surge protector in electronics system




A surge protector is an appliance designed to protect electrical devices from voltage spikes. Surge protectors attempt to regulate the voltage supplied to an electric device by either blocking or shorting to ground voltage above a safe threshold. An outlet strip is sometimes miscalled a surge protector, but provides no such protection.
The main job of a surge protector system is to protect electronic devices from “surges.” in power. Surge protectors also let you plug multiple components into one power outlet. A standard surge protector passes the electrical current along from the outlet to a number of electrical and electronic devices plugged into the power strip. If the voltage from the outlet surges or spikes — rises above the accepted level — the surge protector diverts the extra electricity into the outlet’s grounding wire. In the most common type of surge protector, a component called a metal oxide varistor, or MOV, diverts the extra voltage. Surge suppressors should be used as a matter of habit with all semiconductor-based electronic and computer hardware, including peripherals such as printers, monitors, external disk drives, and modems. But the suppressor should not be relied upon to provide protection against lightning-induced transients.
A device that shields computer and other electronic devices from surges in electrical power, or transient voltage, that flow from the power supply. Standard American voltage for home and office buildings is 120 volts. Anything over this amount is considered transient and can damage electronic devices that are plugged into an outlet. Even though power surges are so brief that they are measured in nanoseconds, they can cause considerable damage to electronic equipment.