On Thursday 23 July 2015 08:07:50 Curt wrote: > On 2015-07-23, Chris Bannister <cbannis...@slingshot.co.nz> wrote: > > Then you *would* be asking for trouble. IMHO, if anti static > > measures are not observed, then it doesn't mean the computer will > > not function but more likely a weakness to the chips occurs and then > > a failure further on down the track. > > What's a chip weakness?
A cmos chip, with a damaged silicon-dioxide layer because its been punched thru by the static. Sometimes they will continue to function for a short time. More often you have failures that seem to fix themselves after a full, let the suuplies go to zero volts, powerdown, which will reset and momemtarily turn off the scr so formed between the active part of the transistor and the substrait its made on. Silicon-dioxide is a perfect insulator, but its built so thin it can break down and allow a single electron to pass thru it if over voltaged, often at less than 2 volts above the supply rail, or more than 3/4 volt below the ground rail. The passage of that single electron creates a flaw in that layer, which is not normally more than 1 or 2 atoms thick in modern processes. So it is not a question of will it fail, but when. Cheers, Gene Heskett -- "There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order." -Ed Howdershelt (Author) Genes Web page <http://geneslinuxbox.net:6309/gene> -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: https://lists.debian.org/201507231033.20467.ghesk...@wdtv.com
