homemade or low cost circuit board/ battery box shield?

Tinkerer

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Feb 25, 2021, 5:05:40 PM2/25/21

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I have a static sensitive circuit with a small battery compartment
located just underneath, almost touching. Since there is a chance for
shorts, what could I put between the circuit board bottom and battery
box? Some of the IC's are static sensitive, so not a plastic that build
charge. Since this was a homemade project, is there anything I could
use from around the house?

Eli the Bearded

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Feb 25, 2021, 5:32:06 PM2/25/21

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Isn't paper traditionally used for that? For covering a small area, you
could probably cut a square out of a latex glove for something more
insulating (although also likely to rot faster).

Elijah
------
also consider stickers, old credit cards, scraps of tyvek envelopes, etc

Peter W.

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Feb 26, 2021, 6:46:22 AM2/26/21

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https://www.amazon.com/GC-ELECTRONICS-FIBROID-ELECTRICAL-INSULATION/dp/B00DJUHBIW

is the traditional material.

From "around the house", you might use any otherwise inert neutral paper or something like an index card.

The point of fish paper is that it is long-term, inert, resistant to puncture, non-flammable and all sorts of other virtues along those lines.

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

Tinkerer

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Feb 26, 2021, 10:06:20 AM2/26/21

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Thanks, well that's not that expensive. The tape they also recommend
buying there, kapton, is what I have here at present. However, I didn't
realize it came in static and non-static versions. Do you know any way
i could tell if the kapton I have is anti-static?

Peter W.

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Feb 26, 2021, 1:33:47 PM2/26/21

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Do you know any way
> i could tell if the kapton I have is anti-static?

Try rubbing some on a bit of wool in a dry (not humid) room and see if it sticks to anything.

Tinkerer

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Feb 26, 2021, 11:46:31 PM2/26/21

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Well, that certainly was a good test. The only wool I own this time of
year is a pair of Minus 33 wool thermals that I am wearing as I write.
I folded over the tape so the sticky side wouldn't interfere and rubbed
it on the pants. Took a few tries, but the tape finally did stick to
the wall. So that definitely answers the question and I won't be using
it. Thanks for this tip!

Chris Jones

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Feb 27, 2021, 8:12:23 AM2/27/21

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As long as it does not actually get charged before or during the time
that it is near the sensitive circuitry, it should not cause damage.
Perhaps you could apply the tape before wiping it down with a damp cloth
to discharge it, then install the sensitive circuitry whilst there is no
charge present.

Peter W.

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Feb 28, 2021, 11:16:36 AM2/28/21

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> As long as it does not actually get charged before or during the time
> that it is near the sensitive circuitry, it should not cause damage.

There is a very long stretch between "should not" and "will not". When the proper means-and-methods are readily available, one *should not* take the lesser path.

Chris Jones

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Feb 28, 2021, 6:58:25 PM2/28/21

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Ordinary insulating tapes can be used in the proximity of ordinary
electronics, and it would be misleading to claim otherwise. If the
circuit includes small-signal mosfets with unprotected gates, then I
would consider taking more precautions, but those have been uncommon for
many decades.