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Re: [RFI] SolarEdge Finds New Source of Solar System RFI

To: Rfi List <rfi@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [RFI] SolarEdge Finds New Source of Solar System RFI
From: Jim Brown <jim@audiosystemsgroup.com>
Reply-to: jim@audiosystemsgroup.com
Date: Mon, 3 Jun 2019 20:23:05 -0700
List-post: <mailto:rfi@contesting.com>
I led the writing group for On 6/3/2019 3:54 PM, David Eckhardt wrote:
One additional item I should mention:  The low-frequency designers tend to stick with "grounding" (returning) the shield at only one end (to prevent "ground" loops).  The high-frequency designers know this will enable the shield to become a wonderful antenna and they better "ground"  (return!!!   !!!   !!!) both ends of the shield at the penetration of the 'cage' - the shield should be viewed as an extension of the internal gutts of the Faraday Cage design philosophy.  If both ends of the shield are "grounded" and there is still a radiation / susceptibility problem, the shield is too thin and/or not of properly covering the shielded conductors.

I led the writing group for AES48, AES54-1, AES54-2, and AES54-3, which specifies good engineering practice for balanced audio interconnections.  Everyone in the writing group was fully aware of the issues you raise. There ARE good reasons for lifting the shield connection at one end, and by correctly analyzing the balanced audio interface as a classic Wheatstone bridge, Bill Whitlock proved that it should never be lifted at the sending end. His work subsequently caused IEC Standards with respect to the balance of such circuits to be revised.

The Standard (AES4-1) specifies that, and recommends a capacitor with good properties at HF through UHF.  The most commonly used connector for shielded twisted pair audio cables is the XL3, of which Neutrik and Switchcraft are the principal manufacturers. I came up with the idea of a cylindrical capacitor terminating the shield to the connector shell, with a ferrite bead around the designated shield contact, Pin 1. The bead serves two purposes. First, it lowers the Q of the parallel resonance between the capacitor and the inductance of the connection via Pin One to the shielding enclosure.  Second, it blocks the flow of VHF/UHF shield current into equipment that is non-compliant with AES48 ("the Pin One Problem" Standard, which specifies terminating Pin One to the shielding enclosure).   We recommended capacitance in the range of 10-50 nF.

Neutrik, an active participant in AES Standards activity, developed and manufactured a practical implementation based on our concept.  At the time of publication of these Standards, existing products experienced serious RFI because they were not AES48 compliant, and I consulted with two major mic mfrs on the solutions to their problems.

In part as a result of this work (we all did lots of other things), Muncy, Whitlock, and I were subsequently elected Fellows of the AES, along with another important contributor, Ray Rayburn.

73, Jim K9YC


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