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and transients
Application Note
Electrical noise is the result of • The first is that electrical to noise, we need to keep in
more or less random electrical effects do not require direct mind that signal circuits occur
signals getting coupled into cir- connection (such as through at high frequencies, that noise
cuits where they are unwanted, copper conductors) to occur. is typically a broad spectrum of
i.e., where they disrupt informa- For an electrician who’s been frequencies, and that we need
tion-carrying signals. Noise trained to size, install and test to consider the frequency-
occurs on both power and signal wiring, this may not be intu- dependent behavior of
circuits, but generally speaking, it itive. Yet think of lightning, or potential sources of noise.
becomes a problem when it gets of the primary and secondary
on signal circuits. Signal and data of an isolation transformer, or Coupling mechanisms
circuits are particularly vulnerable of the antenna to your radio: There are four basic mechanisms
to noise because they operate at there’s no direct, hard-wired of noise coupling. It pays to
fast speeds and with low voltage connection, but somehow understand them and how they
levels. The lower the signal volt- complete electrical circuits are differ one from the other because
age, the less the amplitude of the still happening. The same a lot of the troubleshooter’s job
noise voltage that can be toler- electrical rules-of-behavior are will be to identify which coupling
ated. The signal-to-noise ratio in operation for noise coupling, effect is dominant in a particular
describes how much noise a cir- as will be explained below. situation.
cuit can tolerate before the valid • The second concept is that we
information, the signal, becomes can no longer stay in the 1. Capacitive coupling
corrupted. realm of 60 Hz. One of the This is often referred to as
Noise is one of the more benefits of 60 Hz is that it’s a electrostatic noise and is a volt-
mysterious subjects in power low enough frequency that age-based effect. Lightning
quality, especially since it must power circuits can be treated discharge is just an extreme
be considered with its equally (almost) like dc circuits; in example. Any conductors sepa-
mysterious twin, grounding. To other words, basic Ohm’s Law rated by an insulating material
lessen the mystery, there are two will get you most places you (including air) constitute a capac-
key concepts to understand: need to go. But when it comes itor—in other words, capacitance
is an inseparable part of any cir-
cuit. The potential for capacitive
coupling increases as frequency
Noise
increases (capacitive reactance,
which can be thought of as the
resistance to capacitive coupling,
20 - 30 V decreases with frequency, as
logic signal can be seen in the formula:
XC = 1/2πfC).
2. Inductive coupling
Noise This is magnetic-coupled noise
and is a current-based effect.
Every conductor with current
flowing through it has an associ-
ated magnetic field. A changing
current can induce current in
3-5V another circuit, even if that circuit
logic signal
is a single loop; in other words,
Cursor moves to
display peak
Min/Max values.
Real-time stamp.
Date:hr:min:sec
400
300
200
140
120
110 110 V
100 Voltage-Tolerance
90 envelope 90 V
80
70
40
0
0.001 c 0.01 c 0.1 c 0.5 c 1 c 10 c 100 c 1000 c
1 µs 1 ms 3 ms 20 ms 0.5 s 10 s Steady
state Fluke Corporation
Duration of disturbance in cycles (c) and seconds (s) PO Box 9090, Everett, WA USA 98206
©2004 Fluke Corporation. All rights reserved.
Figure 4. ITIC Curve. Printed in U.S.A. 10/2004 2403190 A-US-N Rev A
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