anti-static foam?

Try skip raiding, there used to be a HD refurb co near where I live that dumped sheets of cardboard backed anti-static foam by the skip load. If you find a suitable factory the skip should contain plentiful anti-static bags and usually some foam as well.

You don't want "anti-static" foam, you want "conductive foam".

Jaycar, Altronics, Farnell, and RS all have it, so what's the issue?

Dave :)

"Pink" foam is useles for storing IC's. So are the pink "anti-static" and "static-dissipitive" bags.

Dave :)

Where did I mention ANYTHING pink?!

Places like DSE and Jarcar may carry it

David

Sim> Hi all

Oops, sorry, I've had pink foam on the mind all day long... Right now I'm measuring the vibration transfer function of pink foam, exciting stuff...

My point is the same though. Any form of "Anti-static" foam is useless for storing IC's, you've got to use the conductive stuff.

Dave :)

just wrap them in alfoil

What actually damages the chips is the current spike as the electrostatic charge is suddenly discharged - which is what happens if they are put into contact with aluminium foil without any other precautions!

Foil protection is fine if the ESC is discharged before wrapping the pins, a handy trick is to breathe on the chip just as you would breathe on a pair of spectacles before polishing the lenses with a handkerchief - the moisture in the breath dissipates the charge safely.

Good idea, here in 70% plus humidity country, the only time I can get a good static charge is by pulling sticky tape off the roll.

here where it's often much lower humidity I was able to get a static discharge by handling a certain smartcard... (skin to plastic friction), the card in question was already dead, and now I think I know how!

Bye. Jasen

This stuff is expensive in Australia at the usual haunts.

you could try:

but I have never priced it there.

or in the US:

at what appears to be good prices.

If you follow through, please let me know how you get on, as I may need some in future. Don...

In case you still need the "foam" to hold your IC's, try Jaycar Electronics. Dick Smith might sell the stuff and also Altronics or one of it's re-sellers. Dick Smith Electronics also sell anti-static bags. I always keep the anti-static bags when I buy add-on cards, RAM etc for my PC. The bags are usually marked as such.

Good luck, Boozo.