Anyone experience real damage to an LED from ESD?

Thread Starter

Stuntman

Joined Mar 28, 2011
222
I've been revamping my LED storage and would like something a little more accessible than the pile of baggies I currently have. LED's running free in individual plastic drawers is attractive, but of course, this violates the rules of proper ESD protection.

That said, I have purchased countless through hole LED's packed in standard poly bags which I don't see being any better than the drawers.

Anyone have compelling arguments for getting serious about ESD protection for LEDs? I'd be interested to hear.
 

dl324

Joined Mar 30, 2015
16,839
The only LEDs I've seen with ESD warnings are white. I have some SMT devices that have a red LED installed anti-parallel to protect them.
 

Doros

Joined Dec 17, 2013
144
Some manufacturers propose so (ESD sensitive material), mostly for the led strips. If so I would follow their instructions
 

MrAl

Joined Jun 17, 2014
11,389
Hello,

I could see this happening as i have found that a reverse voltage that is too high, even not really abnormally high, could blow the LED. An LED i had long time ago was reverse biased by just a 9v battery. As you probably know, most LEDs take 5v only for reverse voltage. Thus 9v in reverse took out this LED.
This is why i dont recommend testing LEDs with a 9v battery and 1k resistor. With a 3v LED that would only put about 6ma through the LED which is not that much yet. However, get the polarity of the 9v battery wrong and it puts -9v across the LED (even still with the 1k resistor in series) which is too high for the LED in reverse. It may last or may get partially damaged and then blow out suddenly sometime later.
 

OBW0549

Joined Mar 2, 2015
3,566
Anyone experience real damage to an LED from ESD?
Yes, I've zapped a couple of white LEDs, but only by touching them after getting charged up (unintentionally) by walking across the carpet. Never had any problems from plastic bags or plastic parts drawers.
 

Doros

Joined Dec 17, 2013
144
That means that you should always work with LEDs at an EPA (esd protected area). Use pink bags to store them
 

BobTPH

Joined Jun 5, 2013
8,804
I use no ESD protections for any parts other than the packaging I receive the parts in, and I have never zapped anything as far as I know. I guess I am not very electric.

Bob
 

BobTPH

Joined Jun 5, 2013
8,804
You can never be sure about "not zapped anything"
Well, I cannot remember the last time I installed a new part and it was DOA. I have killed parts by reversing the supply or giving it too much voltage, or putting too much current through them, but even this is rare. For example I have probably built about 50 boards with PICs, but have had to replace the chip on only one, and that was a known case of reversed supply.

Bob
 

dl324

Joined Mar 30, 2015
16,839
Well, I cannot remember the last time I intalled a new part and it was DOA.
ESD damage doesn't always kill the part outright. I zapped some MOSFETs and they still work (who knows for how much longer); they just exhibit higher leakage.
 

Thread Starter

Stuntman

Joined Mar 28, 2011
222
Sounds like similar experiences to myself. Of all the stuff I have static zapped, LED's are one thing I cannot recall ever causing an immediate failure. Hard to say if any were left "walking dead", but I can't say I've noticed a trend of long term failures.

I am wondering if parts loose in plastic drawers that then get carried to the ESD workspace before being touched may be a good compromise.
 
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