Glossary · Automation fundamentals, platforms and components
Noise suppression (electrical)
Also known as: Interference suppression, EMI suppression
German: Störunterdrückung
In electrical engineering, noise suppression is the set of measures that reduce electromagnetic interference and signal noise, such as shielding, grounding, filtering, cable separation and suppression components on inductive loads.
- Automation components
In one sentence
Noise suppression reduces electromagnetic interference and signal noise through shielding, grounding, filtering and cable separation.
Example
An RC suppressor across a contactor coil prevents voltage spikes that previously caused analog input values to jump.
How it applies
- Engineering: Measures include shielded cables with correct shield connection, separate routing of power and signal cables, line filters, and suppressors (RC elements, varistors, diodes) on inductive loads. Software filters smooth noisy signals.
- Commissioning: Intermittent faults such as random input changes often trace back to interference.
- Documentation: Installation instructions should state cabling, shielding and grounding requirements clearly, because installers decide much of the EMC behavior on site.
- Maintenance: Damaged shields, loose grounding connections and cables rerouted next to power lines are frequent causes of interference after modifications.
Noise suppression vs. signal filtering
Hardware suppression prevents interference from entering. Software filtering removes noise from a signal after measurement but adds delay and can hide real changes. Both should be documented where they affect response times.