Is it necessary to have insulator sheets between PCBs and antistatic mats

antistaticsafety

I am recommended to use some insulator or paper sheets when testing PCBs on antistatic mat connected to ground via antistatic wrist band. Is this correct way. Why is it necessary to have insulator sheets in between?

Best Answer

A decent quality rubber antistatic mat will have a low end top surface conductivity of \$ 10M \Omega \$. Working with an audio circuit where the highest impedance is a \$100k\Omega\$? You'll never have a problem. Working with a \$10M\Omega\$ pH sensor? Leakage will cause you problems. This is a question that needs to be answered on a project by project basis, based off the circuit and antistatic mat.