Welcome to Industrial Electronics Care, Part 3 - ongoing Equipment Care and Maintenance saga.

Permission is granted to reproduce this copyrighted tutorial, or portions thereof, for in-house training, educational use or inclusion in technical magazine articles or text books, providing credit is given to Electronic Specialists, Inc and author. The company Web Site Address (http://www.elect-spec.com) must be included.

INDUSTRIAL ELECTRONICS FRIEND OR FOE?
Care & Maintenance ideas for Friendlier Electronic Equipment
Part III
COPYRIGHT 1999 - 2005
by: F. J. STIFTER
PRESIDENT, ELECTRONIC SPECIALISTS, INC.
http://www.elect-spec.com
Natick, Massachusetts 01760

What Can be Done ??

Unfortunately there is no quick fix to the combined dilemma posed by nature, man and machine.

In this Section, we are going to present an overview of factors that should enter into your system protection analysis.

Efforts to insulate your system from the man-machine-nature menace must take into account all possible paths these damaging and disruptive spikes, surges and transient can enter your system. The overview presented in this section will point out vulnerable elements of your system. Problems can't be subdued until you know where they originate.

It Can't be Lightning - our Building has Lightning Rods !!

Huh???

I've heard that lament 2 or 3 times a week for the last 25 years. Lightning rods are good for protecting the structure, but sadly they don't do a thing to protect electronics. It can be argued that they aggravate interference.

Since corona discharge (the beginning of a lightning bolt or natural spherics discharge) starts most easily at a point, lightning rods have a pointed element extending several feet above the "protected" structure. If lightning were going to hit the structure anyway, these extended rods will conduct most of the discharge current to earth - and damage or destruction would be avoided. Alleluia!

But lightning discharge elsewhere, such as to a tree on a hilltop or between clouds, often will initiate significant spherics discharge into those protruding, sharp pointed rods.

What happens when Lightning or spherics discharge current flows from lightning rod to ground? A gigantic magnetic field is generated around the rod, extending outward for hundreds of feet in all directions. This is a vast, moving magnetic field which induces voltage in all metallic elements the magnetic field encompasses. A single bolt may generate up to 10 ebbing and flowing magnet fields, spawning many spikes, surges and transients for miles around.

Lightning strikes between overhead clouds or between cloud and some nearby object will similarly induce gigantic magnetic fields, inducing disruptive and damaging voltages.

You could probably even measure some transient voltage induced in a paper clip lying on your desk if you were quick with the meter or scope !

Needless to say, your AC power lines, modem-fax-phone lines, network and video cables are awash in this stuff.

Needless to say, your AC power lines, modem-fax-phone lines, network and video cables should be protected.

Priorities

AC Power Lines and Phone Lines, being the longest lines entering your premises, are most likely to be subjected to lightning or man-made spikes, surges, transients and interference somewhere along their length. And that damaging, disrupting pollution walks right down the lines into your equipment.

Efforts to combat the spike and interference threat should address AC power, modem-fax-phone lines, data lines, control lines as well as network, video and monitor cables.

Most damage is suffered on power line connected equipment. Since almost all equipment connects to AC power somewhere, it is wise to install a high performance transient-spike-surge suppressor and quality interference filter at the point equipment connects to the AC line. Improved performance, reduced down time, lowered repair costs and extended equipment life will more than pay for the slight added cost of high performance, quality protection.

Modem and Fax equipment is predominantly phone line connected. Phone lines spikes, transients and surges rank slightly behind AC power lines for number of hits suffered. Since modems, phones and Fax machines are relatively low cost, monetary damages are generally lower. If down time, lost productivity and repair costs are factored in, a damaged modem may take on considerable value. Again, relatively small additional cost for high quality modem/fax/phone protectors will purchase longer equipment life, reduced down time and improved performance.

A Very Important Point

Reduced down time and longer equipment life have been mentioned several times as reasons to consider high quality protection equipment.

Why?

Spikes, surges and transients show up on power, phone, video, data and control lines all the time.

Luckily, immediate catastrophic damage seldom occurs.

Unluckily, equipment components are overstressed by each high voltage spike or surge. Each overstress incident can cause minute component deterioration, ultimately resulting in failure. Here, again, high performance suppressors (on power, phone/modem line, data, video, etc) will reduce or eliminate the damaging impact of overstress.

In summary, we have shown you over the past tutorial segments numerous factors that contribute to creating an unfriendly operating environment in which your equipment is expected to function.

Next Time

Our next tutorial installment will discuss - Some Solutions - showing commercially available products, with extensive discussion on characteristics and specifications to expect in high performance units

It will be at your in-box in a few weeks.

To review previous segments of this tutorial:
Part I - Introduction to Problems - Click Here
Part II - Who to Blame? - Click Here

Recommend this Free Tutorial to a colleague - Sign them Up Here

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