Week 4

The purpose of an antistatic wrist strap is to equalize the electrical charge between you and the equipment.

The antistatic wrist strap is a conductor that connects your body to the equipment that you are working on.

When static electricity builds up in your body, the connection made by the wrist strap to the equipment, or ground, channels the electricity through the wire that connects the strap.

The wrist strap has two parts and is easy to wear:

• Wrap the strap around your wrist and secure it using the snap or Velcro. The metal on the back of the wrist strap must remain in contact with your skin at all times.
• Snap the connector at the end of the wire to the wrist strap, and connect the other end either to the equipment or to the same grounding point that the antistatic mat is connected to.
• The metal skeleton of the case is a good place to connect the wire.
• When connecting the wire to equipment that you are working on, choose an unpainted metal surface. A painted surface does not conduct the electricity as well as unpainted metal.

An antistatic mat is slightly conductive. It works by drawing static electricity away from a component and transferring it safely from equipment to a grounding point:

• Lay the mat on the workspace next to or under the computer case.
• Clip the mat to the case to provide a grounded surface on which you can place parts as you remove them from the system.

Screws

Match each screw with the proper screwdriver. Place the tip of the screwdriver on the head of the screw. Turn the screwdriver clockwise to tighten the screw and counter clockwise to loosen the screw.

Screws can become stripped if you over-tighten them with a screwdriver. A stripped screw, may get stuck in the screw hole, or it may not tighten firmly.

Flat head screwdriver

Use a flat head screwdriver when you are working with a slotted screw.

Do not use a flathead screwdriver to remove a Phillips head screw. Never use a screwdriver as a pry bar.

If you cannot remove a component, check to see if there is a clip or latch that is securing the component in place.

Phillips head screwdriver

Use a Phillips head screwdriver with crosshead screws. Do not use this type of screwdriver to puncture anything. This will damage the head of the screwdriver.

CAUTION: If excessive force is needed to remove or add a component, something is probably wrong. Take a second look to make sure that you have not missed a screw or a locking clip that is holding the component in place. Refer to the device manual or diagram for additional information.

Hex driver

Use a hex driver to loosen and tighten bolts that have a hexagonal (six-sided) head.

Hex bolts should not be over-tightened because the threads of the bolts can be stripped.

Do not use a hex driver that is too large for the bolt that you are using.

CAUTION: Some tools are magnetized. When working around electronic devices, be sure that the tools you are using have not been magnetized. Magnetic fields can be harmful to data stored on magnetic media. Test your tool by touching the tool with a screw. If the screw is attracted to the tool, do not use the tool.

Part retriever, Needle-nose pliers, or tweezers

The part retriever, needle-nose pliers, and tweezers can be used to place and retrieve parts that may be hard to reach with your fingers. Do not scratch or hit any components when using these tools.

CAUTION: Pencils should not be used inside the computer to change the setting of switches or to pry off jumpers. The pencil lead can act as a conductor and may damage the computer components.