Author Topic: Static Discharge.... (Read 745 times)

SKurj · « **on:** February 24, 2003, 11:25:48 AM »

Heyas

I am on my second joystick in 2 weeks due to static discharge frying some of the buttons! Its a USB stick...

Humidity is low in the pc room, and there is nothing I can do about that until spring...

ANyone have any suggestions how i can avoid this problem in the future..

Do these static discharges to the stick run the risk of damaging my pc?

SKurj

Mini D · « **Reply #1 on:** February 24, 2003, 11:37:55 AM »

Any static discharge into your pc invites the opportunity for problems.

What kind of stick is it that you are having these problems with?

About the only real solution I could think of would be to get a static guard wristband and wear that when using the Joystick.

MiniD

pugg666 · « **Reply #2 on:** February 24, 2003, 11:45:41 AM »

I don't see how it's possible that you are zinging the buttons with ESD, let alone any part of your stick.

I mean the switches themselves are simply spring actuated connections(not really affected by ESD), and any electronic components in the stick are pretty much shielded from direct contact or even close contact. I think your problem is something else.

Mini D · « **Reply #3 on:** February 24, 2003, 11:57:04 AM »

Pug, if the plastic has enough conductive components in it then it is very possible. If he sees a spark go from his finger to the stick followed by inoperability, I'd also say that's a clear sign.

I've seen static discharge through plastic materials actually blow pieces of the plastic off... or cause melting.

MiniD

pugg666 · « **Reply #4 on:** February 24, 2003, 12:16:37 PM »

i've seen the samething at work Mini, i'm just surprised that it's affecting the least suseptible (SP?) component on the stick.

Skurj is it only affecting the buttons or is anything else happening?

Mini D · « **Reply #5 on:** February 24, 2003, 12:57:16 PM »

Most likely its just frying a controller that affects some of the bottons.

MiniD

capt. apathy · « **Reply #6 on:** February 24, 2003, 01:16:12 PM »

or you could go spend $15 bucks and buy a humidifier for the room.

bring the humidity up to a reasonable level and static will go away.

plus if you raise the humidity the room will feel warmer saving you money on heat.

SKurj · « **Reply #7 on:** February 24, 2003, 06:53:13 PM »

just the 4 buttons, on the stick, Saitek Cyborg. The hat switch survives as do the rest of the buttons..

When the spark happens the PC loses the stick momentarily, and would work fine until the last one...

SKurj

beet1e · « **Reply #8 on:** February 24, 2003, 07:36:19 PM »

Stand your case on a different type of carpet - worked for me.

But seriously - a Q for Skurj: What kind of plug is on the end of your PC power cord - 3 pin or 2 pin?

GunnerCAF · « **Reply #9 on:** February 24, 2003, 10:02:20 PM »

I would suggest a humidifier to stop the esd. You could also try different footware. Touch something grounded before you touch your joystick to bleed off any static. Maybe something like this may help, I have never used one, but the price seems right:

http://www.antistaticpad.com/

If you touch the pad first, it should bleed off any static.

Good luck,

Gunner

Mini D · « **Reply #10 on:** February 24, 2003, 10:07:39 PM »

It sounds like its frying one of your controllers in the Joystick (or an in-line component to the controller).

Regardless... the static is the problem. Grounding the base of the PC is not always going to help if you don't adress the fact that you're usually going to be at a different potential. If you touch the joystick first, you're going to discharge that difference through the joystick.

The humidifier suggestion was pretty good. A wrist strap would work too. Or... just touch your PC case before you play (should be a more robust path to ground there). Its hard to remember to do it though... and its always the time you forget that is the absolute worst static buildup day of the year.

Another option might be to attatch a grounding clip to your joystick base. Dunno how well it would work, but it wouldn't do any harm.

Other than that... try a different type of joystick. They all won't have the same type of plastics. Some might be more/less susseptible to static issues.

MiniD

SKurj · « **Reply #11 on:** February 25, 2003, 09:10:48 AM »

PC has a 3 pinned plug, you know.. the kind with a ground...

Don't think I ever saw one with a 2 pin..

I also have noticed the shock only comes from the stick.. Like if I yough my steering wheel, monitor, keyboard there maybe no shock.. and then as soon as I touch the stick ... pop

Anyways!! I can't even afford the $15 fer a vaporizer atm, but for now I have added a length of wire. Attached one end to a ground, and then taped the other end under my desk. When I sit down, I touch that wire as I touch the stick..

SKurj

Seeker · « **Reply #12 on:** February 25, 2003, 09:23:38 AM »

I've had this at work with Palm users.

In our case the cure was to remove the platic mat they all have under the desks to protect the office carpet from office chair wheel marks.

It was cheaper to promise them a new carpet every two years than it was to keep going out to the same offices, re-image the machine, re install the Palm and so on...

Or you could fly naked with your feet in a bucket of water....

beet1e · « **Reply #13 on:** February 25, 2003, 02:33:04 PM »

Skurj - rgr that. I just touch my PC case when I sit down. Never had any problems although it has to be said conditions here are generally much more humid.

I think that electric shock you get is triggered by code in AH which Hitech and Skuzzy have put in. It was intended to administer a shock to any LA7 pilot landing with fewer than 4 kills, but the code was untested, and AH pilots are being shocked at random.

capt. apathy · « **Reply #14 on:** February 25, 2003, 03:37:15 PM »

if you can't afford the humidifier just put a pan of water on to boil a couple times a day.

don't let it run dry though;)