KVH Industries FB250, Installation Manual

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Appendix C
CCCC
Gr
ounding
and
RF
Grounding and RF protection C
C.1 Why is grounding required?
C.1.1 Reasons for grounding
Grounding the TracPhone system is required for two reasons:
• Safety: Lightning protection of persons and equipment.
• Protection: ESD (ElectroStatic Discharge) protection of equipment.
C.1.2 Safety
First of all grounding of the system is required for safety reasons. In the event
of a lightning strike at the antenna a proper grounding of the system will
provide a low resistance path to divert the strike discharge to seawater.
C.1.3 ESD Protection
The ESD protection circuits in the terminal rely on proper grounding of the
system in order to work properly. Otherwise sensitive circuits within the
terminal might be damaged due to ESD when you are handling the
equipment.