So.. now that the dryer seasons are here.. it will help all yooz computin' types to know...
Static electricity can be fun, as in *Plasma* globes..
Or.. it can be lethal.. as in *Lightning* bolts..
Lightning can get into your house by way of rooftop antennas, or through the household electrical system. *Especially* if you don't have a lightning rod, or proper circuit grounding. One of the *main* ways to prevent lighting from getting to your *computer* .. is by using a device called a UPS, also known as an uninterruptible power supply. Commonly sold in all big box stores or medium to large computer stores. Some hardware stores carry them as well.
A power strip will only protect you from surges and line noise that comes from your electric company. A UPS will do that.. as well as blocking lightning from getting to your computer, and maintain your computer's power in the event of a blackout or brownout (power sag). A UPS will keep your computer up for about 5 to 10 minutes for the small units; long enough for you to safely save your work/files and shut down when you want to, not *suddenly* when your power goes out. Lightning can strike right outside you window.. and your computer will not even flicker.
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Now .. as for the smaller scale static electricity.. Lightning is HUGE for us.. and so too is small scale static electricity to your computer and primarily its chip components .. such as.. the main processor/CPU, RAM, video cards, and hard drives. The dielectric (insulating/non-conducting) layers in chips are at risk of having holes *punched* through them by static electricity. As well, static electricity can bridge 2 or more conducting legs of the chips, and thereby block signals from going in and out. Thus, freezing up printing or other functions. And printers *by themselves* can have their chips affected in the same way.
Computers and attached devices can be protected from lightning externally. But they still need *internal* protection from small scale static electricity .. by you, using preventative measures.
Something as simple as grounding yourself with your finger, or a metal pen, or car key to a metal object, like a table leg. The reason it is recommended to use a car key or a pen, or even a paper clip.. is because sometimes.. that static discharge can actually be *painful*. The dryer it is, more so the chance of a discharge that you can feel.. on the upper end of the scale.. I have felt discharges to be as painful as a *bee sting*!
Another helpful item for anti-static measures .. anti-static pads that you can place underneath your computer keyboard. When you sit down.. touch the pad before you touch your computer keyboard. Because .. if not, there's a good chance that static can get into your keyboard, travel through the connecting cord, and give a very rude, *static discharge* *hello* to your computer's motherboard.
And.. if your computer is sitting on a carpeted floor.. *very bad* .. most often, carpets are made of synthetic material/something related to plastic/nylon/vinyl, etc. And these can build up and store static electricity. And pass it right through the computer case.. again.. and on into your computer's *expensive* components/chips. So,. you need to break that carpet-computer connection. By either raising the computer to the desktop, into a ventilated cabinet, or place a piece of wood or other anti-static mat underneath your computer, in order to break that connection between the synthetic carpet and the computer.
Another helpful practice.. which may be unavoidable.. yet helpful to anti-static wars.. and.. it has been said.. also helpful to your bod.. wear *natural* clothing (with the exception of wool types).. instead of synthetic.
Welp .. that's it for this session.
Til next time.. when i'll be *briefly* covering the new hard drive tech that's all the rage, and leaving old electromechanical drives behind.. because they are SO much *faster* .. SSD's!!!
This is your ol' computin' pal.. Ol' Doc CPU sayin'
Don't just calculate.. Compute! It's just so much more fun!
;-)
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