Protektive Pak - Questions And Answers

If packaged modules are placed on a conductive foam where their connector leads are fully pressed on to it, would an antistatic foam on top of them be good enough protection or should they still need to be placed in a shielded bag? Wouldn't the conductive foam act as a shunt connector already, shorting all the pins? - Terry Villarba, Alhambra, CA

The answer to your question depends on the two things. One, the device sensitivity rating (HBM/CDM/MM) and two, the environment that the device is exposed to. If you have a class 0 item (sensitive to less than 250 volts) and the environment the packaged modules in foam are subjected to are not ESD safe to a class 0 rating, then shielding bags would be highly recommended. If the device has a component classification for HBM of class 3B (sensitive to voltages of or over 8 kV) then just shunting the packaged modules leads into conductive foam should be adequate protection when in an ESD safe area.

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