can power conditioners cause lcd displays to malfunction pricelist

The HD Guru’s readers have asked for the real story on power line conditioners. Are they really needed with an HDTV? Do they provide a sharper picture as some salesmen claim? How well do they protect the TV in case of a lightening strike or other electrical spike? What about surge protectors and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS)? The HD Guru responds.

In the United States the alternating current (AC) sent from your electric company should be delivered to your home at a steady rate of 120 volts at 60 cycles per second. In some parts of the US, there are variations, resulting in voltages that are either too high or too low. Sometimes interruptions cut the power altogether. Delivery of too much power is called a voltage surge; too little, a voltage droop or sag. Electrical storms can deliver lightening strikes, which can produce catastrophic voltage surges capable of destroying the power supplies of all the electronics plugged into the system, whether they’re powered up or not. Air conditioner and refrigerator motors powering on and off can also cause momentary voltage fluctuations. Another potential power problem is electrical interference caused by industrial grade electrical equipment operating nearby as would be found in a factory. Your home’s wiring may also pick up electrical line interference or radio frequency interference (RFI) caused by, among other things, broadcast transmitters located in your vicinity.

Fluctuating voltages can cause lights to brighten and dim. TV, lights and other electrical devices may momentarily shut off due to total voltage dropouts. Radio frequency interference can create hum and/or video noise bars and static.

Power conditioners can’t give your digital HDTV a sharper picture or better color, regardless of display technology, whether plasma, LCD, DLP, SXRD, or DILA rear projection. Period. Resolution is, by definition fixed, and so cannot be increased. If a salesman tells you otherwise, ask why are there no power conditioners connected to the dozens of TVs on display. All HDTVs have internal power supplies designed to filter and transform the incoming AC to voltages necessary for the set’s operational needs. These built-in power supplies do a great job, and are designed to accept a fairly wide range of line voltages. Can a power conditioner clean up heavy interference in your power line? Yes, but most of the time they are simply not necessary and will be of no use because the vast majority of households are free of electrical interference.

While power conditioners cannot improve your picture, a surge protector can protect your set in the event of a power surge. What’s needed depends on the display and the amount of protection you can afford. For LCDs and plasmas the HD Guru suggests a surge protector at the very minimum. According to experts, the rating should be at least 360 joules. These are very inexpensive, with prices starting at under $20. For lamp driven devices such as microdisplay front and rear projectors, including LCOS (Sony SXRD and JVC DiLA), DLP and LCD, you should purchase an uninterruptible power supplies (UPS). The HD Guru also recommends using the UPS with digital video recorders (DVRs like TiVo). A UPS will prevent the lamp’s cooling fan motor (or hard drive in the DVR) from shutting off during a power failure. You need just enough battery power to cool off the projector to prevent premature lamp failure or a DVR’s power down. 10 minutes worth of battery back up is more than sufficient. Virtually all UPS units also have built-in surge protection.

UPSs’ are either on-line or off-line designs. The on-lines are best because they actively filter and convert AC wall power into DC (Direct Current) to charge the battery, while simultaneously converting the DC back to AC to run your HDTV or DVR. In addition to offering excellent line conditioning, on-line UPS systems provide surge protection. Because it’s “on-line” there is no voltage drop when the AC power fails. The switch to battery backup is seamless.

The Tripp-Lite SU750XL is a good on-line UPS. Rated at 750VA, it will run a 500-watt load for about 10 minutes, which is plenty of time to cool off the lamp in any projector or properly shut down a TiVo. While it retails for $449, a quick internet search found it for $288.93 + shipping.

Depending upon capacity off-line UPS prices start at around $40. Because the AC in/out circuitry is not coupled to the output there’s around a 1-millisecond switch between line current and battery power. Virtually all have built-in surge protection and many of the mid size and larger one also have line conditioners.

Bottom line? Instead of selecting a line conditioner with surge protection, which can cost up to $500 or more, get first-rate protection that includes surge and battery backup plus top quality line conditioning, for under $300 by purchasing an on-line UPS. For under $100 you can be protected from the most common surge and short-term power loss problems with a UPS with surge protection combo.

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In the United States, National Electric Code article 210-19 FPN No. 4. suggests a 5% maximum combined voltage drop on the feeder and branch circuits to the furthest outlet "will provide reasonable efficiency of operation." The Canadian electrical code also requires no more than a 5% drop between the meter and outlet. Applying the 5% tolerance gives a nominal 120V range of 114V to 126V.

Yes, a power conditioner will stabilize the voltage from a generator. However, it will not convert the modified sine wave produced by some generators to pure sine wave, making those generators unsuitable for sensitive electronics.

Yes, but not with the printer itself. Printers and copiers use a hot roller called a fuser unit to bind ink toner to the paper as it passes through the printer. Periodically, the printer needs to reheat the fuser unit to the required temperature, and this requires a lot of electricity. To prevent a power sag (under-voltage) from impacting computers and other sensitive equipment on the same circuit as the printer, use a power conditioner with Automatic Voltage Regulation (AVR).

Connecting a printer to a line conditioner may prevent the printer from getting the voltage it needs. A better approach would be to have a qualified electrician check the capacity of the existing line and add a separate circuit for the printer if necessary.

A power or voltage spike is a sudden increase in voltage, ranging from a few hundred volts to tens of thousands and lasting between 1 and 30 microseconds. A power surge is like a spike but lasts longer. Voltage fluctuations are normal and do not typically harm equipment connected to an outlet. Over- or under-voltages occur when the voltage reaching powered devices falls out of the normal service range.

As a power conditioner corrects high or low input voltage, it will make a gentle clicking sound. The frequency of the clicking will depend on the quality of the utility power in your area. The clicking is normal, and no action is required on your part.

A power conditioner can potentially improve sound quality by providing a cleaner and more stable power supply to audio equipment. Power fluctuations and electrical noise can interfere with the performance of audio equipment, leading to degradation in sound quality. By conditioning the power, a power conditioner can reduce the amount of electrical noise and provide a stable voltage, which can result in improved sound quality.

However, it is important to note that the effect of a power conditioner on sound quality can vary depending on the equipment and the specific electrical problems being addressed. In some cases, the improvement in sound quality may be minimal or not noticeable, while in other cases it can be significant.

A power conditioner is an electrical device that improves the quality of the power supplied to an electrical load by regulating voltage, reducing noise, and filtering out electrical disturbances. The goal of a power conditioner is to protect sensitive electronic equipment from damage caused by power fluctuations and electrical noise.

A surge protector, on the other hand, is specifically designed to protect electronic equipment from damage caused by power surges and spikes. It accomplishes this by diverting excess voltage away from connected equipment.

Some power conditioners include surge protection as part of their functionality, effectively combining the two functions into a single device. In these cases, the power conditioner can improve the quality of the power supply while also providing protection against power surges and spikes.

If improved sound quality is your primary goal, an isolation transformer is the best choice. Microphones, instruments and amplifiers can pick up unwanted hums or buzzes if they are plugged into the same circuit as items such as fluorescent lights, air conditioners and dimmer switches. If your band is playing in a bar, even the bartender"s blender is a potential source of interference!

An isolation transformer uses two coils of copper wire, wound so that the primary coil connected to incoming AC power induces a current in the secondary coil powering connected devices. Since there is no direct connection between the coils, musical instruments and recording equipment attached to the secondary coil are isolated from audio frequency noise on the power line.

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We tailor our advice to your needs, including your level of knowledge and experience. If you"re already an expert, we won"t waste your time. We"ll deliver the essential facts so you can move forward with your project. If you"re new to 3-phase, we"ll give you all the help you need.

We tailor our advice to your needs, including your level of knowledge and experience. If you"re already an expert, we won"t waste your time. We"ll deliver the essential facts so you can move forward with your project. If you"re new to healthcare infrastructure planning, we"ll give you all the help you need.

Our factory-trained technicians provide a range of on-site services, including commissioning, maintenance and repairs, to help ensure your 3-phase UPS systems maintain peak performance over their entire operational life.

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The Cisco Compatible logo signifies that Eaton Tripp Lite"s product has undergone interoperability testing by Eaton Tripp Lite together with Cisco and a third-party test house based on testing criteria set by Cisco. Eaton Tripp Lite is solely responsible for the support and warranty of its product. Cisco makes no warranties, express or implied, with respect to Eaton Tripp Lite"s product or its interoperation with the listed Cisco product(s) and disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular use, or against infringement.

Maintains usable 120V nominal output to sensitive electronics during severe brownouts and overvoltages. Prevents surges and spikes from damaging circuitry. Filters out potentially disruptive line noise.

The LC1200 1200W 120V Line Conditioner - Automatic Voltage Regulator adjusts under- and overvoltages to provide safe, computer-grade AC power that meets ANSI C84.1 specifications. The automatic voltage regulation (AVR) offers three levels of voltage stabilization that corrects undervoltages as low as 89V and overvoltages as high as 147V back to regulated 120V nominal power. Providing optimum voltage conditions not only extends the life of your equipment, but also keeps your equipment working through brownouts and prolonged overvoltage conditions.

Just connect the space-saving NEMA 5-15P right-angle plug with 7-ft. (2.13 m) cord to an AC power source, and plug up to four devices into the NEMA 5-15R outlets. You can monitor AC power, incoming voltage level and AC line status using the seven diagnostic LEDs on the front panel. The compact LC1200 fits comfortably into your computer or home theater setup.

Extended Warranty and Technical Support for Select Tripp Lite Products – DC Power Supplies; Keyspan Products; KVM Switches; PDUs; Power Inverters; Power Management; UPS Systems

Extended Warranty and Technical Support for Select Tripp Lite Products – DC Power Supplies; Keyspan Products; KVM Switches; PDUs; Inverters; Power Management; UPS Systems

Complete services for studio recording equipment, broadcast, custom computers for audio/video recording, Software, live sound systems, Technical support,audio system design, Audio-Video system installation.

Pro Audio Solutions is an authorized dealer for all top brands of professional audio equipment for a variety of sound and audio facilities. We pride ourselves in standing out above other retailers of professional audio equipment because of our years of expertise in the industry, allowing us to comprehensively and more efficiently determine your audio needs and figure out the best solution to achieve those goals. At Pro Audio Solutions, you"ll find a team of audio and sound experts who"ve worked with a variety of clients, providing superior service. We are proud to be an Apple Authorized Reseller & Service Center, but also have extensive expertise in all things PC. Whatever your sound system design needs, Pro Audio Solutions has the technical expertise and industry experience to make your concept a reality.

Our focus on detailed and thorough audio system design is one of the ways we stand out above other professional audio equipment specialists. We work with you along the way of your audio system purchase: from your vision of the system, determining needs and priorities within a budget, the actual audio system design, installation of the system and troubleshooting any issues on-site. After turning your audio system design into reality, Pro Audio Solutions staff will train and teach you how to use the sound equipment to best obtain the audio results you want.

Deciding to equip your venue with a live sound system requires much forethought, planning and a unique design tailored to your space and the type of sound that will be amplified there. Let the experts at Pro Audio Solutions help outfit your space with the appropriate and best quality professional audio equipment. We can identify the right

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At Pro Audio Solutions, we carry a huge selection of commercial and home studio recording equipment in helpful bundles. Whether you need an audio recording PC computer or a MAC audio system, we have a huge variety of both. As will all our audio products, we"re happy to help consult and advise you on your home studio recording equipment decision.

Anything made in the world of professional audio equipment and live sound can be found right here at Pro Audio Solutions. And if you don"t see it on our site, call us at 800-834-5986 and we"ll be happy to help you

We also sell wholesale to qualified sound and video system integrators and contractors with no minimum purchase quantities. Your music, recordings and performances are the reason we exist! You"re going to love the way you sound!

Make sure you"re getting the most out of your home theater equipment with the MAX 5400-PM from Panamax. Voltage Regulation Improve system performance and prolong equipment life by providing a consistent level of optimal power to your equipment. Improves Picture and Sound Quality Level 4+ power cleaning and filtration eliminates common symptoms of contaminated power (including loss of detail, pops, hisses, hums and visual artifacts) and allows you`re a/V equipment to perform up to its full capability. Monitors Incoming Line Voltage and Provides a Visual Indication of Power Level Panamax"s patent pending AVM circuitry continuosly monitors the incoming power as displayed on the digital voltmeter. In case of an undervoltage or an overvoltage, a flashing lightning bolt will be displayed in red in the voltmeter, and power to the connected equipment is automatically turned off if either of these conditions is detected. When voltage returns to a safe level, power to the equipment is automatically reconnected. Reduces Cross-Contamination Between Components The M5400-PM is designed to provide noise isolation between 5 isolated outlet banks (including 1 bank with 2 high current outlets) so that any noise created by an A/V component cannot contaminate the power going to equipment plugged into another outlet bank.

Level 4+ Power Cleaning and Linear Filtration eliminates common symptoms of contaminated power (including loss of detail, pops, hisses, hums and visual artifacts) and allows your A/V equipment to perform up to its full capability. Panamax"s patent pending AVM circuitry continuously monitors the incoming power as displayed on the digital voltmeter. In case of an undervoltage or an overvoltage, a flashing lightning bolt will be displayed in red in the voltmeter, and power to the connected equipment is automatically turned off if either of these conditions is detected. When voltage returns to a safe level, power to the equipment is automatically reconnected.

The M5400-PM is designed to provide noise isolation between 5 isolated outlet banks including 2 high current outlets so that any noise created by an A/V component can not contaminate the power going to equipment plugged into another outlet bank.

Improve Your Picture and Sound Quality While Protecting Your Home Theater InvestmentAll the features you need to keep your system running clean and safe

Voltage RegulationRegulates the output voltage on Banks 1-4 to 120 VAC ± 5 VAC. This is accomplished through two boost stages and one buck stage of voltage regulation. In Boost Stage 1 the voltage is boosted in the 109-119V range, while Boost Stage 2 boosts the voltage in the 100-109V range. The Buck Stage acts to reduce voltage in the 125-136V range. LiFT Technology EMI/RFI Noise Filtration : Your audio/video components are constantly being bombarded by electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio frequency interference (RFI) through their AC power source. This contaminated power can affect audio/video equipment and will degrade the overall performance of your entire system. Common symptoms of contaminated power include loss of picture detail, dull colors, pops, hisses, hums and visual artifacts.Automatic Over and Under Voltage Protection (AVM)Panamax"s patent pending power monitoring circuitry constantly monitors the AC line voltage for unsafe voltage conditions such as momentary spikes or prolonged over-voltages and under-voltages (brownouts). These unsafe conditions pose a very dangerous threat to all electronic equipment within the home. If the MAX 5400-PM senses an unsafe power condition, it will automatically disconnect your equipment from the power to protect equipment from damage.Once the voltage returns to a safe level, the M5400-PM will automatically reconnect the power. When subjected to a 6,000V (open circuit voltage) / 500A (short circuit current) surge, the M5400-PM limits its voltage output to less than 330V peak, UL"s best rating. If the magnitude of the surge is greater than the capacity of the surge protection components, the M5400-PM"s Protect or Disconnect Circuitry will disconnect your equipment in order to protect it. The M5400-PM will need to be repaired or replaced by Panamax if this occurs within the product’s 3 year warranty.Five Isolated Outlet BanksThe M5400-PM is designed to provide noise isolation between the outlet banks so that any noise created by A/V components plugged into the M5400-PM cannot contaminate the power going to equipment plugged into the other outlet banks of the M5400-PM.Sequential Startup/ShutdownComplex audio/video systems may be susceptible to voltage transients generated internally at start-up/shutdown if all of the equipment is powered on or off at the same time. This can cause speaker "thumps" which are not only annoying but can also damage the speakers and/or trip product circuit breakers. The M5400-PM is designed to eliminate these transients by providing a "start-up" delay for the High-Current outlets and a "shutdown" delay for the Switched Outlet Banks. This minimizes in-rush current issues by allowing the components plugged into the Switched Outlet Banks to power-up and stabilize before any amplifiers and powered sub-woofers are turned on. This sequence is reversed during shutdown. The amplifiers and powered subwoofers turn off, their power supplies drain, and then the equipment plugged into the Switched Outlet Banks are turned off.USB Charger, LAN, and Gaming PortsThe M5400-PM features a front panel convenience charger for mp3 players, cell phones, video game controllers, and other small electronics. (NOTE: Some devices may not be compatible with this USB charger.) Add to this an easy-to-access LAN port pass-thru from the rear panel to the front panel for online gaming and a convenience outlet located on the front panel, perfect for gaming systems and other electronics.Find out more about the M5400Voltage Sense TriggerThe M5400-PM voltage sense trigger input uses a standard 3.5mm (1/8") mini-mono plug. This feature provides an ON/OFF trigger for the M5400-PM using a Direct Current voltage signal. Many components such as pre-amplifiers and receivers have a DC trigger built in, and will transmit a constant power signal when turned on and in use. The presence of this power signal will turn on the M5400- PM"s switched outlets. When the source component is turned off, the voltage trigger signal is also turned off and the M5400-PM"s shutdown sequence is initiated. An AC Adapter of the appropriate voltage plugged into a switched outlet may also be used if a DC trigger is not built in.Protection for Cable/Satellite/Antenna as Well as LAN and Telephone LinesCoaxial protection circuits achieve optimum signal quality from our new coaxial protectors that have the smallest signal loss on the market - less than 0.5 db of attenuation from 0 MHz to 2.2 GHz. Our upgraded coaxial protection has been specifically designed to virtually eliminate signal loss. The clamping level of 75V will meet the demands of both cable and satellite voltage while minimizing exposure to damaging spikes and surges.

Digital video recorders and satellite TV receivers require a telephone line connection for TV show scheduling and/or Pay-Per-View services. The M5400-PM also provides surge protection for this line. One pair of RJ-11 telephone jacks is provided for this. The circuitry utilizes auto-resetting PTCRs and solidstate SIDACtors for reliability and unsurpassed protection. The clamping level of the M5400- PM"s telephone protector is 260 volts. This will allow typical ring voltage (90-130VAC) and operating battery voltage (-48DC) to pass through the circuit and still protect the modem in your satellite receiver from damage.

Protection circuits for 10/100 baseT Ethernet lines. Incoming LAN line MUST be plugged into the LINE jack. Patch cord to the equipment MUST be plugged into the EQUIP jacks. 1 LAN jack goes to the front panel output jack. 8 wire protection, 52V clamping.The M5400 provides reliable power protection for mid-sized home theater systems

The Panamax Family of Power Management Solutions for Home Theater ApplicationsSurge Protection & AVMVoltage RegulationHome Theater ApplicationsLinear FiltrationIsolated Outlet BanksTotal OutletsHow this benefits your home theater system:Protects equipment against momentary spikes and prolonged over/under voltages by disconnecting the power and reconnecting it when safe power returns Improves system performance and extends equipment life by providing a consistent level of optimal power to your equipment Just a few examples of electronic equipment pieces that need power management protection Improves Picture and Sound. Provides concert-quality sound and theater quality video Isolating outlet banks from one another prevents noise contamination between components Each model offers a mix of always-on, switched, and high-current outlets to meet the needs of every systemM7500-PROIncluded (The Ultimate)*

*with regulation Included 50” and above TV screen size, Media Servers, Home Automation Systems, Audio/Video Receivers (AVR), Amplifiers, DVD players, Video Game Consoles, Powered Speakers, Subwoofers EMI/RFI Banks 1 - 4 100 db, 100 KHz – 2 MHz

*with regulation Included 50” and above TV screen size, Media Servers, Home Automation Systems, Audio/Video Receivers (AVR), Amplifiers, DVD players, Video Game Consoles, Powered Speakers, Subwoofers EMI/RFI Banks 1-4: 80db, 100KHz, -2MHz

Bank 5 (Hi Current): 60db, 100KHz -2MHz 5 11M5300-PMIncluded (Best) Not included 50” and above TV screen size, Receivers, Amplifiers, DVD players, Video Game Consoles, Powered Speakers, Subwoofers EMI/RFI Banks 1-4: 80db, 100KHz, -2MHz

Bank 5 (Hi Current): 60db, 100KHz, -2MHz 5 11M5100-PMIncluded (Better) Not included 19" and above TV screen size, Receivers, DVD players, Video Game Consoles, Powered Speakers, Subwoofers EMI/RFI Banks 1-2: 80db, 100KHz, -2MHz

Bank 3 (Hi Current): 60db, 100KHz, -2MHz 3 11M4300-PMIncluded (Good) Not included 19" and above TV screen size, Receivers, DVD players, Video Game Consoles, Powered Speakers, Subwoofers EMI/RFI Bank 1: 60db, 100KHz, -2MHz

What"s in the Box(1) M5400-PM Power Management Component (1) Coaxial cable, 36 inches (1) Telephone Cable, 48 inches (1) LAN cable (CAT-5), 48 inches (1) Rack mount kit

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A power conditioner is an electrical device that provides "clean" AC power to sensitive electrical equipment. A typical one for home or office has up to ten or more receptacles or outlets and commonly provides surge protection as well as noise filtering. Many models also provide Ethernet, cable and phone line conditioning.

Most people are familiar with surge protectors, which guard against damage due to sudden spikes in the electrical current. While these devices safeguard equipment, a power conditioner cleans the signal, eliminating interference on the line. This can translate to faster, more reliable network operations, improved modem throughput, better quality cable TV feed and superior audio/video for home theater systems.

Line noise can result from a number of issues, including random fluctuations in the AC current, inferior or damaged wiring, interference from other machines or appliances, overhead fluorescent lighting or even bad weather. "Dirty power" impedes signal clarity by causing disruption of signal integrity. In the example of a television set, static translates to a visually degraded picture or "snow." Audio signals suffer distortion. A dial-up modem might get frequent disconnects, while static on a DSL or cable modem will negatively impact data transfer speeds.

A good quality power conditioner is designed with internal filter banks to isolate its individual power outlets or receptacles. This eliminates interference or "cross-talk" between components. If one is used for a home theater system, the noise suppression rating listed in the technical specifications of the device will be very important. This rating is expressed in decibels (db).

The higher the db rating, the better the noise suppression. Good units start at a rating of about 40 to 60 db for noise filtering. If a device does not state the db rating in its specs, it may be better for a consumer to move on to a different model or manufacturer.

For surge suppression, people should be sure the unit has an adequate "maximum watt" capacity for their needs. Plasma HDTVs, for example, use more electricity than LCDs, and one popular 50-inch plasma HDTV is rated at 555 watts. With a multi-channel receiver and other components, wattage quickly can add up in a home theater system.

The power conditioner will also have a "joule" rating. A joule is a measurement of power or heat required to sustain one watt for one second, known as a watt-second. Since electrical surges are momentary spikes, the joule rating indicates how much watt-energy the suppressor can absorb at once before becoming damaged itself. The higher the joule rating, the greater the protection.

Today"s computer and home theater systems represent substantial investments, so some high grade power conditioners come with monetary guarantees against damage to connected equipment due to electrical surge — in some cases up to $500,000 US Dollars (USD). These particular devices also come with lifetime guarantees. Considering their cost, they are a worthwhile investment to protect equipment and provide clean power for the best possible audio/visual experience.

A good conditioner with all of the features mentioned above and a noise suppression rating of 60 db might have a list price of well over $100 USD, but can usually be found for less with some diligent shopping. Units with higher list prices normally have extended LED indicator lights and are "flashier." They might also have higher wattage and db ratings, but this is not necessarily true, so shoppers should check the specifications.

Although this term is often used interchangeably with "line conditioner," these terms can also refer to devices that not only condition power but also regulate voltage. This type of line conditioner, often used in industry, will boost voltage when it drops or act as a surge protector when it peaks, maintaining a steady flow of electricity within a set range of voltage parameters. The typical power conditioner used by the householder for computer and home theater systems does not commonly include voltage regulation.

Merriam-Webster"s 11th Collegiate Dictionary defines tot as "1: a small child: TODDLER; 2: a small drink or allowance of liquor: SHOT." Torus Power used it to name their compact line of toroidal power conditioners. Although small in size, weight, and price, the TOT AVR includes the Automatic Voltage Regulation referred to in its name, as well as noise filtering and smart Ethernet control, and is available with series-mode surge suppression (SMSS) circuit protection.

Kevin Main, president of Torus Power, joined me for lunch in Las Vegas during the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show, to tell me the story of the TOT AVR. It began with a call from one of their Mexican sales representatives. Mexico City, where the nominal voltage is 127V, suffers from daily voltage variations, with swings from 85V to 145V that repeatably stress the amplifier sections of stereo receivers, which eventually fail. Simply preventing voltage spikes can"t protect electronics from wide variations in voltage that happen slowly, over minutes. Torus Power"s AVR-15 power conditioner ($3500) could stabilize the line voltage but proved too expensive, too big, and too heavy (56 lbs) to appeal to the owners of $1200 stereo receivers.

Torus"s engineers adapted the AVR-15 into a lower-amperage design in a much smaller, lighter, and less expensive package that regulated voltage while also protecting against surges and spikes, and called it the TOT AVR ($2299). When it began shipping, in October 2016, customer response was strong, and Mexico City audiophiles were safe at last. At the end of this tale, Main offered me a review sample. I eagerly accepted. As the review progressed, I became aware of the TOT AVR"s considerable strengths—as well as its limits.

The parent company of Torus Power is Plitron (footnote 1), a 30-year-old Toronto company that builds power-supply transformers for Bryston, Krell, Mark Levinson, and Pass Labs amplifiers. At the time, Bryston also marketed a line of Plitron freestanding Power Isolation Units (PIUs) under the brand name Torus Power that combined surge suppression with AC-line noise filtering to provide clean AC power and protection from voltage spikes. Torus Power now manufactures three TOTs: the six-outlet TOT Mini, with a maximum current input limit of 7A, a power rating of 805VA, and a weight of 25.5 lbs; the eight-outlet TOT Max (15A, 1725VA, 50 lbs); and the six-outlet TOT AVR (10A, 1200VA, 35.2 lbs). The TOT AVR is 48.9 lbs lighter, 6.5" narrower, 2.5" shallower, 2.3" shorter, and $1300 cheaper than the Torus Power RM 20 I"ve used for the last eight years. Unlike the RM 20 and the two other TOTs, the TOT AVR can also regulate the AC line voltage so that it remains at 120V, ±5V.

On the left of the TOT AVR"s front panel is a large, illuminated power toggle switch; on the right is a two-line LCD display. A pushbutton below that screen switches between displays of the input voltage, output voltage, RMS current load, and the IP address of the TOT"s internal webpage. The raked rear panel gives a good view of the TOT"s six hospital-grade NEMA 5-15 AC outlets, an Ethernet jack, an RS-232 input for automation and external control, a 12V trigger on/off input, and a 12V fault output. There"s also a courtesy USB charger outlet, a bay for a 10A fuse, and an IEC 320-C14 inlet for the three-pronged, 14AWG AC cord. Each of the TOT"s six AC sockets is claimed to present a lower impedance source—often less than 2 ohms—than do most wall outlets.

The TOT"s compact interior is dominated by an oversize, shock-mounted, 1200VA toroidal transformer attached by a pole piece to the bottom plate. This transformer is wrapped in Mylar tape, and has a Neoprene mount. It uses a triple-ground screen that functions as a low-pass filter to isolate the primary from the secondary windings in a way that is said to attenuate differential and common-mode, 2kHz–1MHz line noise from motors, lights, and dimmers. The TOT AVR"s startup delay function protects electronics plugged into it when power is restored following a blackout.

The little remaining interior space is occupied by two smaller sensing transformers for the AVR stabilizer circuit, a board for other AVR components, and the optional SMSS board installed in my review sample ($250). The internal wiring is large-gauge and carefully dressed, with sturdy push-on connectors for easy servicing. Any open electrical contacts are shielded with additional insulation. All wiring and components look extremely rugged, and the large wire gauge, quality of connectors, and shielding all appear topnotch—as good as any I"ve seen in high-end power amplifiers.

The TOT AVR"s Automatic Voltage Regulation (AVR) circuit is designed to maintain a stable voltage output of 120V, ±5V, within a range of 85–135V. As the line voltage changes, the AVR"s microprocessor-based system switches among nine different transformer taps to maintain the 120V output. (A 20-second delay is built into the AVR system.) If the incoming voltage goes above or below the 85–135V range (high or low), the TOT shuts itself down. Internal software allows the TOT AVR to access the Web via its Ethernet port, giving the user the ability to monitor and control its operation when away from home.

The optional Series Mode Surge Suppression (SMSS) board provides rapid, reliable, repeatable protection from voltage surges; in TOT AVRs sold in the US, the SMSS circuit clamps the voltage instantly if it rises more than 2V above the 135V limit. This replaces the TOT"s standard metal-oxide varistors (MOVs), which Torus describes as "sacrificial" because they absorb the voltage surge by instantly dropping their resistance to zero, which they can handle for just a few cycles before being destroyed. Torus claims that the SMSS circuit provides reliable protection against voltage spikes of up to 6000V, current surges of up to 3000A, for up to 1000 repeated electrical events. This capability protects audiophile equipment not only from Mexico City"s overvoltage surges, but also from lightning strikes. The manual points out that the SMSS works only if the TOT AVR is left powered up, and warns that it is not designed to protect against any voltage irregularities that can occur during power blackouts and later restoration of power.

The TOT AVR had been designed for products whose current draw would not exceed its 10A limit. My Mark Levinson No.334 stereo amplifier can draw 5–6 amps to drive my 4 ohm Revel loudspeakers—well within the TOT"s 10A limit. For example, the steady-state current draw of my No.334 amp never exceeded 9A (sustained) when playing the bass-heavy "Deeper Well," from Emmylou Harris"s Spyboy (CD, Eminent 25001-2). On the other hand, each of my two JL Audio Fathom f212 v2 powered subwoofers contains an amplifier capable of short-term output of 3600W—three times the TOT"s spec of 1200VA. Brett Hanes, Home Audio Product Engineer for JLA, stated that the f212 v2 rarely exceeds peaks of 1000W with music, and thought the TOT AVR could handle the load. He proved to be correct. Even so, I kept a close eye on the TOT AVR"s display, to track the steady-state current draw.

Installation involved placing the 35.2-lb TOT AVR atop the larger Torus RM-20, where it would get adequate ventilation. At different times, I plugged the cords of a variety of components into the TOT AVR"s rear-panel jacks, with its own detachable power cord plugged into the wall. The TOT AVR supplied power to my Mark Levinson No.334 dual-mono stereo amplifier (125Wpc into 8 ohms), a Mark Levinson No.585 integrated amplifier (200Wpc into 8 ohms), my two JLA Fathom subs, and JLA"s CR-1 electronic crossover (30W). Later, I plugged into it a pair of Mark Levinson No.536 monoblocks (400W into 8 ohms).

With the TOT AVR feeding my reference system of a Mark Levinson No.334 stereo amplifier driving a pair of Revel Ultima Salon2 speakers, I heard subtle improvements in imaging, soundstage depth, and instrumental timbres, as well as in dynamic range, resolution, and tonal balance. The TOT created jet-"black" backgrounds that enhanced the three-dimensionality of images even when dynamics were extreme or the volume was loud. Removing the TOT AVR from my system made me aware of the slight line noise from my wall outlets. This was most evident when I listened to the prominent conga drum that opens "Hotel California," from the Eagles" Hell Freezes Over (CD, Geffen GEFD-24725). Without the line noise, the drumbeats at center stage that anchor this passage were more clearly defined and separate from the crowd noise. The similarly massive bass chord that cuts in just after the opening of Emmylou Harris"s "Deeper Well," from Spyboy (CD, Eminent 25001-2), was focused front and center, allowing me to hear her voice and the drums separately, farther back on the stage.

As I played music, the TOT AVR displayed the Mark Levinson No.334 amplifier"s current draw in real time. With no signal present and the amplifier idling, the current showed as 0.5A. The ML No.536 monoblocks raised the current draw at idle to 5A. "The Maker," also from Spyboy, drew a continuous 6.4A from the No.334, and 11A from the ML No.536s. John Rutter"s Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Thy Peace pulled 2.6A, and his Piè Jesu drew 1.7A—both from Requiem, with Timothy Seelig conducting the Turtle Creek Chorale (CD, Reference RR-57CD)—and roughly twice those figures from the No.536s. The dense, solid bass-drum notes that erupt from Eiji Oue and the Minnesota Orchestra"s recording of Stravinsky"s The Rite of Spring (24-bit/176kHz PCM file, Reference RR-70) drew 7.5A from the No.334 and 12.6A from the No.536s. Incidentally, as I played this recording, the TOT AVR"s display reported a drop in the line voltage to 110V, even as it maintained an output voltage of 123V.

I inadvertently confirmed the TOT AVR"s specified upper current limit of 1200W, 10A when I pushed the No.536s—each capable of drawing 1000W—even harder than I had before. During "Deeper Well," the Torus"s display read 16A. The two No.536 monoblocks and Revel Ultima Salon2 speakers continued to show off their jaw-dropping dynamic range against noiseless backgrounds. But my joy was short-lived—the TOT AVR soon shut down. I removed the top plate, and while I saw no evidence of damage and there was no smell of burning parts, I couldn"t get the TOT AVR to turn back on. My digital multimeter confirmed that the TOT AVR"s 10A ceramic fuse had blown. A quick trip to Home Depot scored a new Eaton Bussmann fABC-10, a fast-acting, 10A ceramic fuse designed for use in microwave ovens. The TOT AVR instantly revived, no worse for wear.

My eight-year-old, 10-outlet Torus Power RM 20 (current price $3299) uses the same filtering and toroidal-transformer isolation as the TOT AVR, and produces most of the same improvements in line-noise suppression, tonal balance, and resolution. On the other hand, the much smaller TOT AVR did a better job of improving the three-dimensionality of my system"s sound, and its reproduction of detail and palpability of imaging—but it did blow that fuse when supplying AC to my Levinson No.536 monoblocks. The RM 20 never broke a sweat.

I compared the AVR TOT"s specs and price with those of other power conditioners listed in Stereophile"s "Recommended Components." All sport the same important features: line-noise filtering, surge suppression, an isolation transformer, and the use of non-MOV circuits to provide protection from voltage spikes following lightning strokes. PS Audio"s Power Plant Premier AC Regenerator (36 lbs, 10 outlets, $2195) matched the TOT AVR"s 1200VA power rating, while PSA"s newer PerfectWave P10 Power Plant AC Regenerator (82 lbs, 10 outlets, $4999) can handle power up to 1500VA. AudioQuest"s Niagara 7000 Low-Z Power Noise-Dissipation System (81 lbs, 2400VA, 12 outlets, $7995), which shares many of the TOT AVR"s features but can handle up to twice the power, was voted Stereophile"s Joint Accessory of the Year for 2016. Audience LLC"s AdeptResponse aR12-TS (15 lbs, 2400VA, 12 outlets, $8995) includes non-MOV voltage-spike protection, line filtering, and power-factor correction. Setting aside the higher power-handling abilities and list prices of these recommended models, the TOT AVR provides most of their key operating features in a smaller, lighter, less expensive, lower-current package that also offers automatic voltage regulation.

The more I lived with Torus Power"s TOT AVR, the more it delighted me. I enjoyed its modest size, moderate weight, and reasonable price, as well as the peace of mind of knowing that my gear was safe from lightning. Its build quality is first-rate, and its feature list is more practical than exotic. In my system, the TOT AVR improved musical detail and three-dimensional imaging for a wide range of music. And did I say that I like its low price? As with the Apple iPad, I couldn"t have imagined how much this little power conditioner could become a necessary part of my audio system until I"d lived with it for nearly a year.

The TOT AVR"s only limitation is its power capacity. When considering adding a power conditioner—especially this one—to an audio system, the buyer should make sure its specs match the system"s requirements. This means that the TOT AVR should not be used in systems whose steady-state current demands exceed 10A. For such systems—eg, my own when my 400W monoblocks are in use—use a 2400W-rated power conditioner such as AudioQuest"s Niagara 7000, Audience"s AdeptResponse aR12-TS, or Torus"s own RM 20. Otherwise, I highly recommend the TOT AVR.

Data acquisition (commonly abbreviated as DAQ or DAS) is the process of sampling signals that measure real-world physical phenomena and converting them into a digital form that can be manipulated by a computer and software.

Data Acquisition is generally accepted to be distinct from earlier forms of recording to tape recorders or paper charts. Unlike those methods, the signals are converted from the analog domain to the digital domain and then recorded to a digital medium such as ROM, flash media, or hard disk drives.

Note that there are several other measurands, including light and images, sound, mass, position, speed, etc. that can be measured by the data acquisition system.

Dewesoft provides easy-to-use modern and modular digital data acquisition systems for the simple and for most demanding test and measurement applications while also offering an industry-leading 7-year warranty.

The primary purpose of a data acquisition system is to acquire and store the data. But they are also intended to provide real-time and post-recording visualization and analysis of the data. Furthermore, most data acquisition systems have some analytical and report generation capability built in.

A recent innovation is the combination of data acquisition and control, where a high-quality DAQ system is connected tightly and synchronized with a real-time control system. You can read more about this topic in the related article: “Merging Data Acquisition with a Real-Time Control System”.

Data acquisition systems or DAQ devices are essential in the testing of products, from automobiles to medical devices - basically, any electromechanical device that people use.

Before data acquisition, products were tested in an unstructured, highly subjective manner. For example, when testing a new suspension in an automobile, engineers often relied on the opinions of test drivers as to how the suspension “felt” to them.

Example of a testing scenario where Dewesoft"s data acquisition system is used to record, store and analyze the data during extreme weight load testing on a truck

Today, no one would consider making any kind of vehicle, large or small, aircraft, medical devices, large-scale machinery, etc without employing data acquisition to objectively measure their performance, safety, and reliability.

Data acquisition is the process of converting real-world signals to the digital domain for display, storage, and analysis. Because physical phenomena exist in the analog domain, i.e., the physical world that we live in, they must be first measured there and then converted to the digital domain.

This process is done using a variety of sensors and signal conditioning circuitry. The outputs are sampled by analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and then written in a time-based stream to a digital memory media, as mentioned above. We usually call such systems the measurement systems.

The measurement of a physical phenomenon, such as the temperature, the level of a sound source, or the vibration occurring from constant motion, begins with a sensor. A sensor is also called a transducer. A sensor converts a physical phenomenon into a measurable electrical signal.

Sensors are used in our everyday lives. For example, the common mercury thermometer is a very old type of sensor used for measuring temperature. Using colored mercury in a closed tube, it relies on the fact that this chemical has a consistent and linear reaction to changes in temperature. By marking the tube with temperature values, we can look at the thermometer and see what the temperature is with limited precision.

So other types of sensors have been invented to measure temperatures, such as thermocouples, thermistors, RTDs (Resistance Temperature Detectors), and even infra-red temperature detectors. Millions of these sensors are at work every day in all manner of applications, from the engine temperature shown on our automobile dashboard, to the temperatures measured in pharmaceutical manufacturing. Virtually every industry utilizes temperature measurement in some way.

Depending on the type of sensor, its electrical output can be a voltage, current, resistance, or another electrical attribute that varies over time. The output of these analog sensors is typically connected to the input of a signal conditioner, which we will discuss in the next section.

If we continue the example of the thermocouple. The signal conditioning circuitry needs to linearize the output from the sensor as well as provide isolation, and amplification to bring the very small voltage up to a nominal level for digitizing.

Each signal conditioning circuitry is designed by the manufacturer to perform the elemental normalizing of the sensor output to ensure its linearity and fidelity to the source phenomena, and prepare it for digitizing. And since every sensor type is different, the signal conditioners must conform perfectly to them.

Sometimes also referred to as galvanic isolation, electrical isolation is the separation of a circuit from other sources of electrical potentials. This is especially important with measuring systems because most signals exist at relatively low levels, and external electrical potentials can influence the signal quality greatly, resulting in wrong readings. Interfering potentials can be both AC and DC in nature.

For example, when a sensor is placed directly on an article under test, (e.g. a power supply) which has potential above ground (i.e., not at 0V), this can impose a DC offset on the signal of hundreds of volts. Electrical interference or noise can also take the form of AC signals created by other electrical components in the signal path or in the environment around the test. For example, fluorescent lights in the room can radiate 400Hz which can be picked up by very sensitive sensors.

This is why the best data acquisition systems have isolated inputs - to preserve the integrity of the signal chain and ensure that what the sensor outputs is truly what has been read. There are several kinds of isolation techniques employed today.

Virtually every signal that we want to measure can be affected by electrical interference or noise. This has a variety of causes, including ambient electromagnetic fields which can be induced into high gain signal lines, or simple voltage potentials that exist between the sensor or measuring system and the object under test. Therefore, the best signal conditioning systems provide selectable filtering that the engineer can use in order to remove these interferences and make better measurements.

Some filtering, such as anti-aliasing filtering, can only be done in the analog domain. This is because once a false signal caused by under-sampling has been digitized, there is no way to know what the real signal looked like anymore. However, nearly all other filtering can be done in the digital domain, i.e., in software, after the signal has been digitized.

Filters are also defined by how many poles they have. The more poles, the steeper the roll-off they are capable of performing on the signal. This roll-off or slope simply means how many decibels of the signal can be rolled off per octave. The specification of the filter in question will typically give the maximum roll-off in dB/Q.

Dewesoft DAQ hardware typically provides low-pass filtering as required by the types of signals being measured. Some conditioners additionally provide high-pass filtering, for example, CHARGE signal amplifiers. Removing unwanted low-frequency elements is especially critical if the measured signal will be integrated or double-integrated, as unwanted elements would badly distort the derived speed or displacement values.

You will also hear of filter types such as Bessel, Butterworth, Elliptic, and Chebyshev to name just a few. Because all filters impose distortions onto the signal itself due to their very nature, engineers over the years have developed their own filtering types in order to provide the best possible results for their specific purposes.

You can see that there are trade-offs among these filter types. Therefore it is up to the engineer to choose the best filter type for their application.

DewesoftX DAQ software provides a broad palette of user-selectable filtering options, including all of the ones mentioned above and more. It is interesting to note that software filters can be applied after measurement - and even removed or modified after measurement. This provides the engineer with many tools by which to analyze their data non-destructively.

Using DewesoftX software, engineers can record their data without filtering, and then apply various filters after recording and experimenting, even doing side-by-side comparisons with the original signal. This flexibility is a powerful analysis tool and extremely easy to implement. It preserves the raw, unfiltered data and simultaneously allows the engineer to apply filters as needed, creating a different data set for analytical or presentation purposes.

The output of most physical measurement signal conditions is an analog signal. It is necessary to convert this signal to a series of high-speed digital values so that it can be displayed and stored by the data acquisition system. As such, an A/D card or A/D subsystem is used to convert this signal.

There are a variety of ADC types, including both multiplexed and single converters per channel. In a multiplexed ADC system, a single analog-to-digital converter is used to convert multiple signals from analog to digital domain. This is done by multiplexing the analog signals one at a time into the ADC.

This is a lower-cost approach compared to having an ADC chip per channel. But on the other hand, it is not possible to precisely align the signals on the time axis, because only one signal can ever be converted at a time. Therefore, there is always a time skew between channels.

In the early days of data acquisition, 8-bit ADCs were common. As of this writing, 24-bit ADCs are standard among most data acquisition systems designed to make dynamic measurements, and 16-bit ADCs are commonly considered the bare minimum resolution for signals in general.

On the Y or vertical axis, ADCs are available with various resolutions. The most common today are 16-bit and 24-bit. An ADC with a 16-bit resolution can theoretically digitize an incoming signal with a resolution of one part in 65,535 (2^16 = 65,536).

This number is actually reduced by noise and quantization error among other factors, but it provides a good starting point for comparison. Because each bit of resolution effectively doubles the quantization resolution, systems with 24-bit ADCs provide 2^24 = 16,777,216. Thus, an incoming one-volt signal can be divided into more than 16 million steps on the Y-axis.

ADCs which provide anti-aliasing filtering (AAF) is highly desirable in all applications involving dynamic measurements because they prevent measuring errors caused by sampling a signal at a too low rate. This aliasing is when a false signal is created by sampling too infrequently for a fast-changing signal.

Once converted to digital, our signals (aka measurands) are processed by the computer subsystem in several ways. First and foremost they can be displayed to the test operator on the system’s screen for visual inspection and review. Most DAQ systems show the data in several popular formats, including a time-history aka “strip chart” (Y/T) display, as well as a numerical display. But other display types are available from many systems on the market today, including bar graphs, X-Y graphs, and more.

Today’s data acquisition systems typically utilize a solid-state hard disk drive (SSD or HDD) to stream data from the ADC subsystem to permanent storage. Writing the data to disk also allows it to be analyzed after the test is completed.

Most DAQ systems allow the data to be exported to different file formats for analysis using third-party software tools. Common data formats include CSV (Comma Separated Values), UNV (Universal File Format), and more.

DewesoftX data acquisition software which is included for free with our modular data acquisition systems is able to export data to both formats plus many others. See the complete list of supported file export formats.

One of the most critical functions of any DAQ system is the ability to visualize the data in real-time during data storage. Systems typically employ an integrated or separate flat-screen display, which can be configured in a variety of visual formats.

Waveform data can almost always be displayed as Y/T waveforms against a graph or grid, and in numeric form. But other graphical conventions can be employed in addition, such as bar graph meters, FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) frequency/magnitude graphs, and more.

Today’s most flexible DAQ systems allow the user to configure one or more displays freely using built-in graphical widgets in an easy manner. DewesoftX software offers several high quality built-in visual instruments:

Data acquisition systems provide an important visual reference to the state of the test in real-time. But after it has been stored in the DAQ system, the data can also be analyzed using tools either built into the DAQ system or third-party data analysis software.

As mentioned earlier, nearly every DAQ system on the market today has several built-in data export filters that convert the system’s proprietary data format to third-party data formats for offline analysis.

Today"s data acquisition systems come in many forms and flavors. From modular data acquisition systems to all-in-one DAQs. There are many to choose from that suit certain applications. To learn about different types of data acquisition systems please check the following article - Types of data acquisition systems.

Data acquisition systems are sold by a variety of companies and are available with a broad range of capabilities and specifications, thus the prices can vary significantly. It is useful to provide general pricing for these various levels of DAQ systems, using the price-per-channel model. Estimated prices are given in USD (US dollars):

Do-it-yourself DAQ systems are impossible to estimate because they cover a wide span from a few channels to a system that took 10 man-years to develop and/or which involve hundreds or even thousands of channels.