Grounding & Shielding

Ved Prakash Sandlas

Director General
Amity Institute of Space Science & Technology, Noida

Principal Adviser, Cogent EMR Solutions Ltd, New Delhi (2006-2008)

Distinguished Scientist and Chief Controller R & D, DRDO (1996-2005)
Director, Defence Electronics Applications Lab (DEAL), Dehradun (1986-1996)
Group Director, Electronics, VSSC, Thiruvanathapuram (1984-1986)
Project/Mission Director, SLV-3, ISRO (1980-1984)

AISST, Noida, Feb 8, 2010

 REASONS FOR GROUNDING
•Lightning Protection to Buildings, Structures and
Equipment
•Shock and Safety hazard control in Equipment,
Laboratories, Hospitals and Homes
•Faraday Shielding of Cables
•Common Ground Reference for Measurements
•Common Mode EMI Filters
•Electrostatic Hazard Control
Ground (Return) Line, Signal Return and Power Return
Analog Ground, Digital Ground and Power Ground
 TRANSMISSION
LINE

LOAD
CURRENT

GROUND RODS
SOURCE LOAD

RETURN CURRENT

GROUND (EARTH)

TRANSMISSION SYSTEM USING GROUND AS

CURRENT RETURN PATH
SINGLE POINT OR STAR GROUNDING

1 2 3

SYSTEM GROUND

4 5 6

EARTH GROUND
 MULTI POINT GROUNDING

1
2

GROUNDING
BRAID

GROUNDING CONDUCTING
LUGS GROUND PLANE TO EARTH
GROUND
SOURCE CHASSIS LOAD CHASSIS
COAXIAL CABLE

RS

OUTER BRAID
VS RL
GROUNDED

LOW FREQUENCY GROUND HIGH FREQUENCY GROUND

HYBRID GROUNDING
LOW FREQUENCY------------SINGLE POINT
HIGH FREQUENCY------------MULTI POINT
POWER COMPUTER
DISTRIBUTION PERIPHERAL
(CPU)
PANEL

EARTH WIRE

SAFETY GROUND AND EMI ISOLATION

POWER +
SUPPLY _ LOAD

COMMON (FLOATING) RETURN

POWER +
SUPPLY _ LOAD

CASSIS RETURN

POWER +
SUPPLY _ LOAD

GROUND (EARTH) RETURN

 Incident
Wave
EY

HZ EY
EY

HZ HZ EY EY
HZ
HZ
Attenuated
Wave
Barrier of Finite Thickness

SHIELDING MECHANISM FOR PLANE WAVE

 Absorption Loss, A = 3.34 t √fGµ dB
Where,
t = Shield thickness in mils
f = Frequency in MHz
G = Conductivity relative to Copper
(Copper = 1, Aluminum = 0.61, Brass = 0.26, Iron = 0.17,
Stainless Steel = 0.02)
µ = Permeability relative to Vacuum
(Copper = 1, Aluminum = 1, Brass = 1, Stainless Steel = 1
Iron = 1000, Mu Metal = 80,000, Perm Alloy = 80,000)

• 1 mil of Copper at 1 GHz shall give over 100 dB absorption loss

• 1/8 inch (~ 0.3 cm) Iron sheet at 50 Hz gives 50 dB absorption loss
dB
Shielding Absorption Loss
300

IRON
1/8 inch
100

1/8 inch
30 10 mils
10 mils
1 mil
10 1 mil

COPPER
3

1
10 100 1k 10k 100k 1M 10M 100M 1G
Frequency Hz
 For Plane Wave, Reflection Loss:
G
R = 108 + 10 log µf dB
• Reflection loss for plane wave at low frequencies
is the major shielding mechanism
• Also, high G and low µ is more effective
(low surface impedance compared to 377 ohms)
•Also, at high frequencies, the skin depth decreases or
surface resistivity increases (surface impedance increases),
reducing reflection loss
•At VHF and UHF, absorption loss is more important
dB
Reflection Loss for Plane Wave
250

200

150
COPPER

100 IRON

50

0
10 100 1k 10k 100k 1M 10M 100M 1G
Frequency Hz
• For high impedance wave in near field (Electric Field)
G
R = 354 + 10 log 3 2 dB
F µr
Where,
r = Distance from source to barrier in inches (<<  / 2)
F = Frequency in Hz

• For low impedance wave in near field (Magnetic Field)

0.462
R = 20 log r √µ / FG + 0.136 r √FG / µ + 0.354 dB
An interesting condition is achieved for magnetic field
reflection loss for iron with 1 inch separation, where it
approaches 0 dB at 30 kHz indicating matching of wave
impedance and surface impedance
dB
Reflection Loss for Electric Fields
250

COPPER
200

r = 30m 1m 1inch
150
30m 1m r = 1 inch
Plane Wave
100

50 IRON

0
10 100 1k 10k 100k 1M 10M 100M 1G
Frequency Hz
dB
Reflection Loss for Magnetic Fields
125
Plane Wave COPPER
100

75
30m 1m r = 1 inch

50

r = 30m 1m 1inch
25
IRON
0
10 100 1k 10k 100k 1M 10M 100M 1G
Frequency Hz
 ELECTRIC FIELD COUPLING
•Also called capacitive coupling increases with
increase in circuit impedance and is the primary
contributor at high frequencies
•To reduce electric field coupling
•Isolate the culprit circuit
•Shortest possible, point to point wiring
•Faraday shielding
 CC CS1

SHIELD

CC CS1

SHIELD NODE

LOW
VS IMPEDANCE
ZL
BOND

SINGLE CONDUCTOR SHIELDED

 CS1 CC CS2

SHIELDS

SHIELD NODES
CS1 CC CS2

VS ZL

LOW IMPEDANCE BONDS

BOTH CONDUCTORS SHIELDED

 C A C
A

S RL
P
B D
B CASE D
NOISE

COMMON MODE NOISE COUPLING

A C
A C

P S NOISE RL
B
D
B D

DIFFERENTIAL MODE NOISE COUPLING

TRANSFORMER SHIELDING AND GROUNDING
 A
A CASE C NODE C

S RL
P
B D
B D
NOISE
SHIELD
COMMON MODE NOISE SHIELDING
NODE
A C
A C

P S NOISE RL
B
D
B D

DIFFERENTIAL MODE NOISE SHIELDING

TRANSFORMER SHIELDING AND GROUNDING
 TWO SHIELDS

A C

P S
B
D

NODES

Ic Id A C

NOISE (d) Id Ic RL

Ic Id
B D
Ic Ic
Ic Ic

NOISE (c)

BOTH COMMON & DIFFERENTIAL MODE NOISE SHIELDING

 MAGNETIC FIELD COUPLING
•Predominates for low frequencies and low impedance
circuits. Also generates cross-talk and hum in audio and
telecommunication circuits.
•To reduce magnetic field coupling
•Increase impedance in culprit circuit
•Avoid ground loop currents and reduce loop area
•Use dedicated return lines and twisted pairs
•Shields of permeability greater than one
•Sensitive circuits should be used in differential mode
•Use of isolation transformers and optical couplers
 Zs
Loop Area = l x h
Vs ZL

Large Loop Area and no Separate Ground Return

 Zs

Vs ZL

Reduce Loop Area by Reducing Height Above Ground Plane

 Zs

Vs h
ZL

Dedicated Return – No Ground or Ground One End Only

 Zs

Vs ZL

Twisted Wire Return – No Ground or Ground One End Only

 Zs

Vs ZL

Source and/or Load Grounded to Body

Breaking of Ground Loop With Isolation Transformer

 GROUND CURRENT LOOPS IN COAX

FARADAY SHIELDING OF COAX BY TRIAX

SHIELDED TWISTED PAIR – TWINAX

SINGLE POINT GROUNDING OF TWINAX

QUADRAX WITH EXTRA SHIELD

SHIELDED CABLES AND GROUNDING

(a) 0 dB – Reference Case
 Twisted – 6 T/ft

(a) 0 dB – Reference Case (b) – 2 dB

 Twisted – 6 T/ft

(a) 0 dB – Reference Case (b) – 2 dB

(c) – 5 dB
 Twisted – 6 T/ft

(a) 0 dB – Reference Case (b) – 2 dB

(c) – 5 dB (d) – 49 dB
(a) 0 dB – Reference Case (d) – 49 dB

Twisted – 6 T/ft

(b) – 2 dB (e) – 57 dB

(c) – 5 dB
(a) 0 dB – Reference Case (d) – 49 dB

Twisted – 6 T/ft

(b) – 2 dB (e) – 57 dB

(c) – 5 dB (f) – 64 dB
(a) 0 dB – Reference Case (d) – 49 dB (g) – 64 dB

Twisted – 6 T/ft

(b) – 2 dB (e) – 57 dB

(c) – 5 dB (f) – 64 dB
(a) 0 dB – Reference Case (d) – 49 dB (g) – 64 dB

Twisted – 6 T/ft

(b) – 2 dB (e) – 57 dB (h) – 71 dB

(c) – 5 dB (f) – 64 dB
(a) 0 dB – Reference Case (d) – 49 dB (g) – 64 dB

Twisted – 6 T/ft

(b) – 2 dB (e) – 57 dB (h) – 71 dB

Twisted – 18 T/ft

(c) – 5 dB (f) – 64 dB (i) – 79 dB

PSLV C 11
PSLV C 11
 THIRD PIN
•Ground Pin, Green Wire or Earth Connection
•75 mA through body considered fatal
•Filters or Capacitors connected between equipment
circuitry and case should not result in more than 5 mA
(for 0.1 µf) through earth line
•When there are a large number of users sharing a
common earth line in the same building, this safety wire
can carry plenty of trash and interference created by
ON/OFF transients, leakage currents and radiations
pickups – use 2 pins and non-metallic body
•Obviously, one should not share the ground line with
lightning earth strip or water plumbing
Thank You