What Is An ESD Wrist Strap? Its Need and How to Wear it?

Almost everyone has heard about technicians wearing ESD wrist straps when building computers in video tutorials or at their favorite repair shop. The fact that they are needed when building a computer should be enough to explain why they are required. In a nutshell, the purpose of having an antistatic wristband is to ensure that the voltage difference between your body and your computer is balanced so that you do not experience any problems. Any excess static charge in your body will be dissipated immediately by grounding your body with an antistatic wrist strap.

Why should You wear a wrist strap?

You intend to replace or repair a part inside the computer case by opening the case. If this is the case, you will need static grounding protection for the computer, motherboard, and other hardware components. Wearing an ESD wrist strap prevents static build-up and protects your computer's internal components. Users can transfer static electricity to electronic parts, potentially damaging them. Some wristbands create a ground by incorporating a battery. The battery power provides the same grounding as a wired wrist strap, so there is no need to connect it to the computer or antistatic mat.


Electronic Failures Due to ESD

There are two ways in which electronic circuits, devices, or components fail due to ESD:

1) Catastrophic failures:

When a component is exposed to ESD, catastrophic failure can occur in electronic components due to physical damages such as melting, burning, or explosions. Immediately after the component is subjected to ESD, it will fail, and its useful life will be over.

2) Latent failures:

It is less noticeable when a latent failure occurs than a catastrophic one. Slow failures occur when the component becomes damaged internally without showing any physical signs. Due to the fact that the damage is not visible externally, it is possible to expose the device to ESD again and again and suffer further damage. After some time, latent failures lead to partial degradation and eventually complete failure of the device.

How to correctly wear the ESD wrist strap:

Put your hand in the ESD wristband.
Ensure the antistatic wrist is in good contact with the skin by pulling the lock buckle.
Use the alligator clamp on the grounding column of the chassis to clamp the ESD wrist strap Plugin into the switch chassis.
Verify that the wrist strap is grounded, and check that the antistatic wrist band cooperates reasonably with the grounding socket.


Conclusion

You need an ESD wrist strap because electronic devices, computer parts, and components are sensitive to static electricity. If people and machines come into contact with sources of high static electricity, they can be damaged. You can use it whenever you work on or around a computer or electronic device to protect against static-electricity damage. It is one of the best ways to protect your computer's internal hardware and capabilities. Investing in an antistatic wrist strap is a must if you are building a computer! They are very cheap, and you should get one soon.