What are the challenges and opportunities of ESD in the era of IoT and 5G?

In the era of IoT and 5G, the challenges of ESD (Environmental Sustainable Development) revolve around managing the increased energy consumption and electronic waste generated by the proliferation of connected devices. However, there are also significant opportunities to leverage IoT and 5G technologies in promoting sustainable practices, such as smart energy management, environmental monitoring, and optimized resource utilization.

In the era of IoT and 5G, ESD poses significant challenges and opportunities. The miniaturization of IoT devices increases susceptibility to ESD, demanding advanced protection measures. The integration of 5G introduces higher frequencies, intensifying the risk of ESD-induced failures. However, addressing these challenges presents opportunities for innovation in ESD protection technologies, such as advanced packaging and materials. As the IoT ecosystem expands, there's a growing market for ESD protection solutions, creating business prospects. Collaborations between electronics manufacturers and ESD protection experts become crucial for developing reliable and resilient devices in this technologically dynamic landscape.

Follow these standards and guidelines recommended by ESD Association to prevent ESD damages: (1) ESD program guidance and requirements: ANSI ESD S20.20 – Standard for the Development of an ESD Control Program, IEC 61340-5-1 – Protection of electronic devices from electrostatic phenomena – General requirements, ANSI/ESD S8.1 – Symbols-ESD Awareness, and ANSI/ESD TR20.20 – ESD Handbook. (2) Requirements for specific products or procedures such as packaging requirements and grounding: ANSI/ESD S6.1 – Grounding and ANSI/ESD S541 – Packaging Materials. (3) Standardized test methods used to evaluate products and materials: ANSI/ESDA/JEDEC JS-001– Device Testing, Human Body Model.

You could always go old school ESD naked touching metal. More effective way is to wear and use a ton of stuff that prevents/keeps ESD to yourself for example ESD smocks ESD heel straps that are grounded to an ESD painted floor. ESD gloves and ESD tweezers to handle the components. You can ground your wrist to a working mat and table. If designing the PCB beefing up the ground planes to make them heavier helps but not always possible.

I used to think ESD was made up over kill just to sell ESD protective products. However after witnessing am LED blow from someone touching it I'm a believer. However most of my customers and the end user still don't have ESD flooring or protective tools while handling a circuit board. I know at least when it leaves my facility there was no ESD build up.