An engineer's guide to signal and power isolation in communications cabling

When communication lines between equipment are required, problems can arise: if there is a potential difference between local grounds, DC or 50/60Hz current can flow along data line returns or screens disrupting signals or even fusing wires. Also, the cable can act as an antenna, introducing EMI into equipment causing data corruption or damage.

Isolating the power and signal can go a long way to avoiding these issues, and in the latest Engineers' Insight Philip Lechner explores the different techniques that can be employed to achieve isolation.