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Appendix A Net Safety Monitoring Inc. Electrostatic
Sensitive Device Handling Procedure
With the trend toward increasingly widespread use of microprocessors and a wide variety of other
electrostatic sensitive semiconductor devices, the need for careful handling of equipment
containing these devices deserves more attention than it has received in the past.
Electrostatic damage can occur in several ways. The most familiar is by physical contact.
Touching an object causes a discharge of electrostatic energy that has built up on the skin. If the
charge is of sufficient magnitude, a spark will also be visible. This voltage is often more than
enough to damage some electronic components. Some devices can be damaged without any
physical contact. Exposure to an electric field can cause damage if the electric field exceeds the
dielectric breakdown voltage of the capacitive elements within the device.
In some cases, permanent damage is instantaneous and an immediate malfunction is realized.
Often, however, the symptoms are not immediately observed. Performance may be marginal or
even seemingly normal for an indefinite period of time, followed by a sudden and mysterious
failure.
Damage caused by electrostatic discharge can be virtually eliminated if the equipment is handled
only in a static safeguarded work area and if it is transported in a package or container that will
render the necessary protection against static electricity. Net Safety Monitoring Inc. modules that
might be damaged by static electricity are carefully wrapped in a static protective material before
being packaged. Foam packaging blocks are also treated with an anti-static agent. If it should
ever become necessary to return the module, it is highly recommended that it be carefully
packaged in the original carton and static protective wrapping.
Since a static safeguarded work area is usually impractical in most field installations, caution
should be exercised to handle the module by its metal shields, taking care not to touch electronic
components or terminals.
In general, always exercise all of the accepted and proven precautions that are normally observed
when handling electrostatic sensitive devices.
A warning label is placed on the packaging, identifying those units that use electrostatic sensitive
semiconductor devices.
*Published in Accordance with E1A
standard 471