Sam Goldwasser wrote:

Eeyore writes:
gareth magennis wrote:
"orange" wrote in message

Is it safe to keep the CMOS chips (RAM) in plastic box?
if not, can it be modified to be safe somehow, I just don't have any
alternative..

Wrap some aluminium foil around a small piece of expanded polystyrene, then
you can just push the chips into the sandwich and keep the lot in a plastic
box. The foil shorts all the pins together so there can be no potential
difference between any.

Aluminium foil is a BAD idea. In the event that there is any appreciable charge
on a given pin, pushing it into aluminium foil will discharge it *quickly* and

And how would this occur?

Because the ali foil provides essentially a short circuit path.


the resulting current may kill it.

Always use high resistance material for storing ICs like the anyi-static black
foam material. This allows any charge to 'leak' away slowly and safely.

Aluminum foil is fine. The black stuff has a relatively low resistance
anyhow. Check it with an ohmmeter.

I have many times. You're plain wrong or using the wrong grade foam.

Graham