Protecting IC pins with foam

[Demon]

I got that roll and set up a cutting board to reduce time (got over 800 drawers).

It's just a test to see if everything goes smoothly; and yeah, I'm waiting for a shorter set of steel rulers with cork backing. This 16in ruler is so cumbersome.

[Ioannis]

I got that roll and set up a cutting board to reduce time (got over 800 drawers).

Nice construction.

Well, you do not need to put antistatic in every drawer. Capacitors, resistors or other hardware have no problem with ESD. Just semiconductors.

Ioannis

[Demon]

Yeah, you're right. I'll adjust as I label the drawers with their proper contents, using stock drawer, lined and padded as required.

But this sure does make cutting so much easier; same thing with my mylar insertion tool.

[Demon]

Nice construction.

Well, you do not need to put antistatic in every drawer. Capacitors, resistors or other hardware have no problem with ESD. Just semiconductors.

Ioannis

Ok, so basically any IC gets a mylar liner, and sits on ESD foam (depending on pin lengths - SMDs just sits on thin 3mm foam mainly cause I have it on hand now).

Discretes need nothing:

- diodes;
- resistors;
- pots;
- rotary encoders (maybe 3mm foam to help protect pins when there's only a few sloshing in the drawer);
- capacitors;
- LEDs;
- ZNRs;
- TVSs;
- photocells.


Anything wrong, or am I missing anything?

[Ioannis]

I think any semi is sensitive in ESD somehow. Though I never saw a LED or zener destroyed, I never tried on purpose also.

See these links:

https://www.radium.de/en/service-too...atic-discharge

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/beginn...nsitive-parts/

Ioannis

[Demon]

The first link doesn't seem worried for standard LEDs, it seems more concerned when there's a module involved (I have none).

electrostatic discharge when touching LED strips is not harmful and usually not even noticeable. On the other hand, LED modules can quickly be damaged to a considerable degree - even at low charges.

[Demon]

From the 2nd link:

Zener diodes and bridge rectifiers are normally not ESD sensitive. The same is true for larger diodes (e.g. 1N400x) - but special low leakage fast diodes / schottkys can be ESD sensitive. Also modern LEDs and especially laser diodes are ESD sensitive.

Interesting, I guess I'm putting tiny, fast and Schottky diodes and SMD LEDs at least on mylar lining.

[Demon]

This is how I went about with version 2 of mylar linings.