ESD Systems - Questions And Answers

What is the appropriate method for measuring conductive floor resistivity and how do I determine whether the test equipment (namely the 5 pound weighted pads) is still in spec? The tester is calibrated, but I don't believe the weights are and we have two different testers, one a Hymar with 10 and 100 volt ranges and a Megohmeter with 50, 100, 500 volt ranges. One spec I saw indicated 500v is correct for floor measurement and the Megohmeter does specify 500 v as well. - Ron Simpson , Fremont, CA

The ESDA has a Standard, ANSI/ESD-S7.1-1994, for the testing of the “Resistive Characterization of Materials, Floor Materials”. There are specifications for pre-conditioning of the floor and cleaning of the probes prior to taking measurements. It goes over testing both RTG and RTT. Both readings are measured with a potential difference of only 100 volts. The industry doesn’t use 500 volts for testing (as the floor should be conductive well below 500 volts).

Related Categories: