Impulse 2103 - Manual (Page 14)

Appendix D – Ground Loop Phenomenon
Sealevel Systems SeaLINK+232I Page 11
Appendix D - Ground Loop Phenomenon
What is Ground Loop?
Ground loop Phenomenon occurs when two (or more) pieces of equipment are
connected together with a common ground and a different ground potential
exists at each location. This current can cause the connected equipment to
experience noise that in turn causes data transmission errors. In the extreme this
ground current can cause equipment malfunction or even destruction.
Cabling Recommendations
When connecting the SeaLINK+232I, care should be taken that both ends of
the connection are not isolated from ground (see Figure 1). This “floating”
ground condition could cause the capacitive or inductive coupling of voltages
that will cause a break down in the DC to DC converter circuit or in the opto-
isolator circuit. This condition will cause data errors and possibly destruction of
the receiver circuit.
A B
Isolation
Barrier
Ground
Isolated
Adapter
Non
Isolated
Adapter
TD
RD
RTS
CTS
Figure 1- SeaLINK+232I cabling example