Power Performance & Grounding
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Section 1. The Nature of Power
Section 2. Dangers to Equipment Safety and Performance
Section 3. Panamax Product Solutions
Section 1.
The Nature of Power
Electrical energy, most simply stated, is nothing more than the flow of electrons. In the U.S.
nearly all AV equipment is designed to operate within a range of approximately 114V to 125V
with a cycle frequency of 50htz-60htz. Power enters a residential environment through metered
conductors into a primary distribution panel (service entry panel). From the service entry panel
power is distributed on branch circuits to access points (receptacles) and/or secondary distribution
panels (sub-panels). The receptacles throughout the residence allow for equipment conductors
(power cords) to access electrical energy. The equipment conductors consist of a line (hot); a
neutral (return) and a ground (safety pathway).
Figure #1 –
How Power Causes Damage
Electrical equipment can be damaged when excessive voltage enters the system. For example,
assume that a video display is drawing power at 120V from a receptacle. The power moves down
the line to the most attractive ground. That ground is the neutral. The path of least resistance to
ground is through the electrical equipment (video display) connected to the receptacle. If a
voltage rise (surge) to 180V occurs on this power line, the surge is still going to flow to the most
attractive ground. The pathway that the surge will follow is still the path of least resistance that is
through the video display. The display has circuitry designed to handle electron flow at 120V.
When an 180V electron flow attempts to move through the circuitry the electrons create an excess
amount of friction. The friction generates heat and the heat damages the video display.
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Section 2. Dangers to Equipment Safety and Performance
How Power Impairs Performance
Noise is a signal corrupter. The more corrupt the signal becomes the poorer the quality of
reproduction. The cleaner (more noise free) the power is that feeds the system and transports the
various data signals, the better the video and audio experience will be. Noise is induced on to
power by electrical equipment like refrigerators, amplifiers, A/C equipment, and by the wiring,
copper pipes, framing hardware and nails that are in everyone’s homes. So we all have electrical
noise to contend with in our homes – how do we fix the problem?
The Concern for Equipment Safety
The purpose of a residential grounding system is to protect people (inside the home) from the
danger of electrical shock. Because A/V systems can incorporate multiple grounds the residential
grounding system will not protect electrical equipment from damage.
The Concern for Performance
The second concern is to design a home theater system that will provide the best viewing and
listening experience within the customer's budget. Panamax filtration cleans the power so
customers receive the best performance from their home theater. In other words, the customer
gets the effect that he/she paid for.
How Protection Devices Work
Figure #2
Hot Leg
Neutral Leg
Television
Ground Leg
Surge Protector
Protection devices principally rely on metal oxide varistors (MOVs) placed between line and
neutral, neutral and ground, and line and ground. These components do nothing until they see
elevated voltages at which point they become conductive and allow current to pass. Returning to
the scenario above, when the 180V voltage rise enters the line to the video display, the most
attractive ground has not changed. It remains the neutral/ground. What has changed is the path
of least resistance, which now lies through the conductive metal oxide varistors1
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Figure #3
Hot Leg
Neutral Leg
Television
Ground Leg
Surge Protector
CATV Coax Line
Signal lines pose an additional challenge for protection devices. Suppose there is a coaxial cable
feeding the video display, and the coaxial cable is grounded. Which ground point is the most
attractive? If the most attractive ground remains the neutral/ground at the receptacle, then when
the surge enters the system, the metal oxide varistors become conductive and the path of least
resistance is not through the video display. If the coaxial cable source ground is more attractive
then it does not matter that the metal oxide varistors are conductive as the path of least resistance
is through the video display and out the coaxial ground. The surge moving through the display
destroys it.
Figure #4
Surge Protector w/
Cable TV Protection
Isolated Ground Reference
Hot Leg
Neutral Leg
Television
Ground Leg
Cable TV
Coax Line
In order to control all possible ground reference points the protector must incorporate signal lines
and all other potential ground paths. The essential key to protection, then, is the protection
system's ability to provide a single isolated ground source. With a single isolated ground source,
the protection system can shunt with 100% predictability excessive voltage away from
equipment.
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Filtration
Eliminating noise from the home theater system primarily means eliminating noise on the
incoming AC power. Noise elimination is achieved by advanced circuit design, capacitors and
inductors. The most effective (and expensive) power conditioners use redundant circuits and
components in series in order to eliminate all possible sources entering the system. Multiple
filtered outlet banks in the same power conditioner avoids the problem of noisy A/V components
attached to the power conditioner spreading contamination to the entire A/V system.
Section 3.
Panamax Product Solutions
Step #1 Power enters the home using the Electrical Service Entrance Panel as a distribution
point.
Installing a Max Service Entrance Protector at the Panel will limit the voltage coming into the
home to 400 volts (on both 120 VAC legs). Only safe voltage is allowed to pass through the
protector into the home, while dangerous voltage travels to the Power Service Ground through the
path of least resistance provided by the protector.
Figure #5
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Step #2 Improving the Performance and Protecting AV Equipment in the Rack or
HomeRun.
Panamax power conditioners provide Pure AC Power™ and protection at the Point of Use.
Utilizing a variety of engineering filtration designs, the components eliminate all forms of
Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) and Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) from the AC input
and between devices, providing pure sound and picture.
Low voltage signal lines (i.e. Satellite, Cable TV and Telephone) are protected by using
application specific clamping levels and bonded to the AC ground reference.
Each piece of equipment within the home theater system must then be plugged into a Panamax
component product creating a single grounding point. When all the components receive their
power from a single source and all the outside signal wires are protected and bonded to the AC
ground inside the chassis, your equipment is fully protected and will perform better. Refer to
Figure #7 at end of document for details.
Step #3
Max In-Wall Filtration and Protection System
One of the most challenging aspects of an A/V system installation is remote components such as
video displays. Remote displays, e.g., plasma, LCD, and ceiling projectors require AC power and
data input. Typically, the AC power source is located at or near the remote device, while the
signal source is powered from a separate AC outlet located at the main system. The complication
arises when data lines running from the source component at the main system to the remote
display device, creates two possible ground reference points, one at the display device and the
other at the source device.
The Panamax MIW products offer several different solutions so that the installer can choose
which approach is best suited for the installation. Refer to Figure #8 at end of document for
details.
Max In-Wall- PowerKit-TL
The first is the Max In-Wall PowerKit-TL (MIW-PowerKit-TL). This kit consists of an inwall outlet box for the remote display location, an in-wall outlet box for the home run location,
50’ of premium 12/2 sheathed cabling for connecting the two, and a special twistlock power cord
that will feed Pure AC Power™ from a Panamax component product directly to the remote
device.
What makes the kit unique is that the source outlet at the main system allows for the connection
of a locking female twistlock cord. The male end of the cord is a standard NEMA configuration.
The installer plugs the male end into a Panamax AV component, e.g., 5510 choosing the filtered
outlet best suited for the installation. The installer then locks the female end of the power cord
into the in-wall outlet. The data lines are connected at the in-wall’s signal side connectors.
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Voila! Pure AC Power tm and signal to the display device maintaining an Isolated Ground
Reference™!
Max In-Wall- Power
If pass through is not a practical option then the Max In-Wall-Power (MIW-POWER) offers a
different solution. This product is an in-wall protector for both AC and signal side (MIW-5RCA
or MIW 5VGA). The installer locates the MIW-Power in an appropriate location behind the
display device and runs AC power to the MIW from the breaker panel. The installer runs the
appropriate signal cable back to the main system where he/she has installed an identical MIW.
The signal cable is connected at both locations to the corresponding BNC connecters in the MIW.
The display device’s AC and signal cables are simply plugged into the MIW at its location and
the source component’s AC and signal at its location. Voila! Both locations now have a separate
Isolated Ground Reference™ and are protected. Refer to Figure #6 below.
Figure #6
Low voltage signal modules to be used with MIW-PowerKit-TL and MIW-Power.
MIW-5RCA unit can accomodate RGBHV, component and stereo audio, composite
and IR signals with maximum of five RCA connections. MIW-VGA for HDDB15
cabling with 3.5mm stereo phone jack for audio.
MIW-Power
MIW-PowerKit-TL
MIW-PowerKit-TL includes a
specialized AC Power Cord with
a twistlock connector to connect
to Inlet power faceplate as listed
above.
MIW-5RCA
Module
MIW-VGA
Module