PCM-2s

[Gary Masters <gmasters@csn.net>]

I've gotten many responses regarding PCM-2 failure associated with static 
discharge.  They've ranged from "couldn't happen" to "we've seen that 
too."  Several people have expressed an interest in additional 
information.  I've included all that I know a couple of paragraphs down.

The most interesting response was from Michelle Johnson at Battelle
Northwest.
> During PNNL's evaluation, the PCM-2s did not respond to the static
> discharges except when 15 kV charges were discharged to the internal
> keyboard.  The result for static discharges to the keyboard were that
> the PCM-2 rebooted and, eventually, the keyboard got fried.  Nothing
> else was damaged.  There was no damage to the PCM-2 from static
> discharges to the detectors. 


The particulars of our failure are...
 -The Radiation Worker felt a static discharge when she inserted her TLD 
into the barcode reader on the PCM-2.  She felt the discharge from a 
finger that was below the TLD as it was inserted.
 -The PCM-2 then went into "Out of Service" mode.
 -When the Radiation Instrument Technicians investigated they found that
the front keypad wouldn't accept input.  (Our instrument technicians tell
me that the front keypad shares an interface board with the internal
keyboard.)


Although we are not sure how much static potential was involved, we do 
have a significant static problem in our radiological areas.  This is due 
to the dryness at our elevation, the poly-cotton blend surgical scrubs we 
wear in radiological buffer areas, the air flows we maintain, etc.



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  * Gary Masters                                 Phone (303) 966-3266 *
  * Radiological Engineering                       Fax (303) 966-8459 *
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