldService/WorksurfaceGrounding/EarthBondingPointPlugs/231230/
>>>
>>> And in the rest of Europe, a similar thing with a Schuko type plug:
>>>
>>> http://www.vermason.co.uk/FullCatalog/BenchwareandFieldService/WorksurfaceGrounding/EarthBondingPointPlugs/231170/
>>>
>>> But try as I might I can't find the equivalent product for US.  Does such
>>> a thing exist?  How is ESD grounding normally accomplished in US?
>>>
>>> TIA,
>>> Seb
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Synth-diy mailing list
>>> Synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl
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