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Section 8A: Important Safety Information 431
Safety
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
TM
handheld, 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
handheld, 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 handheld
to your computer, placing the handheld in a cradle, or connecting it to any other device. You
can do this in many ways, including the following:
ⅷ Ground yourself when you’re holding your mobile device by simultaneously touching a
metal surface that is at earth ground.
ⅷ For example, if your computer has a metal case and is plugged into a standard
three-prong grounded outlet, touching the case should discharge the ESD on your body.
ⅷ Increase the relative humidity of your environment.
ⅷ Install ESD-specific prevention items, such as grounding mats.