When failure strikes a product for which we are responsible, we will spend considerable time and money to find and resolve the problem. Many such failures occur in electronic products because the product design engineer failed to give adequate heed to the two major nemeses of electronic products- overheating and power line disturbances. The subject of this paper is the latter of these, but both are deadly to solid-state devices. Also, power line problems can be the cause of overheating. There has been a quantum leap in the last few years in digital technology.
Microprocessors are everywhere.
Soon they will control virtually everything. They are no longer limited to computers, which everyone expects to be finicky gadgets, but are also found in washing machines, microwave ovens, office copiers, radios, and VCR's to just name a few. Soon every home and business will have a dozen, if not several dozen microprocessors operating within its confines. And most of this equipment will be plugged into the power line. The power line is not only the life blood of these valued products but it is also the demon which will destroy them without adequate safeguards.