Questions And Answers

Our Continuous Monitors are used successfully by many leading manufacturers where test equipment is used. However, if the test equipment current leakage is excessive, the Continuous Monitor may alarm. Test equipment should be repaired, moved off of the ESD worksurface or located a sufficient distance away so the Continuous Monitor will not detect the excessive current leakage.

Occasionally, we receive complaints that the Continuous Monitor is alarming and how to stop it. A more prudent response is that the Continuous Monitor is detecting something abnormal and troubleshooting should be initiated leading to corrective action. Typically this will lead to discovering a faulty wrist strap coil cord or poor contact with the operator’s skin.

Over many years, some examples from the field where Continuous Monitors have properly alarmed have included:

¨ The worksurface having resistance higher than the required 500 Megohms (5 x 10^8 ohms)

¨ the gas shock on a production chair was creating a tribocharging event and causing the alarm to sound

¨ lights emitting a field that caused the monitors to alarm

¨ laser printer at the ESD protected workstation; [unfortunately, a laser printer takes the toner powder utilizing static electricity]

¨ Excessive test equipment current leakage

We are not aware of a specification for current leakage from test equipment.