Hi

If we ever go back to tubes we're going to have a bunch of tech's knocked out 
on the floor. Nobody has a clue about high voltage any more. You had to have a 
good respect for it on a tube circuit or you got in big trouble. 

Bob


On Jan 27, 2010, at 9:23 PM, Steve Rooke wrote:

> Wasn't life so much easier with valves (tubes)...
> 
> :-)
> 
> Steve
> 
> 2010/1/27 Bob Camp <[email protected]>:
>> Hi
>> 
>> If you are manually loading up a wire bonder with conventional CMOS chips, 
>> ESD damage is a very real thing. You can haul the chip over to a SEM and 
>> actually take pictures of he craters you blast in it. Very cool pictures. No 
>> cat's, carpets, or Windhurst machines needed.  Just normal operators with 
>> missing wrist straps will do the trick quite nicely.
>> 
>> Bob
>> 
>> 
>> On Jan 26, 2010, at 2:21 AM, [email protected] wrote:
>> 
>>> Back about 1981, we had piles of 6502s, etc and decide to some "antistatic 
>>> testing". We put a 40pin ZIF socket into a VIC-20, and then set about 
>>> trying to fry the uP using carpet, a cat, car seats, etc. The DUT was then 
>>> put back into the VIC and series of tests run to verify operation. I don't 
>>> think we ever had a failure. Of course, there may have been some hiding 
>>> that we missed, but all the static damage I've seen has been pretty severe.
>>> 
>>> That said, I always use a wrist strap and mat if I'm working on something I 
>>> don't want to break further.
>>> 
>>> -Dave
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Charles P. Steinmetz" <[email protected]>
>>> To: "Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement" 
>>> <[email protected]>
>>> Sent: Monday, January 25, 2010 11:27:11 AM GMT -07:00 US/Canada Mountain
>>> Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Conducting Bench Top Material
>>> 
>>> Bruce wrote:
>>> 
>>>> Although over the years the non-conductive top has been an asset in
>>>> avoiding short circuits, etc., I am concerned about static discharges when
>>>> handling modern semiconductors. Would it make sense to spray the Masonite
>>>> with a weak copper sulphate or similar solution so as to make the masonite
>>>> slightly conductive, but not so conductive that 155 VAC connections
>>>> could not
>>>> safely rest upon it? Is there a better-suited material that could be used
>>>> to replace the Masonite?
>>> 
>>> I notice that many folks who have contributed on this thread use
>>> anti-static benchtops, but I have never found it necessary (and I try
>>> to keep the RH in my house under 45% -- it is generally 20% or less
>>> in the winter). I've been fooling with static-sensitive parts for 35
>>> years and haven't lost one to static yet. With that perspective, my
>>> preferred benchtop is white Formica with a very, very slightly
>>> pebbled surface. Very durable, including to molten solder, and small
>>> parts show up well. I use rubberized "gunsmith" mats for preventing
>>> scratches to delicate workpieces (these happen to be anti-static, but
>>> that is not why I have them).
>>> 
>>> Other bench thoughts:
>>> 
>>> Bench depth is very important. I sometimes work on equipment that is
>>> more than 24" deep, so I want at least 30" of clear space in front of
>>> any obstructions (power strips, Variac, test equipment,
>>> whatever). In the past, I used a "flying bridge" over the rear 18"
>>> of a 48"-deep bench to elevate the test equipment, which worked very
>>> well. Now I use 24" deep adjustable wire-rack shelving units behind
>>> a 30" benchtop (As others have pointed out, you can do the same with
>>> equipment racks -- I'm not a fan of rack-mounting test equipment
>>> unless the racks are anchored and everything is on slides, which I
>>> was not prepared to do). I don't have enough shop real estate to
>>> have a permanent access aisle behind the test equipment, so the bench
>>> and racks have large (5") locking polyurethane wheels and can be
>>> pulled out relatively easily for reconfiguration. This provides
>>> plenty of stability for electronic projects, but you wouldn't want to
>>> mount a big vise on the bench and try to bend 1" rebar. For that, I
>>> have a separate metalworking shop.
>>> 
>>> Bench height is also important. I prefer a tall bench, suited to
>>> working standing or sitting on an ergonomic stool, so my bench top is
>>> 44" above the floor -- a bit below my standing elbow height.
>>> 
>>> Finally, one can never have too many power outlets, or too much
>>> light, in a workshop. Lighting should be arranged so that it doesn't
>>> cause specular reflections from the workpiece or the faces of test 
>>> equipment.
>>> 
>>> Best regards,
>>> 
>>> Charles
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
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>> 
>> 
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> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Steve Rooke - ZL3TUV & G8KVD
> A man with one clock knows what time it is;
> A man with two clocks is never quite sure.
> 
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