A simple question... - Electronic Circuits Projects Diagrams Free

eyevancsu · 26th March 2003, 01:53 AM

Seems kind of sad, but how or what do you do to "ground" something? been puzzling me for weeks.

thx in advance...ivan

daviddoria · 26th March 2003, 06:13 AM

as far as i'm concerned, it means connecting it to the negative terminal of the battery

however, generally it means providing the current a direct path to the ground, hence the name "grounding". in car electronics, this is accomplished by connecting the thing you want to ground to the frame of the car.

any better explanations?

Phasor · 26th March 2003, 07:56 AM

A "ground" in a circuit, can be a reference point from which measurements are taken. It is also a return path for current, after it passes through a load.

In mains applications, 'ground' (as daviddoria said) is something that is electrically bonded to the Earth (the soil you stand on). Eg, water pipes, earth stakes + associated wiring. Depending on what area you live in, and the local regulations, the neutral may be connected to the earth (this is called the MEN system, or Multiple Earthed Neutral)

daviddoria... Although in modern cars, the negative is connected to the chassis, many years ago, it used to be the other way - the positive was connected to the chassis. This is 'positive grounding'.

**mechie** · 26th March 2003, 02:35 PM

So it seeme to depend on where you are (language problems again) and the application :?

In the UK a mains earth would be connected to 'soil' but a circuit's ground may not be at earth potential :!:
A circuit diagram may have a point called 'ground' but this will probably just be a convenient refrence point for test measurements. A battery powered circuit could call one power rail 'ground' for this purpose.

Phasor... your MEN sounds like the system we (UK) call PME - Protective Multiple Earth (language problems again) :roll:

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26th March 2003, 01:53 AM	(permalink)
eyevancsu	A simple question... Seems kind of sad, but how or what do you do to "ground" something? been puzzling me for weeks. thx in advance...ivan

26th March 2003, 06:13 AM	(permalink)
daviddoria	as far as i'm concerned, it means connecting it to the negative terminal of the battery however, generally it means providing the current a direct path to the ground, hence the name "grounding". in car electronics, this is accomplished by connecting the thing you want to ground to the frame of the car. any better explanations? __________________ thanks, david

26th March 2003, 07:56 AM	(permalink)
Phasor	A "ground" in a circuit, can be a reference point from which measurements are taken. It is also a return path for current, after it passes through a load. In mains applications, 'ground' (as daviddoria said) is something that is electrically bonded to the Earth (the soil you stand on). Eg, water pipes, earth stakes + associated wiring. Depending on what area you live in, and the local regulations, the neutral may be connected to the earth (this is called the MEN system, or Multiple Earthed Neutral) daviddoria... Although in modern cars, the negative is connected to the chassis, many years ago, it used to be the other way - the positive was connected to the chassis. This is 'positive grounding'.

26th March 2003, 02:35 PM	(permalink)
mechie	Ground or Earth ? So it seeme to depend on where you are (language problems again) and the application :? In the UK a mains earth would be connected to 'soil' but a circuit's ground may not be at earth potential :!: A circuit diagram may have a point called 'ground' but this will probably just be a convenient refrence point for test measurements. A battery powered circuit could call one power rail 'ground' for this purpose. Phasor... your MEN sounds like the system we (UK) call PME - Protective Multiple Earth (language problems again) :roll: __________________ I need a memory upgrade ... My head is full !