EMIT - Questions And Answers

We have problems with the continuous monitors consistently going off without anyone even connected to them. What is causing this problem? They seem to sound the audible alarm with someone just touching the bench they are on. - Anonymous, Boulder, CO

There are a few things that I would like you to check first. One, make sure there is a good ground where the power of the unit is plugged into since this unit also monitors ground relative to the hot and neutral lines. Two, check the ground connection to the ESD bench mat that you are monitoring (from power/earth ground to the common point ground on the mat). Three, check the connection of the common point ground snap to the mat, if a multi-layered mat, make sure the snap is well secured into the conductive scrim layer (also check that the rivet or screw holding the snap to the mat is not loose). Four, make sure that the mat you are monitoring has an RTG of less than 5x10^8 ohms. At or over this resistance, the monitor will go into an alarm state. When the mat doesn’t have a good path to ground the monitor will always alarm.

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