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Section 8A: Safety 357
Safety
Static Electricity, ESD, and Your Device
Electrostatic discharge (ESD) can cause damage to electronic devices if discharged into the
device, so you should take steps to avoid such an occurrence.
Description of ESD
Static electricity is an electrical charge caused by the buildup of excess electrons on the
surface of a material. To most people, static electricity and ESD are nothing more than
annoyances. For example, after walking over a carpet while scuffing your feet, building up
electrons on your body, you may get a shock—the discharge event—when you touch a
metal doorknob. This little shock discharges the built-up static electricity.
ESD-Susceptible Equipment
Even a small amount of ESD can harm circuitry, so when working with electronic devices,
take measures to help protect your electronic devices, including your Palm® device, from
ESD harm. While Palm has built protections against ESD into its products, ESD
unfortunately exists and, unless neutralized, could build up to levels that could harm your
equipment. Any electronic device that contains an external entry point for plugging in
anything from cables to docking stations is susceptible to entry of ESD. Devices that you
carry with you, such as your device, build up ESD in a unique way because the static
electricity that may have built up on your body is automatically passed to the device. Then,
when the device is connected to another device such as a docking station, a discharge
event can occur.
Precautions Against ESD
Make sure to discharge any built-up static electricity from yourself and your electronic
devices before touching an electronic device or connecting one device to another. The
recommendation from Palm is that you take this precaution before connecting your device