I find myself unfortunately in a bit of a 'static rich' environment, peculiar to the bone dry winter environment in Pretoria, South Africa, and am forced to first touch an adjacent PC chassis, before touching my FSBUS Panel.If I don't go through this procedure, the system 'senses' key events on various switches, and general havoc has been known to ensue.The FSBUS is powered from a discrete PC power supply, connected to the same AC source as my computers.The source of the static seems to be the plastic carpet protector on which the plastic wheels of my chair are running.Has anyone experienced this or similar?Can any electronics fundi please chime in with a suggestion?I'm willing to try anything short of wrecking the carpet!

When working with static sensitive components, technicians use a static strap. It's basically a velco wrist band that connects through a 1 meg resistor to a ground point on the work bench. Generally both the floor and work bench are covered with a conductive mats connected to the same ground point.You might try a similar set up. Perhaps start with just a wrist strap connecting through a resistor to FSBUS ground.Mikewww.mikesflightdeck.com

Aren't your devices grounded?Statics only add up on non grounded devices, check the grounding of your house.And ensure the grounding of your homemade panels.

Buy a antistatic carpet linked to the GND ... of course it's not very nice in a lounge ... :-)BOB

How attached are you to that carpet mat? I'd start by getting rid of that thing... those things can generate one heck of a wallop!

The static charge, or should I say discharge, is from a charge your body has built up. The worst is in the winter when little moisture is in the air. For example, walking on synthetic carpet with leather soled shoes isn't a good idea around electronic devices!!!! While I'm not 100% positive, the outputs of the AT power supply may not actually be tied to ground. The secondaries might be floating, and the terminals labeled GND are really the returns. Anti-static sprays are available, a humidifier would help and connect the AT secondary GND to the serial port GND.Gus

>connect the AT secondary GND to the serial port GND.>Thanks for all the suggestions, guys.I'm going to start with this one (quoted above), and take it from there. I had actually looked for a voltage between these points, but I suspect my meter provides a discharge path anyway.I'll then move on to 'joining' the carpet protector to the PC chassis, working on the notion that this will fulfill the role of my 'touch me first' step described in my first post.Thanks again.Brendon

>And ensure the grounding of your homemade panels.And this one of course.I didn't do this for fear of creating a earth loop, but it makes sense.CheersBrendon

Gentlemen,I have done the following:1) Confirmed that the AT secondary earth is continuous with the PSU Case, the PC case and the serial port ground.2) Connected all of my (aluminium) panel faces to one another and the PSU case.3) Connected the nasty carpet protector to the PC case via 1 MegOhm resistor.So far, so good.If this doesn't work I'll have to start flying naked, and attach any part of my anatomy not used for manipulating the controls to the PC case with a crocodile clip and a resistor.This way I probably won't feel the discomfort brought about by any residual static discharge.