Desco - Questions And Answers

Will magnets cause ESD damage. If so how close to the product does the magnet have to be to cause the damage. What would be the minimum unit of measure? - Anonymous, Melourne, FL

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Question: Can a strong magnetic field (like a magnet) induce ESD? Any relationship between magnetic fields and ESD? - Anonymous, Singapore

Answer: A strong magnetic field will not induce an ESD as long as both the magnetic source and the object under the fields presence are stationary. If the magnetic field fluctuates or the object moves across the field lines, a current will be induced (if the object is conductive). Enough exposure of an isolated conductor to a fluctuating magnetic field will induce a charge sufficient to become an ESD problem. Magnetic fields are also found from electromagnetic noise (EMI) and if not properly shielded can induce currents (charges) on isolated conductors. Some sources of EMI are PCs, ESD, transformers, fluorescent lighting, etc. Most likely these are insignificant sources in a normal working environment.

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