ESD after finishing project

Thread Starter

Sergio34

Joined Nov 10, 2018
52
Hello, I have managed to resolve a lot of complex problems I encountered without asking, I am stuck though with something that may be relatively simple but I cannot see what I have missed. While I have understood the concept of taking ESD precautions during working with sensitive components (grounded antistatic mat, wrist band etc) what happens to a finished project in a plastic box for example. I read things on internet like the plastic boxes store static electricity, people mentioned to make the interior of the plastic box conductive or just use metal box, so the plastic enclosures are useless? Do I have to put every project in a metal box to create a Faraday cage? My project will have an RF module (LoRa) which is ESD sensitive, some ICs. Do I have to wrap the box with antistatic material or foil? Do I have to ground the box? Or do I have to both wrap and ground the box? Or do nothing. I don't get it. The same time I see smartphones, walkie talkies and dozen of other digital devices to be in plastic enclosures. For some of you this obvious, please direct me to read, I like studying, I am not lazy but all the information I find, including in this website, is about manufacturing precautions and not what to do after the circuit/project is ready. Thank you in advance.
 

Ya’akov

Joined Jan 27, 2019
9,068
ESD damage occurs when someone (or something) charged to a high potential touches a pin on a static sensitive device, like CMOS.

The discharge at thousands of volts pokes holes in the device internally.

In a box, this isn't a problem. Unless you are going to place the device in a high voltage field there's not going to be a problem when it is closed up. Even in that case, discharge through a semiconductor device on your board is unlikely. Shielding may be needed, but not for ESD.
 
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