Forwarded for Mike Hopkins. -------- Original Message -------- Subject: RE: ESD Question List-Post: [email protected] Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 16:06:48 -0400 From: Mike Hopkins <[email protected]> To: "'Chris Maxwell'" <[email protected]>,"'Sandy Mazzola'"<[email protected]>, [email protected]
There is an amendment to IEC 61000-4-2 in process that is intended to clarify the issue of connector pins. I basically states that for connectors with metal shells, a contact mode discharge is performed to the shell. For plastic connectors, an air discharge is done in the vicinity of the connector -- if a break-down to a pin occurs in either case, tough luck. There was never any intention that discharges be done to individual pins in a connector. Some other specific exclusions include ESD sensitive connectors -- scope inputs, etc... that are marked as ESD sensitive and there is reference to that in the product documentation. Also excluded are battery contacts which might be contacted when the batteries are changed but are not accessed during operation of the product. Hope this is helpful.. Best Regards, Mike Hopkins KeyTek (member IEC SC77B WG9, which is the working group responsible for IEC 61000-4-2) -----Original Message----- From: Chris Maxwell [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2001 2:07 PM To: 'Sandy Mazzola'; [email protected] Subject: RE: ESD Question Hi Sandy, Have you seen the sunshine in your end of New York? If you have, send it back!! Personally, I have never seen a product that required air or contact ESD testing on the individual pins of connectors. I can only speak for products tested to EN 50082-1(Generic Immunity), EN 50082-1(Generic Immunity/Heavy Industrial), ETS 300-386-1(Telcom EMC) and EN 61326-1 (Test , Measurement and Control Equipment EMC). The basic standard which covers ESD testing itself (for the product and product family standards mentioned above) is EN 61000-4-2. EN 61000-4-2 is also the basic standard which EN 55024 references for ESD testing. EN 61000-4-2 gives no definite example or statement regarding discharge to individual connector pins. It just says to discharge to all locations normally accessible by the customer (paraphrased). So, this can be rationalized either way. Apparantly, the authors of EN 55024 have already done the rationalization for you. What I have typically seen and performed is ESD testing whereby direct contact discharges are made to the shells of connectors (i.e. D-subs ....) but not to the individual pins. Since EN 61000-4-2 gives no exact direction, I think that there has been a "general consensus of interpretation" (my own words) that ESD is not required on individual pins. I have heard some myth/horror stories that say otherwise from people selling ESD hardened connectors, IC's .... but they turned out to be exaggerations. Having said that, I must add the caveat that there may be standards and products that are an exception, especially in the military, aerospace or medical fields. I just haven't seen any. !!!!!!!!!PLEASE NOTE THE NEW EMAIL ADDRESS!!!!!!!! Chris Maxwell Design Engineer NetTest 6 Rhoads Drive, Building 4 Utica,NY 13502 email: [email protected] phone: 315-266-5128 fax: 315-797-8024 > -----Original Message----- > From: Sandy Mazzola [SMTP:[email protected]] > Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2001 9:30 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: ESD Question > > Hi all, > > In EN 55024: 1998 Page 9 Paragraph 4.2.1, I found the following > statement: "The application of electrostatic discharges to the contacts > of open connectors is not required by this publication" > > My question is twofold has everybody interpreted this to mean that > no air discharges or contact discharges are required to the connector or > pins of the open connector. > And secondly if the answer to the above is no discharges of any type are > required, what other publications would require either air or contact > discharges to open connectors. > > Thanks > > Sandy Mazzola > > Santo Mazzola > Regulatory Engineer > Symbol Technologies Inc > 1 Symbol Plaza > Holtsville, N. Y. 11742-1300 > Phone: (631) 738-5373 > Fax: (631) 738-3318 > E-mail: [email protected] > > << File: Sandy Mazzola.vcf >> ------------------------------------------- This message is from the IEEE EMC Society Product Safety Technical Committee emc-pstc discussion list. Visit our web site at: http://www.ewh.ieee.org/soc/emcs/pstc/ To cancel your subscription, send mail to: [email protected] with the single line: unsubscribe emc-pstc For help, send mail to the list administrators: Michael Garretson: [email protected] Dave Heald [email protected] For policy questions, send mail to: Richard Nute: [email protected] Jim Bacher: [email protected] All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at: http://www.rcic.com/ click on "Virtual Conference Hall," ------------------------------------------- This message is from the IEEE EMC Society Product Safety Technical Committee emc-pstc discussion list. Visit our web site at: http://www.ewh.ieee.org/soc/emcs/pstc/ To cancel your subscription, send mail to: [email protected] with the single line: unsubscribe emc-pstc For help, send mail to the list administrators: Michael Garretson: [email protected] Dave Heald [email protected] For policy questions, send mail to: Richard Nute: [email protected] Jim Bacher: [email protected] All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at: http://www.rcic.com/ click on "Virtual Conference Hall,"
