1.
Portions
of any circuit that can be operated above 50 volts must be protected by a box
enclosure or a plexiglass cover.
2.
The
same requirement applies to circuits connected to high current sources (such as
lead-acid car batteries) that can output more than 1 amp of current. (Use a box
enclosure or a plexiglass cover.)
3.
Any
circuit that plugs into a wall (110 volt) outlet or any circuit that connects
to a high current source (such as a lead-acid car battery) needs to have a fuse
installed in the power supply circuit.
4.
Two
people (you and someone else) need to be present in the room whenever you are
working with voltages of 50 volts or greater or circuits with large current
supply capabilities (greater than 1 amp). In general it is always a good idea
to work on electronics only when another person is in the room that can get
help if something goes wrong.
5.
Do
not wear loose metal jewelry around your wrist or neck when working with
electronic circuits. The metal jewelry can touch the circuit creating shorts
that destroy the circuit and possible hurt you.
Handling
of ESD sensitive parts. – you can generally assume all chips and circuits in
this class are ESD sensitive
1)
Always
keep chips in antistatic carrier. (Especially CMOS)
2)
Do
not pass chips or boards from person to person.
3)
When
you feel a shock from static electricity- it is several thousand volts. (Less
than 10 volts can damage many circuits!)
4)
Always
touch a good ground before touching your circuit. For example, touch the metal
chassis of the computer.
5)
For
some particularly sensitive chips you may need to use a static pad and/or a
wrist strap.