GamersNexus Modmat Instruction Manual
GamersNexus Modmat Instructions & Safety Card
Thank you for purchasing the GamersNexus Anti-Static Modmat! This instructions guide
will explain how to properly connect and use the included USA Common Ground Point
& Ring Terminal, used to reduce the risk of ESD (electrostatic discharge) to PC
components. Please follow this safety & usage guide carefully. Failure to follow included
safety guidelines can result in electric shock, fire, or severe injury. There are some notes
on non-USA usage in this sheet, for customers located outside of the USA. You can
All of these parts will be included with your GN Modmat:
Step 1: Attach Banana Plug to
Ground Point
Our included Anti-Static Wrist Strap
terminates in a banana plug. Wrist straps
commonly ship with “alligator” clips on
the end, but these can be removed by
light force to pull the alligator clip off of
the banana plug. If an alligator clip is on
the end of your wrist strap, remove the
alligator clip by hand to expose the
banana plug. This banana plug can be
inserted into a banana plug receptacle.
The included Common Ground Point,
illustrated in our Terminology Definition
section above, has banana plug
receptacles. You may use either one or
both, as this allows you to connect
multiple wrist bands or grounding wires
at once (e.g. for two system builders).
Step 2: Attach Ground Point to
Modmat Snap
The first generation GamersNexus Anti-
Static Modmat includes a 10mm female
snap socket in one corner. The Ground
Point can attach to the metal socket,
illustrated above, by simply lining-up the
socket and stud, then snapping them
together. Apply force from both sides of
the mat. If you need to remove the
Ground Point, simply lift up on the
Ground Point to separate it from the mat.
This will help ground the work surface
and all attached devices to help protect
against ESD (electro-static discharge).
Step 3: Attach Ring Terminal to
Ground Location (USA)
At this stage, you can connect the ring
terminal to the grounding location. For a
standard US outlet, assuming a correctly
wired building, you may connect the
Ring Terminal from the Ground Point
cable to a “green wire” grounding point.
Attach the ring terminal to the central
screw in a US standard 110VAC
outlet. The ring terminal should be on
the ‘outside’of the outlet faceplate;
remove the screw, mount the ring
terminal, and re-insert the screw into its
socket. We have found that this is more
effective than grounding via the third
ground pin on a plug. Not all outlets
ground the central screw. Please test or
research your outlet to understand its
grounding configuration. Failure to
properly use the terminal ring, and
failure to research the grounding
location’s wiring, could result in lack of
grounding. Connecting the ring terminal
to an incorrect plug or pin in an outlet
(e.g. hot plugs) could result in electric
shock, fire, and/or severe injury.
WARNING: DO NOT CONNECT
OR FORM CONTACT BETWEEN
THE RING TERMINAL AND A
HOT PLUG OR PIN. DO NOT
CONNECT RING TERMINAL TO
ANY PIN THAT YOU DON’T
UNDERSTAND.
NOTE: Usage Without
Terminating at an Outlet (e.g. Non-
US Usage)
Although less effective, you could also
plug a PC power supply straight into the
wall (without the ground point attached
and with the PSU switch off), then tape
the ground point to the external PSU
shell, or seat the ground point
underneath the PSU shell. Painted shells
won’t work as well as exposed metal
(e.g. grounding to a steel chassis that
already has an installed PSU, via
taping the ring terminal to the case or
using a screw to hold it in place), but
this will provide some level of assurance
while offering a secondary grounding
method, and one which does not require
wall receptacle direct connection.
Further, if you are located outside of
the USA, we would encourage seeking
grounding adapters for your wall outlets.
These can typically be purchased for a
few dollars, but you must do research for
your region. Here is an example of a UK
ground adapter, sold by PC Valet.
GamersNexus, LLC has no affiliation
with PC Valet nor this product. You
must buy these separately, and must
research the safety and usage
instructions of such products
independently.
In a use case such as this, you would
attach the ring terminal to one of the
ground standoffs above, then use the
washer to secure it in place. Other
countries have similar products. Again,
these are not needed; you could use a
screw to mount the ring terminal to a
location on your case, then install a
power supply (PSU) and connect that to
the wall, with the PSU power switch
toggled off.
If you are having trouble figuring out
how to ground your device, there are
many ways to do it (in all regions).
Please contact our support team for
GENERAL SAFETY
WARNINGS
Read all safety warnings and all
instructions prior to use. Failure to do so
may result in electric shock, fire, and/or
serious injury.
-Plugs must match the outlet. Never
modify the plug in any way.
-The common ground point and ring
terminal provided are based upon
USA outlets with central grounding
screws. Not all US outlets have
grounding pins, nor all US plugs,
and most countries have their own
socket + plug design. You are
responsible for understanding
how your wall receptacles, outlets,
and plugs are wired. Do not
connect anything that you do not
understand to a wall outlet. Do
not ever connect the ring terminal
to a hot wire or hot plug; only
connect to grounded devices that
have a known path to earth.
Ensure that the ring terminal has
clearance from hot plugs, and
does not make a connection to or
bridge them. We have provided
some alternatives to wall outlet
grounding in this manual; if you feel
uncomfortable grounding to an
outlet, use one of our alternatives
above (e.g. taping the ring terminal
to a connected power supply or to a
computer case that is grounded).
-Do not expose electrical outlets to
wet conditions or rain, nor the
attached grounding cable (and ring
terminal).
