How To Ground Anti-Static Mat

Suppose you are planning to work on setting up a personal computer by assembling it on your own – you should consider protecting yourself from electronic static discharge by using an antistatic mat. Let's learn how to ground antistatic mat in this article.

What Is An Antistatic Mat?

An antistatic mat, or also known as ground mat, is designed to decrease the chances of electrostatic discharge when you work with electrostatic sensitive devices. It contains a conductive material that absorbs static. An antistatic mat is mostly used by computer technicians when setting up or fixing a computer or electronic device. Placing the mat under the PC or a component sensitive to static electricity helps lessen the effects of electrostatic discharge. It can also protect sensitive electronic devices, like your CPU, graphics card, and motherboard, from being damaged by electric shock.

Grounding Antistatic Mat: Easy Steps

Here's a basic rundown on how to ground antistatic mat.

1. Take your antistatic mat, and place it on a flat surface where you will set up your PC.
   
2. Make sure that you place your antistatic mat correctly. The top surface, which is the static dissipative, is the one that is usually blue, gray, or green. The bottom surface of the mat is color black and with carbon. That is the reason why it should always face down.
   
3. Punch a hole either on the upper corner side or lower corner side of your antistatic mat. You may want to place it near the edge so that you can make use of the whole mat without any distractions from the wire that you will be installing on later.
   
4. Insert the washer into the whole and install the button or snap it in. Make sure that the button is at the top surface.
   
5. Snap one end of the cord, which has a button on the other button that you just installed on step 4.
   
6. Use the clip on the other end of the cord. Next is clip it onto your PC which is plugged into an electrical outlet (preferably on the metal part of your PC). Your PC will serve as the common point ground.

Since the mat is laid on top of the table, which serves as your conductor, it will slow down the static charge flow. The snap or washer will assign a path where the static will travel – through the cord, onto the mat, into the table, and will squander into the ground. An electrical socket can also serve as your grounding source as well.

Conclusion

Aside from antistatic mats, you can also use an antistatic wrist strap. It is often paired with an antistatic mat. An antistatic wrist strap is a safety gear worn on your wrist that also helps prevent static electricity from building up which may cause damage to your devices.