False tripping is when the monitor unnecessarily removes power from a circuit that has a good continuous ground. Mine personnel trying to eliminate false tripping may make incorrect adjustments to the calibration potentiometer on the receiver card. This misadjustment can result in the monitor being calibrated to above 75 ohms. In some rare cases, the misadjustment could result in failure to detect an open ground wire. Parallel paths are physical return paths other than the ground conductor which are capable of carrying the monitor's signal.
Parallel paths are frequently through the machine's frame to earth and back to the power center.
The parallel paths reduce the amount of signal returning through the ground conductor. A reduced signal is interpreted by the monitor as increased resistance in the ground conductor. The GK8 is designed to trip when the resistance of the ground conductor exceeds 75 ohms. The chip controls the frequency of the monitoring signal. In normal operation this signal is 4,160 hertz.