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Protecting Against Data Line Surges
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AC power surge protection for networks and data communications equipment is commonplace.
But did you know that the same voltage spikes and surges that appear on power lines can
be coupled onto your data lines? Networks have become an interconnection of computers,
building power systems, telephone, data acquisition, even video and security systems.
Each connection creates a path for data line surges to enter your network and damage
your equipment. As networks expand to remote sites and span between buildings they become
more susceptible to surge damage.
The most common sources of data line surges are:
Direct and nearby lightning strikes - these can strike with more than 200,000 amps of current. Lightning can cause data line surges by induction in exposed and even buried network cables.
Power line disturbances - Voltage surges, noise and other disturbances on power lines enter data lines through the ground circuit that is shared by both the ac power system and the network.
AC power surge suppressors - While protecting the ac power path into your computer, these devices can cause surges on your data lines! Almost all ac power suppressors protect by diverting large surge currents to the electrical ground system. A typical surge pulse can be over 5000 amps, lasting many microseconds. Any weakness in the building ground wiring leaves a lot of energy with no place to go! The next best path to ground is through your data cables to the ground connection on your equipment, damaging your network equipment in the process.
Peradata's VSET suppression circuitry
When a surge enters your data line, the transient pulses are affected by the inductance
and capacitance of your data cable. By the time the surge reaches your equipment it
contains many positive and negative high voltage pulses; each as high as several thousand
volts. Peradata's Vectored Surge Energy Technology
circuitry directs the positive and negative surge pulses to separate suppression circuits.
This feature greatly improves peak energy absorption and shortens the recovery time of the
suppressor.
Don't be fooled by other low-cost surge suppressors which use a single suppression device
to protect a data line. Peradata surge suppressors contain multiple stages of VSET
circuitry for each data line, to divide the surge energy and direct it away from your
sensitive equipment.
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