16 | SAMLEX AMERICA INC.
SAMLEX AMERICA INC. | 17
SeCtIOn 7 |
limiting electro-Magnetic
Interference (eMI)
resistance is lower i.e. if the skin is wet or wounded. This leakage current does not
return to the power source but is dissipated in Earth Ground. A leakage current of >
5mA could produce lethal electrical shock. Ground fault Circuit Interrupter (GfCI) is used
for safety against electrical shock due to leakage. GfCI measures the difference between
the
current sent to the load and returned from the load and will trip and disconnect the
power circuit if the difference is > 5 mA. GfCIs are normally installed in AC Branch
Circuits feeding power outlets in wet areas like marine craft, rVs, spas, hot-tubs,
kitchens, washrooms, etc.
As explained earlier, rf noise filtration circuits in SMPS generate intentional Earth Leak-
age Current. SMPS are used extensively as DC power sources in modern day electrical
/ electronic devices e.g. Audio / Video / Computing devices, power supplies, battery
chargers etc. A single GfCI outlet / GfCI breaker may be serving multiple SMPS loads
and therefore, will be sensing the sum of all the Earth Leakage Currents and, if the sum
is > 5mA after connecting this unit, the GfCI will trip. In such a case, disconnect other
SMPS based device(s) being served by this GfCI one by one till the net leakage current is
reduced to < 5mA and the GFCI does not trip. other solution is to power this unit from
a GFci outlet / GFci breaker that does not have any SMPS load or power from an outlet
that is not protected by GFci.
