What Is ESD?
ESD test is an immunity test in which the static charge accumulated in the human body or objects is discharged into the device in the laboratory. IEC 61000-4-2 defines both direct contact and air discharge methods.
Purpose of ESD
The purpose is to verify that the device does not lose its function or suffer permanent damage under static discharges that occur in the real use environment.
Which Products Is ESD Applied To?
- Electronic devices and control cards
- White goods and small household appliances
- Automotive electronics
- Medical devices
- Industrial automation equipment
In Which Sectors Is ESD Used?
Standards Related to ESD
- IEC 61000-4-2electrostatic discharge (ESD) immunity test
- CISPR 32emissions in multimedia devices test
- ISO 10605electrostatic discharge in vehicles test
- IEC 60601-1-2electromagnetic compatibility in medical electrical devices test
ESD Conditions
- Ejaculation type
- Contact discharge and air discharge
- Levels
- Levels 1–4 are defined in the standard; 2/4/6/8 kV for contact, 2/4/8/15 kV for air
- number of ejaculations
- Repeat each point and each polarity the number of times specified by the standard.
- Environment
- Relative humidity and temperature are kept within the standard-defined range
Equipment for ESD
- ESD simulator (discharge gun)
- Horizontal and vertical coupling plates
- Reference ground plane
- Monitoring and recording mechanism
Sample Requirements for ESD
- The sample must be in working order, in typical usage configuration
- All points accessible to the user are determined as test points
- Function monitoring method must be defined before testing
Duration of ESD
It depends on the number of test points; For a typical device it takes half to one business day.
ESD Procedure
- 1User-accessible points and coupling plates are determined.
- 2The device is operated in typical operating mode and monitoring is established.
- 3A defined level of discharge is applied to each point, in each polarity.
- 4Device behavior during and after ejaculation is recorded.
- 5The result is classified according to the performance criterion.
ESD Acceptance Criteria
The resulting performance criterion is evaluated as A, B or C: in A, the function continues without interruption, in B, there is a temporary deterioration and recovers spontaneously, in C, operator intervention is required. Which criteria are valid is stated in the product standard.
Evaluation of Results
Permanent damage, loss of data or loss of security functionality is non-compliance. Whether temporary deterioration is accepted depends on the product standard.
ESD Report
- Applied standard and level
- Test points and coupling layout
- Number of discharges and polarities
- Observed behavior and performance criteria
- Ambient conditions
Accreditation
EUROLAB holds internationally recognised accreditation obtained from accreditation bodies party to the IAF and ILAC multilateral recognition arrangements, under ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratory testing, ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection and surveillance, and ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO/IEC 17065 for system and product certification. This chain ensures the reports and certificates issued are accepted worldwide.
Whether this test can be offered within accredited scope depends on your product and the standard applied; since accreditation is method-based, the scope is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
Scope and authorisationsRelated Regulations
- EMC 2014/30/EU
- UNECE R10 (automotive)
- MDR 2017/745 (medical)
Aerospace Testing — What Does This Testing Field Cover?
The section below describes the field that the ESD test belongs to; the conditions and acceptance criteria of this particular test are given in the sections above. The scope specific to your product is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
Aerospace testing shows that equipment keeps working in the flight environment and provides evidence for the airworthiness file. In this family the acceptable probability of failure is several orders of magnitude lower than in other sectors; this directly determines the scope of testing and the certification burden.
The most distinctive feature of the field is TRACEABILITY. Which melt an aircraft part came from, in which heat treatment furnace and with which cycle it was processed, which operator made the weld and which inspector approved it are all recorded. The test report is one link in this chain; if the chain is broken, the report carries no value on its own.
Environmental qualification runs through RTCA DO-160, with categories selected according to the equipment's MOUNTING LOCATION in the aircraft. A device mounted on the cockpit panel and one mounted inside the wing pass the same section under different categories. When reading a DO-160 report it is therefore essential to know which sections were applied at which categories.
On the software and complex hardware side the approach changes entirely: the evidence is not testing but PROCESS ASSURANCE. DO-178C for software and DO-254 for complex electronic hardware define how the development process is to be run and which evidence is to be produced. Every step, from requirement to code, from testing of the code to coverage analysis, must be traceable. Testing software does not make it certifiable; the process record does.
A separate body of work applies on the material and special process side. AWS D17.1 is used for welding, SAE AMS 2750 for pyrometry in heat treatment and NAS 410 for non-destructive testing personnel. For special processes (heat treatment, coating, welding, NDT, bonding) NADCAP accreditation is effectively mandatory in the supply chain; without NADCAP it is not possible to sell parts to many OEMs.
On the quality system side the AS/EN 9100 series is used: 9100 for manufacturers, 9110 for maintenance organisations and 9120 for distributors. Without these certificates it is practically impossible to enter the aerospace supply chain, and audits are markedly more detailed than in other sectors.
Counterfeit part risk is a subject peculiar to the field. Separate standards and verification methods (visual inspection, X-ray, decapsulation and internal structure examination, XRF) are used to detect counterfeit or reworked parts in the electronic component supply chain.
Space applications add further layers: outgassing in vacuum, radiation tolerance, long-duration thermal vacuum cycling and assessment of single event effects.
Method groups in this field
Environmental qualification
RTCA DO-160 sections: temperature and altitude, vibration, shock, humidity, sand and dust, fungus, salt fog, fluid susceptibility, icing, lightning.
Electromagnetic
The EMC sections of DO-160; MIL-STD-461 and MIL-STD-704 power characteristics on military platforms.
Software and hardware assurance
DO-178C software life cycle and DO-254 hardware design assurance evidence; requirement traceability and coverage analysis.
Materials and welding
Welding qualification under AWS D17.1, mechanical testing of materials, metallography and non-destructive examination.
Special process control
SAE AMS 2750 pyrometry, coating and heat treatment process verification, preparation for NADCAP audits.
Space environment
Thermal vacuum cycling, outgassing, radiation tolerance and acoustic/vibration qualification.
Commonly confused in this field
- There is no such document as a "DO-160 certificate"; DO-160 is a test specification and its output is a qualification report.
- The selection of sections and categories comes from the customer's equipment specification; the laboratory cannot make that selection on its own.
- DO-178C and DO-254 cannot be satisfied by testing; the evidence is the traceability of the development process.
- An AS9100 certificate is not a product approval; it is a quality system certificate and part approval runs separately.
- For special processes, work carried out without NADCAP is not accepted in the supply chain even when it is technically correct.
- MIL-STD-810 and DO-160 are often confused: one is a military and the other a civil aviation specification, and their profiles differ.
Which decisions these results support
- Airworthiness and TSO/ETSO files
- Entry into the aerospace supply chain and supplier approval
- Special process approval and NADCAP preparation
- Determining the impact of a design change on qualification
- Managing counterfeit part risk and component verification
Related Tests
Frequently Asked Questions About ESD
What is the difference between contact and air discharge?
Contact discharge is applied directly to conductive surfaces and has high repeatability. Air discharge is done on insulating surfaces by bringing the probe closer and creating an arc; It is more sensitive to humidity and approach speed.
Why is automotive ESD testing different?
ISO 10605 is applied in automotive. Capacitance and discharge resistance values are defined differently than IEC 61000-4-2 to represent in-vehicle conditions.