SAFETY FIRST

Whenever you’re working on any electronic equipment, your own safety has
to come first. Every electronic technician must always take safety precautions
before he or she starts work. Electricity must be handled properly, or else it can
injure or cause fatalities. Here are some basic steps that show you how to avoid
accidents from occurring.

1. Electrical Shock

Once you open up a set cover, you’re actually exposing yourself to the threat of
electric shock. Always keep in mind that safety has to come first.
A serious shock may stop your heart and if a large electric current flows through
your body, you will receive serious burns. Here are some rules, which should help
you to avoid electricity hazards:

a) Always turn off the equipment and unplug it before you begin to work.
b) If you have to run tests while the equipment is operating, turn the equipment on,
make your test carefully, and then turn the equipment off again.
c) Wear rubber bottom shoes or sneakers.
d) Try to do the work with one hand, while keeping the other in your pocket. That
keeps the possible current paths away from the heart.
e) Don’t attempt repair work when you are tired or rushed.
f) Always assume that all the parts in the power supply are “HOT”.
g) Use only plastic screwdriver for shock protection during service operation.

2. Discharging Switch Mode Power Supply (SMPS) Capacitors

Most SMPS have a resistor to drain the charge in the main filter capacitor. But
some resistors may fail and the capacitor can hold this charge even after you have
turned off the equipment. This capacitor has a range of about 150uf to 330uf at 400
working voltage.

Before you start to work on a power supply, always turn off the power and
discharge the capacitor. You can do this by placing a resistor across the two legs of
the capacitor. The resistor value can be around 2.2 to 4.7 kilo ohms 10watt. It takes
only a few seconds to fully discharge a capacitor. Double-check the capacitor with
a voltmeter after every discharge. I will cover more details in the capacitor topic on
how to discharge capacitors.

NOTE / WARNING:

Do not discharge capacitor with screwdriver because: -

i. It may melt the tip of the screwdriver.

ii. It will damage the capacitor and its terminal.
iii. If we are too near to the point of discharge, the heavy spark generated may
cause injury to our eyes.
3. Hot Ground Problem
Modern equipment consists of two grounds, one of which is a “hot” ground while
the other is a “cold” ground or earth ground. Hot ground is in the primary side of
a switch mode power supply while the cold ground is the equipment ground and
located in the secondary side. Both grounds are separated by the switch mode
transformer.
Be careful when taking voltage measurements around these grounds. For
example, if you want to check the primary circuit of a power supply with power
On, always ground your meter’s black probe to the hot ground (Main filter
capacitor negative side/lead)-see the above photo. If you want to check the
secondary side then connect the meter’s black probe to the cold ground.
If you measure the primary side DC voltage and the meter’s black probe you
connected to secondary side cold ground or if you measure the secondary side DC
voltage but the meter’s black probe you connected to primary side hot ground,
the result of voltage measurement might not be correct and it may destroy your
meter.
Note: More information about measuring DC voltage using a multi-meter will be
covered in the following chapter.
4. Isolation Transformer
When servicing any electronic equipment, always use an isolation transformer to
protect yourself from an electrical shock. During servicing, the isolation
transformer is connected between the equipment and ac power line. An isolation
transformer is a transformer that has a 1:1 turn ratio to provide the standard line
voltage at the secondary outlet. This means that it does not change the voltage.
The transformer still produces 230V AC at its outputs, but both sides of this AC
lines are independent of ground. If you were to accidentally touch one of these
outputs, you would be protected. The isolation transformer must be rated to
handle the power of any equipment connected to it. Typical ratings are 250 to
500W.If you go to Google Images and type “Isolation transformer schematic” you
would be able to see the diagram and how you can build one using two identity
linear transformers similar to the one below:
Note: A variable transformer or variacs is not an isolation transformer. If you
would like to use an oscilloscope to check on the primary side of the switch mode
power supply, an isolation transformer is a must otherwise connecting the scope
black probe to hot ground will cause the room ELCB to trip.

5. Discharging the Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) Anode

The CRT of a monitor and TV can hold a dangerous charge, even if the monitor
and TV have not been used for several days. All CRTs have graphite coating on the
internal and external surfaces of the glass bell. This conductive graphite coating is
commonly known as aquadag coating and it forms the two plates of a high
voltage filter capacitor using the glass in between as dielectric. The external
coating is always connected to the monitor and TV chassis ground by a spring
arrangement around the CRT. This high voltage filter capacitor has very low
leakage. Before removing a CRT, ensure that you discharge this capacitor in order
to prevent shocks or serious injuries.

Discharging a picture tube

6.High Voltage
Monitors and TVs have sections that use very highDC voltages. The high voltage
is needed for the CRT to attract the electron beam to the phosphor. This high
voltage could be as low as 12,000 volt in a monochrome monitor or as high as
30,000 volt in large colour monitor. Flyback Transformer is the part that is used to
generate the high voltage.
The high voltage circuit inside a monitor or TV can give you a dangerous electric
shock and causes you to jerk violently. You could cut yourself by accidentally
knocking a limb on the sharp chassis edges. Be familiar with the high voltage
circuits before you work on any high voltage equipment.
7.X-Radiation
An X-ray is a form of radiation produced when a beam of electrons strikes some
material at a relatively high speed. The only source of X-ray in a modern monitor
or TV is from the CRT. Prolonged exposure to X-rays can be harmful. However, the
CRT does not emit measurable X-rays if the high voltage is at the high voltage
adjustment value only. When high voltage is excessive, only then are X-rays
capable of penetrating the shell of the CRT, including the lead in glass material.
Test the brightness and use a high voltage probe to monitor the high voltage each
time a monitor or TV comes in for repair. When the brightness is raised, usually
the high voltage will go-down, and when brightness is reduced the high voltage
will go-up. When troubleshooting a monitor or TV with excessively high voltage,
avoid being unnecessarily close to the set. Do not operate the monitor or TV for
longer than it is necessary to locate the cause of excessive voltage. To ensure
continuous X-ray protection, replace the CRT with one that is of same or
equivalent type as the original.

8. Wearing Safety Goggles

If you would like to repair CRT TVs or Monitors then you need to wear a safety
goggle. The CRT has a complete vacuum inside. It must be handled carefully and
safely. Always wear goggles, to protect the eyes from flying glass, in the event of
an implosion when removing and old tube from the set and installing a
replacement. Do not lift the CRT by the neck; instead hold the CRT with both
hands on the heavy glass front of the tube. Also be sure to place the CRT facing
downwards on a soft surface.
 Typical Safety Goggles
9.Electrostatically Sensitive Devices (ESD)
Integrated circuits (IC) & some field-effect transistors are examples of ESD
devices. These components can be easily damaged by static electricity. There are
several techniques which can reduce the incidence of component damage, caused
by static electricity.
a) Immediately, before handling any ESD devices drain the electrostatic charge
from your body by touching a known earth ground.
b) Store ESD devices in conductive foam pad until installation in circuit.
c) Wear a grounding strap, attached to your wrist.