🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Dec10.001559.1608@miavx2.ham.muohio.edu> tgkreimer@miavx2.ham.muohio.edu (Tom Kreimer) writes:

>Essentially, the operator would zap the metal lap
>drawer under the laminated wood desk, and the keyboard, directly above the
>drawer, would lock up. The monitor screen would also jump slightly, and the
>computer would beep (probably related to the keyboard lock up. The CPU case
>is back and to the left of the keyboard). Re-plugging the keyboard would
>clear the problem, but how was it being affected? The desk drawer is
>totally isolated from other metal parts of the desk and cables. 

All you need to do to solve the computer's problem is ground the drawer by
running a wire (any type) from a screw in it's metal to the coverplate screw
on any grounded AC recepticle.

However, this will probably worsen the operator's problem:  getting
zapped. Spray for the carpet and anti-statick devices will dissipate
the charge slowly before it builds up to the "big zap" point.  The
above solution will dissipate the big zap quickly, as your operators
will tell you.

I've always seen anti-static mats with a large (1 to 10 megohm)
resistor in series with the ground source.  You can buy a resistor for
about $0.50 at radio shack, connect one wire to the plug screw and one
to the wire to the drawer screw.  This may (comments from others,
please?) more slowly  dissipate the charge, but is not necessary, at
least for the hardware's sake.