5 ms·
You need about 24 volts to overcome the skins resistance. Most PCs use some combination of 3, 5, and 12 volt rails so you should be fine, as long as you avoid l
by itsyaboi 4y ago
You need about 24 volts to overcome the skins resistance. Most PCs use some combination of 3, 5, and 12 volt rails so you should be fine, as long as you avoid licking anything.
Edit: Some PSUs have -12 +12 rails, I suppose if you were really unlucky and grabbed both at once the 24v differential could give you a zap.
- SV_BubbleTime 4y agoTypical recommendation for DRY skin is ~50V. You can wet your fingers and get way lower, but I’ve never had anything much at 24V even when trying. At that low a voltage it may come down to frequency of the source. Obviously your tongue gets way lower, as is 9V lickers know already.
- itsyaboi 4y agoLicking 9V batteries should be a rite of passage for EE majors. That and playing capacitor hot potato.
- AlexandrB 4y agoThe -12v rails are typically low current though. The real danger is a poorly built supply or an electrolytic capacitor exploding in your face (had this happen once). Incidentally, does anyone know what the -12v rails are used for? Some kind of reference?
- aaronmdjones 4y agoIf memory serves, the -12V rail is useful for onboard audio op-amps.
- Gibbon1 4y agoRS-232 drivers like the old MC1488 were run off plus and minus 12 volt supplies. DRAMS like the MK4116 also required a low current -5V bias supply. And there were other chips that possibly needed a -5V supply. Since the -5V was low current you could generate it off the -12V with a simple linear regulator.