Some fundamental aspects of ESD testing

Transmission line and antenna views of electrostatic discharge (ESD) testing are presented. It is determined that positioning of an ESD gun's ground strap and the mechanical design of an ESD gun and ground strap affect the rise time of current injected into equipment during ESD testing. That rise time affects voltage induced in circuit loops, the dominant cause of ESD-induced upsets in fielded equipment. Ground strap positioning also affects the ESD-induced electromagnetic field in the interior of unshielded equipment, with closer positioning parallel to the gun rod reducing test severity.<>