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[on:]

Sorry, community. I got lost but I´m back again; WITH AN ORIGINAL UNO R3!.
I have handled digital ICs for years without problems. I know they are manufactured with protection diodes at each I/O. Is My Arduino that susceptible to electrstatic discharge? Do I really have to use a grounding belt? I dont think so because the foto shows a DUE in the palm of a hand! I CAN´T risk mine.

[Reply #1 on:]

Once chips are installed onto boards they become much less sensitive.
When handled as loose parts, its always a good idea to at least touch something metallic to dissipate any static you may have built up on yourself.
Especially in the winter months when heated air tends to be drier.

[Reply #2 on:]

Your arduino is as suceptable to electrostatic discharge as any CMOS chip.
That is to say avoid any obvious static application but don't worry about it too much.

[Reply #3 on:]

I dont think so because the foto shows a DUE in the palm of a hand!

How do you know that there isn't an anti-ESD strap on the wrist of the hand holding the board? 

[Reply #4 on:]

OK. Do You use one?
I´m going to make a case for MINE: Would You recommend plexiglass or Aluminium?

[Reply #5 on:]

I don't use a wrist strap, I've thought about it, it seems like a reasonable precaution. OTOH, I haven't killed one yet, I to try to touch some grounded object first, especially in the winter when the house is drier.

I've been using plexiglas, here is an example. Have built several of these, and no problems.

[Reply #6 on:]

I think I've only ever zapped one, which unfortunately had a non-socketed processor on it.

I usually touch my aluminium keyboard (on the Mac) before touching the processor board, just in case. I also handle it by the edges as much as I can.

[Reply #7 on:]

Thanks; As I said at the beginning, I´ve handled the whole family of 40 ( 4000 4011 4060 ), 45?? 74?????without ESD protection.  Never had problems;   ( Am I kucky? ). But MY Arduino HAS to be taken care of! Thanks, AGAIN.

[Reply #8 on:]

At home, I used to do all the standard hobbyist handling precautions (bulldog clip shorting all pins of a DIL package together whilst soldering, bare wire wrapped around the legs of FETs until assembled, working on a bare biscuit-tin lid...), but I'm fairly lax around assembled boards.
Handling SMD components like flat-packs and BGAs is tricky though!

Not so at work, where I (have to) wear a wrist strap at a bench, and a shoe strap if I have to go on the shop-floor.

[Reply #9 on:]

Sorry forYou! I have one but it makes me feel as though I´m in jail.

[Reply #10 on:]

My jail has a proper coffee bar and a very good restaurant.
And I don't wear a strap at all at my desk (i.e. 99.9% of the time)
And I get to go home at the end of the day.

[Reply #11 on:]

I did a complex design once with IDT's FCT logic family. Very fast switching & fast response times, but ESD sensitive. Definitely needed ground straps with those.  Had a lot of parts on the boards. ~80 SMD chips on a 16 layer board about 8" x 8" (maybe smaller), two boards mounted back to back on a copper plate for cooling, with high density flexprint connecter over the top to connect the two, and a high density flexprint to the backplane connector on each side. The FCT parts could get damaged on the board, the other parts seemed more durable.  Wish I could post a pic of that puppy.