Faq's
An ESD spark, for example, could be at a high enough voltage to result in a current that can break microchips, melt the silicon in circuits, and short our electronic products. Here are a few examples of ESD damage:
- Overpowering components: Many electronic components are designed to handle specific voltage levels. ESD events, which can reach thousands of volts, can be way above this limit. This surge of electricity can fry the delicate circuits within the component.
- Short circuits: ESD can create unintended electrical connections between different parts of a circuit that shouldn’t be connected. This can disrupt the normal flow of electricity and damage the components involved.
- Latent damage: Sometimes, ESD damage isn’t immediately obvious. The zap might weaken the component, making it more likely to fail prematurely down the road. This can be a nightmare for manufacturers as it can lead to field failures after the product is sold.
The unpredictable nature of a discharge could be enough to cause lasting damage to unprotected products which is why they need to be tested for resilience against it and protected accordingly. One way will be to include ESD protection circuitry
There are 3 common types of ESD testing to test that the product will be resilient against ESD and that measures put in place, such as implementing ESD protection circuitry, are effective:
- Human Body Model (HBM): As humans move around they generate static electricity. The HBM test simulates electrostatic discharges from human contacts, such as a finger touching the product and through to the earth. The standard HBM test’s voltage is around ±2 kV. This might happen when a consumer handles the product, for instance.
- Machine Model (MM): This simulates a machine or metal tool coming into contact with an electronic device, and the typical voltage is 100-200 V. This might happen during production when an operator works on the product with a tool, for example.
- Charged Device Model (CDM): This is meant to simulate an integrated circuit becoming electrically charged and then contacting another earthed one on a metallic surface at a voltage of 200V – 1kV. This could be during automated production when a circuit that has been held away from the earth by a machine is eventually placed onto a metallic surface.