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Ground Loop (Electricity) : From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

A ground loop occurs when two points that are supposed to be at the same electrical potential are actually at different potentials. This can happen due to variations in soil resistance and potential at different grounding points. Ground loops cause unwanted current in conductors connecting these points, which can lead to noise, interference, and electric shock hazards. They commonly occur between audio/video equipment plugged into different wall outlets when the ground wire allows current to flow. Solutions include using a ground loop isolator or ensuring equipment uses balanced audio connection with differential signaling to reject common-mode noise from ground loops.

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55 views1 page

Ground Loop (Electricity) : From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

A ground loop occurs when two points that are supposed to be at the same electrical potential are actually at different potentials. This can happen due to variations in soil resistance and potential at different grounding points. Ground loops cause unwanted current in conductors connecting these points, which can lead to noise, interference, and electric shock hazards. They commonly occur between audio/video equipment plugged into different wall outlets when the ground wire allows current to flow. Solutions include using a ground loop isolator or ensuring equipment uses balanced audio connection with differential signaling to reject common-mode noise from ground loops.

Uploaded by

anrpem
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Ground loop (electricity) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Ground loop (electricity)


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In an electrical system, a ground loop is an unwanted current in a conductor connecting two points
that are supposed to be at the same potential, often ground, but are actually at different potentials.
Ground loops are a major cause of noise, hum, and interference in audio, video, and computer
systems. They can also create an electric shock hazard, since ostensibly "grounded" parts of the
equipment, which are often accessible to users, are not at ground potential.

Contents
1 Description
2 How it works
3 Common ground loops
3.1 Ground currents on signal cables
3.2 Sources of ground current
3.3 Solutions
3.4 Balanced lines
4 In circuit design
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

Description
A ground loop in a system causes circuits designed to be at the same potential to be at different
potentials. Ground loops can be hazardous, or cause problems with the electrical system, because the
electrical potential and soil resistance at different points on the surface of the earth can vary.
In a floating ground system, that is, one not connected to earth, the voltages may be unstable, and if
some of the conductors that constitute the return circuit to the source have a relatively high
resistance, or have high currents through them that produce a significant voltage drop, they can be
hazardous.
Low-current wiring is particularly susceptible to ground loops. If two pieces of audio equipment are
plugged into different power outlets, there will often be a difference in their respective ground
potentials. If a signal is passed from one to the other via an audio connection with the ground wire
intact, this potential difference causes a spurious current through the cables, creating an audible buzz
at the AC mains base frequency (50 or 60 Hz) and the harmonics thereof (120 Hz, 240 Hz, and so
on), called mains hum.

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