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Douglas C. Smith

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Technical Tidbit - October 2015
Techniques for Investigating the Effects of ESD on Electronic Equipment

Pulsed noise injection into a PCB trace

Figure 1.
EFT Generated by a Power Supply
Vertical = 1 Amp/div, Horizontal = 1usec/div


Abstract: ESD problems at the system level can be difficult to track down. This article links my paper written for the Institute of Physics Electrostatics Symposium in Southampton, England in April 2015 on ESD troubleshooting at the system level which can simplify the process.

Figure 1 shows injecting pulsed noise inductively into a PCB trace, one of the techniques described in the paper along with several techniques including capacitive coupling of noise into cables and high pass filtering of the ESD simulator current waveform.

My Institute of Physics paper "Techniques for Investigating the Effects of ESD on Electronic Equipment," is available on this website, click here to view or download a copy.


Summary: Troubleshooting ESD problems can be simplified by using the techniques outlined in my Institute of Physics paper.

Links in this article:
  1. "Techniques for Investigating the Effects of ESD on Electronic Equipment," Douglas C. Smith, Institute of Physics Electrostatics Symposium, Southampton, England, April 2015.
  2. Fischer Custom Communications F-65 current probe

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If you like the information in this article and others on this website, much more information is available in my courses. Click here to see a listing of upcoming courses on design, measurement, and troubleshooting of chips, circuits, and systems. Click here to see upcoming seminars in Boulder City, NV.

Boulder Dam Hotel and Museum
Our office, laboratory, and classrooms are located in the
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Historic Boulder City Dam Hotel and Museum
1305 Arizona Street, Boulder City, Nevada 89005
Phone: (702) 293-3510
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Come for a technical seminar, design review/troubleshooting, or just for a visit and mix a little history of the Old West with your work!


Hangar One
Our Silicon Valley associate office and lab are located at
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NASA-Ames Research Center: RMV Technology Group
Bldg. 19, Suite 1073, M/S 19-46C
Moffett Field, CA  94035

http://esdrmv.com
Phone: (650) 964-4792

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RMV is a materials/ESD lab serving NASA and commercial customers.

Is your product failing ESD, EMC, or performance testing? Attend one of my webinars. Contact me at doug@dsmith.org for more details or click here.

Need help with a design or additional training on technical subjects? Click on the image below to go to CircuitAdvisor.com, an engineering resource for training, news, and fun. The site is being reorganized for group memberships and should be back up soon.

Click here for a description of one of my seminars titled (now also available online as a WebEx seminar):

EMC Lab Techniques for Designers
(How to find EMC problems and have some confidence your system will pass EMC testing while it is still in your lab).



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Copyright © 2015 Douglas C. Smith