Question about Palms and static electricity

[raspabalsa]

Hi, fellow members.
Due to the very humid climate on most of my country, we do not have problems with electrostatic shocks, so this is an issue I have almost never experienced, or worried about.
However, yesterday I was visiting a museum with my family. The floor was carpeted, and the air conditioners kept a very dry environment to preserve the artifacts on display. Very soon some kids began playing with static electricity, rubbing their shoes against the carpet, then touching someone else and thoroughly enjoying the jolt of static electricity. I became worried because I was holding my T3 on my hand while taking notes, and I figured that it was possible to zap my T3 if someone touched me while I held it, possibly damaging it.
So, the question is: Will this kind of static shock damage a palm device? Should I take some special care when using my palm in such a dry, carpeted room?
Thanks for any insight on this matter.

[PDA Bach]

I've wondered about this as well (living in a very dry climate we have lots of static problems).

I think that for the most part you are safe, the case of your PDA is either likely to be a poor conductor or grounded (if metal). The area I would be careful of is touching the headphone jack's metallic contacts since it seems to me that could let a static discharge into the inner workings where the electronics are.

However, let's look at it this way just to give people more to talk about in future posts: If you're at a high potential (there's a static charge built up on you but it hasn't arced off yet), so is your PDA. Unless and until a circuit is completed and there's a discharge path to ground, everything should be hunky-dory. So if the PDA is in your hand and not connected to anything external (like by a cable) AND if you don't discharge THROUGH the PDA (like by brushing the headphone jack against the nearest metal fixture) there shouldn't be a problem.

To be safe, whenever you discharge yourself make sure that the PDA isn't in a path where the electricity will flow through it. (Gee, I wonder if anyone will comment on that choice of words.)

[raspabalsa]

Thanks for your comments, PDAB. I have some observations:

I think that for the most part you are safe, the case of your PDA is either likely to be a poor conductor or grounded (if metal). The area I would be careful of is touching the headphone jack's metallic contacts since it seems to me that could let a static discharge into the inner workings where the electronics are.

All the palms I have owned have had metal cases. In every one of them, the mainboard includes metal springs that are soldered to the negative conductor path in the mainboad. These springs make contact with the case, so the case is kept at 0V relative to the battery. However, in this situation any voltage applied to the case will be applied directly to the mainboard. That's my main worry, because it's not necessary to apply voltage to "senstitive" areas such as the UC or headphone jack to risk damaging palms with metal cases: the case itself provides a conductive path directly to the mainboard. However, I'm not sure this can damage the palm or not.

If you're at a high potential .... so is your PDA. Unless and until a circuit is completed and there's a discharge path to ground, everything should be hunky-dory. So if the PDA is in your hand and not connected to anything external (like by a cable) AND if you don't discharge THROUGH the PDA (like by brushing the headphone jack against the nearest metal fixture) there shouldn't be a problem.

Ok, but what if my T3 (metal case) is resting on a metal desk, then my T3 is at ground potential (and so is its mainboard), and possibly there's already a path to ground through the palm and the desk. So here come I, unadvertently carrying a high static charge as I tread over the carpet. I touch my T3, and feel the zap of static discharging directly through my beloved T3. Will this damage my T3? I think this scenario is very likely, because I'm not used to taking precautions regarding static electriciy, so most probably I may forget to discharge myself before touching my T3.

[Nine]

Originally posted by PDA Bach
To be safe, whenever you discharge yourself make sure that the PDA isn't in a path where the electricity will flow through it. (Gee, I wonder if anyone will comment on that choice of words.)

Well, I think it's my duty to. I would have chosen the words 'forming a path' instead of 'in a path'.

[holvoetn]

Originally posted by Nine
Well, I think it's my duty to. I would have chosen the words 'forming a path' instead of 'in a path'.

Very good, Nine ... Back on Topic pls ?

Raspa,
normally, and I repeat, normally, PDAs are protected against static discharge. But as with every protection, there is always a certain level up to which it will withstand the 'attacks'.

If a lightning strike hits (also static discharge in case you were not aware yet), EVERYTHING gets fried 'in the traversing path towards ground'.

So again, normally you should be fine and especially since you still have the luck of owning a PDA with a metal case (Faraday cage ... does that ring any bell ?). I think this issue is a lot worse for the ones with plastic-based cases (regardless of the metal coating).

[raspabalsa]

Talk about a Blast from the Past..... Faraday cage.... I hadn't heard that term since my high school physics class, 20 years ago. But I understand how it works. However, back to my previous observations, on my T3 the case is connected to the mainboard, so it's not really a Faraday cage, right? I think, but I'm not sure (and please correct me if I'm wrong) that the Faraday cage must not make electrical contact with the devices inside. What do you think about this?

[holvoetn]

Originally posted by raspabalsa
Talk about a Blast from the Past..... Faraday cage.... I hadn't heard that term since my high school physics class, 20 years ago. But I understand how it works. However, back to my previous observations, on my T3 the case is connected to the mainboard, so it's not really a Faraday cage, right? I think, but I'm not sure (and please correct me if I'm wrong) that the Faraday cage must not make electrical contact with the devices inside. What do you think about this?

The point is everything is connected to this so everything stays at the same potential level.
And +5V from the battery will remain +5V and not all of a sudden -15KV due to the discharge.

[Nine]

Originally posted by holvoetn
Very good, Nine ... Back on Topic pls ?

Actually, I dont think I had strayed off-topic, there... <said Nine, only very slightly huffily> ...in that I would imagine that there would be more damage done to the PDA if it was actually forming the path (ie - being the only possible connection between the charge and the ground for the static electricity to flow through) rather than being part of the path (ie - held in one hand of a charged person when another hand or part of that person's body formed the ground)

[SmartMoose]

I think Palm got better at shielding their devices after the problems they had with SUDS (Sudden USB Death Syndrome) and the m505. Static electricity seemed be be the trigger - it certainly was with my old m505 - and they made some changes after that.

Both my old TT and T3 suffered a fair number of static discharges (god bless these dry midwestern winters), and both survived just fine.

[raspabalsa]

Thanks, SmartMoose. Although I hope I don't verify this by myself, it's good to know that T3s can survive static shocks.
However, I think about all the threads here and elsewhere about T3s suddenly and without explanation locking up, sometimes with weird screen patterns. Could this be an effect of static discharges?