Avoiding Electrostatic Discharge (Esd) Damage - Data General AViiON Series Customer Documentation

Avoiding Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)
The covers, air dams, cover plates, and filler panels installed on your equipment
protect the electronic circuits inside the equipment from electrostatic discharge
(ESD) and other damage. When you remove these protective covers to replace or
install VME options, you can inadvertently damage the sensitive electronic circuits
in the equipment by simply touching them: Electrostatic charge that has
accumulated on your body discharges through the circuits.
If the air in your work area is very dry, running a humidifier in the work area will
help decrease the risk of ESD damage. To prevent damage to your equipment, you
must follow the procedures below.
CAUTION: Read and understand the following instructions before you remove the
cover(s) or panel(s) from your equipment, or unpack any new
components.
Provide enough room to work on the equipment. Clear the work site of any
unnecessary materials or materials that naturally build up electrostatic charge,
such as foam packaging, foam cups, cellophane wrappers, and similar materials.
Do not remove replacement or upgrade subassemblies from their antistatic
packaging until the exact moment that you are ready to install them.
Gather the tools, manuals, an ESD kit, and all other materials you will need
before you remove covers and panels from the equipment. Procedures for
removing subassemblies usually list required materials at the beginning. After
you remove a cover or panel, you should avoid moving away from the work site;
otherwise, you may build up an electrostatic charge.
Use an ESD kit when handling circuit boards or when touching the electronic
circuits inside the equipment. If you don't have an ESD kit, you can order one
from Data General. If an emergency arises and an ESD kit is not available,
follow the procedures in the "Emergency Procedures (without an ESD kit)"
section.
Replace the cover(s) or panel(s) on the equipment as soon as possible so that the
electronic circuits are protected.
If the equipment has an opening for an optional device (such as a mass-storage
drive), and the device is not installed, make sure a filler panel is installed in the
opening before connecting the equipment to the ac power outlet.
014–001867
Damage
Preparing to Install VME Options
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