Which shielding grounding option corresponds to grounding the shield at one end?

Which shielding grounding option corresponds to grounding the shield at one end?

• A. The shield is connected to the conductor
• B. Both ends of the shield are grounded
• C. The shield is removed
• D. One end of the shield is grounded

Answer: (D)

Shielding blocks external interference, but how you ground the shield changes its behavior and the risk of ground loops. Grounding the shield at one end uses a single reference point, which minimizes the loop area that noise currents could travel through. Any induced currents stay toward that single ground point rather than forming a circulating loop along the shield, helping to prevent hum and interference from being picked up and conducted back into the signal. Grounding at both ends can create ground-loop currents if the two grounds are at different potentials, letting noise currents run around the shield itself and potentially back into the circuitry. Removing the shield removes the barrier to interference altogether, so shielding is lost. Connecting the shield to the conductor ties the shield to the signal return, which changes impedance and can allow noise to couple into the signal path. So, grounding the shield at one end is the approach that provides shielding while minimizing ground-loop issues.

Shielding blocks external interference, but how you ground the shield changes its behavior and the risk of ground loops. Grounding the shield at one end uses a single reference point, which minimizes the loop area that noise currents could travel through. Any induced currents stay toward that single ground point rather than forming a circulating loop along the shield, helping to prevent hum and interference from being picked up and conducted back into the signal.

Grounding at both ends can create ground-loop currents if the two grounds are at different potentials, letting noise currents run around the shield itself and potentially back into the circuitry. Removing the shield removes the barrier to interference altogether, so shielding is lost. Connecting the shield to the conductor ties the shield to the signal return, which changes impedance and can allow noise to couple into the signal path.

So, grounding the shield at one end is the approach that provides shielding while minimizing ground-loop issues.