TW202415144A - Electrostatic discharge measurement device and electrostatic discharge measurement method - Google Patents

Abstract

A electrostatic discharge (ESD) measurement method includes disposing an ESD measurement device at a predetermined position inside a chassis under test, separating a measurement probe of the ESD device and a predetermined plane in the chassis under test by a predetermined distance, applying an ESD pulse on the chassis under test so that the measurement probe measures an electromagnetic radiation field generated by the ESD pulse, receiving a measurement signal related to the electromagnetic radiation field from the measurement probe, and installing an electrostatic protection element and/or setting an electrostatic protection distance according to the measurement signal and the predetermined distance.

Description

Electrostatic discharge measurement device and electrostatic discharge measurement method

The present application relates to an electrostatic discharge measuring device and an electrostatic discharge measuring method, and in particular to an electrostatic discharge measuring device and an electrostatic discharge measuring method capable of measuring the electrostatic discharge of a chassis under test.

The impact of electrostatic discharge (ESD) on electronic products is not only that the electrostatic discharge current feeds into the victim product and may damage the victim product, but also that when electrostatic discharge occurs, the radiation noise generated by the discharge current may cause signal interference to the victim product. For example, according to the specifications defined by IEC 61000-4-2 or EN 61000-4-2 regulations, when ESD 4 kilovolt (kV) discharges, the product must be able to accept a discharge current of 15 amperes (A) within 1 nanosecond (ns), and the product must not have any system function abnormalities in order to meet the regulatory requirements.

At present, in the early stages of chassis development, the evaluation of ESD shielding effectiveness often relies on the experience of engineers. After checking the design drawings, they conduct visual discussions on the prototype chassis to evaluate possible ESD prevention countermeasures, but cannot perform actual ESD measurements.

The actual measurement and evaluation of the ESD protection performance of the chassis can only be performed after the hardware and software of the system-related circuit boards are installed. In this case, the evaluation of the ESD shielding performance of the chassis will be overly dependent on the experience of engineers, and will also fall into the dilemma of being forced to replace the early design with post-debugging. If the ESD protection capability of the chassis is not high enough, it will be necessary to face the difficulty of being forced to modify the original design.

The embodiment provides an electrostatic discharge measuring device, comprising a measuring probe and an adjusting device. The measuring probe comprises a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is used to measure an electromagnetic wave radiation field generated by an electrostatic discharge pulse, and the second end is used to output a measurement signal related to the electromagnetic wave radiation field. The adjusting device is used to move the measuring probe along a first reference axis.

Another embodiment provides an electrostatic discharge measurement method, comprising placing an electrostatic discharge measurement device at a predetermined position in a tested chassis; allowing a predetermined distance between a measurement probe of the electrostatic discharge measurement device and a predetermined plane in the tested chassis; applying an electrostatic discharge pulse to the tested chassis so that the measurement probe measures an electromagnetic wave radiation field generated by the electrostatic discharge pulse; receiving a measurement signal from the measurement probe, wherein the measurement signal is related to the electromagnetic wave radiation field; and installing an electrostatic discharge protection element and/or setting an electrostatic discharge protection distance based on the measurement signal and the predetermined distance.

In order to effectively reduce the above-mentioned difficulties, the embodiment provides a solution as follows. FIG. 1 is an oblique view of the electrostatic discharge measuring device 100 in the embodiment. FIG. 2 is an oblique view of the electrostatic discharge measuring device 100 in FIG. 1 from another angle. For example, FIG. 1 may be an oblique view viewed from above, and FIG. 2 may be an oblique view viewed from below. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of electrostatic discharge measurement using the electrostatic discharge measuring device 100 in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the electrostatic discharge measuring device 100 may include a measuring probe 110 and an adjusting device 120. The measuring probe 110 may include a first end 110A and a second end 110B, wherein the first end 110A may be used to measure the electromagnetic wave radiation field E1 generated by the electrostatic discharge pulse, and the second end 110B may be used to output a measurement signal S1 related to the electromagnetic wave radiation field E1. The adjusting device 120 may be used to move the measuring probe 110 along the first reference axis X1. For example, the measuring probe 110 may move forward and backward along the first reference axis X1.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , the adjustment device 120 may include a moving platform 122 and a probe holder 124. The moving platform 122 may be used to move along the first reference axis X1. The probe holder 124 may be fixed to the first side 122A of the moving platform 122 to fix the measuring probe 110. Therefore, when the moving platform 122 moves along the first reference axis X1, the measuring probe 110 may be driven to move along the first reference axis X1 through the probe holder 124, thereby adjusting the position of the measuring probe 110.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , the adjustment device 120 may further include an adjustment portion 126, a screw and a knob. The adjustment portion 126 may be disposed on the second side 122B of the moving platform 122 and include a first through hole H1. The screw 128 may pass through the first through hole H1 along the first reference axis X1 to be rotated so that the adjustment portion 126 and the moving platform 122 move along the first reference axis X1. The knob 129 may be connected to the screw 128 to rotate the screw 128.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , the adjustment portion 126 may further include at least one second through hole H2. The adjustment device 120 may further include at least one parallel pin 132, each of which may pass through the second through hole H2 along the first reference axis X1 to stabilize the adjustment portion 126 and the moving platform 122, so that the adjustment portion 126 and the moving platform 122 are more stable when moving along the first reference axis X1.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the adjustment device 120 may further include a fixing frame 134, a connector 135, and a magnetic base 136. The fixing frame 134 may be connected to the parallel pin 132, and includes a third through hole H3, wherein the screw 128 may pass through the third through hole H3 along the first reference axis X1. The connector 135 may be connected to the fixing frame 134. The magnetic base 136 may be connected to the connector 135, and is used to set the electrostatic discharge measurement device 100 at a predetermined position P1 (as shown in FIG. 3) through magnetic force.

In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the magnetic base 136 may include a base 136A and a control knob 136B. When the control knob 136B is turned to the first position, the base 136A may have a magnetic force, and when the control knob 136B is turned to the second position, the base 136A may not have a magnetic force, thereby facilitating the adjustment of the position of the electrostatic discharge measurement device 100. FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are merely examples. According to other embodiments, other appropriate methods (such as bolts or slide rails, etc.) may be used to adjust and fix the position of the electrostatic discharge measurement device 100.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , the adjustment device 120 may further include an adjustment block 137. The adjustment block 137 may be connected to the fixing frame 134 to adjust the moving platform 122 along a second reference axis X2 perpendicular to the first reference axis X1. For example, the adjustment block 137 may be used to move the moving platform 122 up and down, thereby moving the measuring probe 110 up and down. For example, the adjustment block 137 may have a bolt, and the bolt may be loosened first, and then the moving platform 122 may be adjusted to a suitable position along the second reference axis X2, and then the bolt may be tightened to fix the position of the moving platform 122.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the electrostatic discharge measuring device 100 may further include a telescopic probe 141 and a distance meter 142. The telescopic probe 141 is telescopic and includes a first end 141A and a second end 141B, wherein the first end 141A may be used to press against a predetermined plane F1 in the tested chassis C1 (as shown in FIG. 3). The distance meter 142 may be disposed on the first side 122A of the moving platform 122 and connected to the second end 141B of the telescopic probe 141, and the distance meter 142 may be used to measure the distance between the measuring probe rod 110 and the predetermined plane F1. For example, the first end 141A of the telescopic probe 141 may be pressed against the predetermined plane F1 in the tested case C1 to shorten the telescopic probe 141, the distance gauge 142 may be reset to zero, the moving platform 122 may be moved along the first reference axis X1 to move the measuring probe 110 further away from the predetermined plane F1, and then the distance gauge 142 may be read to know the distance the measuring probe 110 has been moved. In this way, the distance the measuring probe 110 has been moved may be controlled and known. For example, the distance gauge 142 may be a dial indicator, and its accuracy may be 0.01 millimeter (mm).

As shown in FIG. 3 , the electrostatic discharge measuring device 100 can be set at a predetermined position P1 in the tested case C1. The retractable probe 141 can be pressed against the predetermined plane F1 in the tested case C1, and then the adjustment button 129 can be adjusted to adjust the position of the measuring probe 110. For example, the predetermined position P1 can be located at the inner bottom of the tested case C1, and the predetermined plane F1 can be the inner wall of the tested case C1. An electrostatic discharge simulator 310 (e.g., an electrostatic discharge simulation gun) can be used to apply an electrostatic discharge pulse to generate an electromagnetic wave radiation field E1. For example, the electrostatic discharge pulse can be applied near an opening or a slit of the tested case C1. The measuring probe 110 of the electrostatic discharge measuring device 100 can transmit the measuring signal S1 to the oscilloscope 330 through the cable 320 according to the intensity of the electromagnetic wave radiation field E1. The user can read the measuring result on the oscilloscope 330. For example, the oscilloscope 330 can be placed in an isolation device 340 (such as a Faraday cage) to reduce the unexpected influence caused by the electromagnetic wave radiation field.

In the examples of FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, it is mentioned that the moving platform 122 can be moved along the first reference axis X1 (e.g., the front-back direction) and the second reference axis X2 (e.g., the up-down direction) to adjust the position of the measuring probe 110. However, this is only an example, and if an adjustment block is added, the moving platform 122 can be moved along the third reference axis (e.g., the left-right direction) to adjust the position of the measuring probe 110.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of an electrostatic discharge measurement method 400 in an implementation. When executing the electrostatic discharge measurement method 400, the electrostatic discharge measurement device 100 of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 may be used. As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 4, the electrostatic discharge measurement method 400 may include the following steps:

Step 410: placing the electrostatic discharge measuring device 100 at a predetermined position P1 in the tested chassis C1;

Step 420: A predetermined distance D1 is established between the measuring probe 110 of the electrostatic discharge measuring device 100 and a predetermined plane F1 in the tested chassis C1;

Step 430: applying an electrostatic discharge pulse to the tested chassis C1 so that the measuring probe 110 measures the electromagnetic wave radiation field E1 generated by the electrostatic discharge pulse;

Step 440: Receive a measurement signal S1 from the measurement probe 110, wherein the measurement signal S1 may be related to the electromagnetic wave radiation field E1; and

Step 450: Install an ESD protection element and/or set an ESD protection distance according to the measurement signal S1 and the predetermined distance D1.

For example, in step 420, the knob 129 in FIG. 1 may be rotated to adjust the position of the measuring probe 110 along the first reference axis X1 in a stepwise manner, and the adjustment distance of each step may be, for example, 1 mm.

According to an embodiment, in step 450, an ESD protection element may be installed and/or an ESD protection distance may be set according to the measurement signal S1, the predetermined distance D1, and the electrical characteristics of the device under test.

According to another embodiment, in step 450, an ESD protection element may be installed and/or an ESD protection distance may be set according to the measurement signal S1, the predetermined distance D1, and the pre-measured value of ESD of the device under test.

For example, if the device under test to be installed in the tested chassis C1 in the future includes a circuit board and electronic components mounted on the circuit board (such as a processor, a memory, a PCI Express bus card, and other components), then the electrostatic discharge protection component can be installed and/or the electrostatic discharge protection distance can be set according to the electrostatic discharge protection related electrical characteristics recorded in the relevant documents of the circuit board and the electronic components on the circuit board.

In addition, an electrostatic discharge protection element may be installed and/or an electrostatic discharge protection distance may be set based on a pre-measured electrostatic discharge value obtained by previously applying electrostatic discharge to the device under test.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of various positions of C1 in the tested chassis measured by the electrostatic discharge measuring device 100 and the electrostatic discharge measuring method 400 in an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, electrostatic discharge pulses can be applied multiple times near position P54, and multiple measurements can be performed to obtain the severity of the electrostatic discharge impact of positions P51 to P59 of C1 in the tested chassis. For example, it can be shown in Table 1: Position P59 Electrostatic discharge impact level: L0 Position P58 Electrostatic discharge impact level: L1 Position P57 Electrostatic discharge impact level: L2 Position P56 Electrostatic discharge impact level: L1 Position P55 Electrostatic discharge impact level: L2 Position P54 Electrostatic discharge impact level: L3 Position P53 Electrostatic discharge impact level: L0 Position P52 Electrostatic discharge impact level: L1 Position P51 Electrostatic discharge impact level: L2 Regarding the degree of influence of electrostatic discharge, L3＞L2＞L1＞L0 (Table 1)

Table 1 is only an example and does not limit the number of locations and results to be measured. Table 1 describes the degree of influence of electrostatic discharge on each location in the tested chassis C1, thereby helping users design the chassis and determine the location of electronic components in the chassis.

In summary, by using the above-mentioned electrostatic discharge measurement device 100 and electrostatic discharge measurement method 400, the impact of electrostatic discharge on various positions in the chassis can be measured in advance before the circuit board and electronic components are installed in the chassis. Therefore, accurate measurement data can be provided to help users design the chassis, determine the position of electronic components in the chassis, and design related electrostatic discharge protection devices, thereby improving the related design process of electrostatic discharge protection. The electrostatic discharge measurement device 100 and the electrostatic discharge measurement method 400 can also be helpful for applications such as artificial intelligence, 5G communication, 6G communication, edge computing, machine learning, Internet of Vehicles, Internet of Things, and cloud services. The above is only the preferred embodiment of the present invention. All equivalent changes and modifications made according to the scope of the patent application of the present invention shall fall within the scope of the present invention.

100: ESD measuring device 110: Measuring probe 110A, 141A: First end 110B, 141B: Second end 120: Adjustment device 122: Moving platform 122A: First side 122B: Second side 124: Probe holder 126: Adjustment unit 128: Screw 129: Knob 132: Parallel pin 134: Fixing bracket 135: Connector 136: Magnetic base 136A: Base 136B: Control knob 137: Adjustment block 141: Telescopic probe 142: Distance meter 310: ESD simulator 320: Cable 330: Oscilloscope 340: Isolation device 400: Electrostatic discharge measurement method 410 to 450: Steps C1: Chassis under test E1: Electromagnetic wave radiation field F1: Predetermined plane H1: First perforation H2: Second perforation H3: Third perforation P1: Predetermined position P51 to P59: Position S1: Measurement signal X1: First reference axis X2: Second reference axis

FIG. 1 is an oblique view of the electrostatic discharge measuring device in the embodiment. FIG. 2 is an oblique view of the electrostatic discharge measuring device in FIG. 1 from another angle. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of electrostatic discharge measurement using the electrostatic discharge measuring devices in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a flow chart of the electrostatic discharge measurement method in the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of each position in the tested chassis to be measured in the embodiment.

400: Electrostatic discharge measurement method

410 to 450: Steps

Claims (10)

An electrostatic discharge measuring device comprises: a measuring probe comprising a first end for measuring an electromagnetic wave radiation field generated by an electrostatic discharge pulse, and a second end for outputting a measurement signal related to the electromagnetic wave radiation field; and an adjusting device for moving the measuring probe along a first reference axis. The electrostatic discharge measuring device as described in claim 1, wherein the adjusting device comprises: a moving platform for moving along the first reference axis; and a probe fixing seat fixed to a first side of the moving platform for fixing the measuring probe. The electrostatic discharge measuring device as described in claim 2, wherein the adjusting device further comprises: an adjusting portion, disposed on a second side of the moving platform, comprising a first through hole; a screw, passing through the first through hole along the first reference axis, for being rotated to move the adjusting portion and the moving platform along the first reference axis; and a knob, connected to the screw, for rotating the screw. The electrostatic discharge measuring device as described in claim 3, wherein the adjusting portion further comprises a second through hole, and the moving device further comprises: A parallel pin passing through the second through hole along the first reference axis to stabilize the adjusting portion and the moving platform. The electrostatic discharge measuring device as described in claim 4, wherein the adjusting device further comprises: a fixing frame connected to the parallel pin, comprising a third through hole, wherein the screw passes through the third through hole along the first reference axis; a connecting member connected to the fixing frame; and a magnetic base connected to the connecting member, for setting the electrostatic discharge measuring device at a predetermined position through magnetic force. The electrostatic discharge measuring device as described in claim 4, wherein the adjusting device further comprises: An adjusting block connected to the fixing frame for adjusting the moving platform along a second reference axis perpendicular to the first reference axis. The electrostatic discharge measuring device as described in claim 2 further comprises: a telescopic probe, comprising a first end for pressing against a predetermined plane in a tested chassis, and a second end; and a distance meter, disposed on the first side of the moving platform and connected to the second end of the telescopic probe, the distance meter being used to measure the distance between the measuring probe and the predetermined plane. A method for measuring electrostatic discharge comprises: Placing an electrostatic discharge measuring device at a predetermined position in a tested chassis; Making a predetermined distance between a measuring probe of the electrostatic discharge measuring device and a predetermined plane in the tested chassis; Applying an electrostatic discharge pulse to the tested chassis so that the measuring probe measures an electromagnetic wave radiation field generated by the electrostatic discharge pulse; Receiving a measurement signal from the measuring probe, wherein the measurement signal is related to the electromagnetic wave radiation field; and Installing an electrostatic discharge protection element and/or setting an electrostatic discharge protection distance according to the measurement signal and the predetermined distance. The electrostatic discharge measurement method as described in claim 8, wherein the electrostatic discharge protection element is installed and/or the electrostatic discharge protection distance is set according to the measurement signal and the predetermined distance, comprising: Installing the electrostatic discharge protection element and/or setting the electrostatic discharge protection distance according to the measurement signal, the predetermined distance and an electrical characteristic of a device under test. The electrostatic discharge measurement method as described in claim 8, wherein the electrostatic discharge protection element is installed and/or the electrostatic discharge protection distance is set according to the measurement signal and the predetermined distance, comprising: Installing the electrostatic discharge protection element and/or setting the electrostatic discharge protection distance according to the measurement signal, the predetermined distance and a pre-measured value of electrostatic discharge.

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