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Chasis grounds?

N

Nalif

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jan 12, 2005
Messages
223
This is probably a stupid question, but I'm looking into getting my computer powder coated. I've gotten a quote from this guy, and he said "You'll just need to show us where the chassis grounds are so we can mask them off. Powder coating is non-conductive." What are the chassis grounds, and where are they located :confused: ?
 
They are where ever you say they are. Typically all of the components ground to the PSU through the various points that they connect at. Each of the motherboards mounting points ground the motherboard to the chassis. The HDDs and DVD ground to the drive mounts, etc.

Now it is up to you to decide which of these points you want to be exposed. I know that every component also grounds through the cabling as well. Most of the acrylic cases out there don't provide grounding through the frame so you can probably get away without using any. I would want some though.
 
Now I'm even more confused. If I want the motherboard to be grounded, I have to tell him to not powder coat the motherboard area? I don't understand.

EDIT: The motherboard is the only chasis grounding I need to worry about, right? And the mobo is grounded through the little stand off pegs, right? So I would need to tell him to not powder coat the holes that the stand-offs screw into?

Any idea how the CS Scout case does it's grounding? The entire inside is powder coated.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119196
 
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You don't really need to worry about case grounding. All your hardware components will be grounded through the PSU, so it isn't really critical.
 
I would tell them not to powder coat in the various motherboard standoff holes for the simple fact that it might be harder to screw the standoffs in again.
 
Zero82z said:
You don't really need to worry about case grounding. All your hardware components will be grounded through the PSU, so it isn't really critical.
Click to expand...

Cool. I kinda thought this might be a non-issue, because every powder coated PC I've seen out there, the entire insides, including the motherboard area, have been powder coated.

I would tell them not to powder coat in the various motherboard standoff holes for the simple fact that it might be harder to screw the standoffs in again.
Click to expand...

I've ready in various work-logs that after powder coating, screws are a snug but still fit. I'm going to talk to this guy further and see what he knows about powder coating and screws and what not.
 
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Zero82z said:
You don't really need to worry about case grounding. All your hardware components will be grounded through the PSU, so it isn't really critical.
Click to expand...

While it is true that the components are grounded through the wiring this does little to protect the system from EMI and static electricity when you reach in to remove a video card, plug in a cable, etc.

Personally I would request that the motherboard standoff holes be covered and at least one location be left clear for grounding the PSU to the case (one PSU screw hole in the case, for example).

Most people have had components quit working on them for an unknown reason and usually it is due to EMI or static electricity. It doesn't take much. An ungrounded chassis provides zero protection.

Just my $.02
 
Shadowspawn said:
Most people have had components quit working on them for an unknown reason and usually it is due to EMI or static electricity.
Click to expand...

Do you have a link to a reference I can read that describes how Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) can damage a computer component?
 
MrF said:
Do you have a link to a reference I can read that describes how Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) can damage a computer component?
Click to expand...

Rip all the choke coils and bypass capacitors off your motherboard. :p Or better your power supply.

EMI only causes noise, which all components already expect to handle. Often using ferrite beads and decoupling.
 
If I just have the powder coater guy coat everything, and then use a screw tap on the mobo/power supply screw holes, that should be fine, right? I'm still trying to figure this out.
 
Nalif said:
If I just have the powder coater guy coat everything, and then use a screw tap on the mobo/power supply screw holes, that should be fine, right? I'm still trying to figure this out.
Click to expand...

The case does not need to be grounded.
As long as you know this and do not expect to be grounded when you touch the case.
 
Don't worry about EMI and grounding, theres cases made of Plexiglass and they don't have any problems with either.
 
desolatordan said:
MrF said:
Do you have a link to a reference I can read that describes how Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) can damage a computer component?
Click to expand...

Rip all the choke coils and bypass capacitors off your motherboard. :p Or better your power supply.

EMI only causes noise, which all components already expect to handle. Often using ferrite beads and decoupling.
Click to expand...
That was really a rhetorical question.:)
 
MrF said:
The case does not need to be grounded.
As long as you know this and do not expect to be grounded when you touch the case.
Click to expand...

Doesn't that mean I'd have to treat the case just like it were a bare video card or something? If the case were hit with static, wouldn't it possibly short out a component? Sorry for sounding dense, I really don't know much about this stuff.
 
Nalif said:
Doesn't that mean I'd have to treat the case just like it were a bare video card or something? If the case were hit with static, wouldn't it possibly short out a component? Sorry for sounding dense, I really don't know much about this stuff.
Click to expand...
Static charges build up in your body, and when you touch electronic components, the built-up charge can release into them and cause damage. When you touch the bare metal of a computer case, you are discharging your static buildup into the ground so there won't be any chance of you damaging something. When you powder-coat the case, you won't be able to touch it to ground yourself, so you'll need to find something else to ground yourself on when you work inside the PC.
 
Nalif said:
Doesn't that mean I'd have to treat the case just like it were a bare video card or something? If the case were hit with static, wouldn't it possibly short out a component?
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, there are a lot of misconceptions about ESD. All the myths on ESD and Ground are scary.

If your case is isolated with the coating, which is the whole purpose of this thread if I am not mistaken, it should not be able to be hit with ESD then, should it?

Even if the case contains charge, it will gradually discharge through the coating to your PSU body. The coating not being conductive does not mean that it has an infinite resistivity. It only means that it has a high resistance.
 
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