The multi-wire branch is here to stay; so is ground fault protection. But we should unite these technologies only when it’s a good match. Ground-fault protection and the multi-wire branch circuit ...

A friend who was buying an older house was concerned about electrical safety and asked for my opinion as an electrical engineer. All of the AC receptacles (also called outlets) in the house were the ...

A typical low-voltage variable-frequency drive. Industrial facilities commonly use variable-frequency drives (VFDs) to control the speed at which alternating current motors operate. Let’s examine a ...

Key Takeaways Upgrading your electrical panel prepares your home for modern appliances and reduces fire hazards. Installing Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) in wet areas prevents ...

You might think that with all our modern technology and safety awareness, homes would have safe electrical systems by now.

Update: In June 2025, the National Fire Protection Association approved the 2026 National Electric Code with a new requirement to use ground-fault circuit ...

This application note is intended to assist the user of Solid State Subscriber Line Interface Circuit (SLIC) and Line Card Access Switcht (LCAS) devices in meeting the stringent requirements of ...

Most switching power-supply controllers provide non-latching fault protection. Satisfying a requirement for a latchoff response to a fault often requires the addition of excessive and redundant ...

Power systems today operate in an environment where reliability and safety must be maintained despite rising loads, expanding ...

My introduction to circuit protection came at the tender age of eight. Being a curious lad with an inventive – and apparently self-destructive – bent, I decided to make my mother a lamp. I put a hose ...