ESD Susceptibility

Every person who has purchased computer components or any bare electronics is familiar with the silvery sheen of the antistatic bag. While it is common knowledge that electrostatic discharge (ESD) is bad for electronics, fewer are those who understand why. That nearly instantaneous transfer of electrons from one point to another, whether eliciting yelps of pain, or causing a temporary blanking of a TV monitor, or resulting in a cell phone that either restarts or decides to never start again, ESD is a part of everybody’s life. And it’s not very pleasant for people or electronics. While these discharges cannot be eliminated, there are steps that can be taken to protect any electronics that you design.