David Swenson

Ground and Grounding in Electrostatic Control Programs

Grounding is the foundation of any ESD control program — but doing it right means more than just connecting a wrist strap. This primer covers the key requirements of ANSI/ESD S20.20, common grounding techniques, and what's coming in the next revision of S6.1.

ESD in Joe’s Garage

When handling ESD-sensitive components, we must protect them from ESD damage.

Controlling Static Electricity: A 50-Year History

Our knowledge of ESD and how to control it has grown significantly over the past 50 years. This article maps the history of that journey.

The Truth About ESD Class 0

The electronics industry is terribly confused by the term Class 0. Particularly when it comes to electrostatic discharge (ESD) device sensitivity and how the term applies to factory controls designed to mitigate ESD. The confusion manifests itself through the many companies and engineers seeking direction on how to “become qualified to handle Class 0 devices.” They are seeking this information because their equally confused customers have imposed requirements on them to meet this mythical level of performance. Not only is Class 0 as a factory level of performance a contrived ideal, it is not a realistic or useful goal. Our purpose here is to explain reality and what is necessary for understanding device ESD sensitivity and establishing control.

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What's New

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