SURGE PROTECTION: Is Your AV System Truly Protected? Power surges take many forms - lightning, inductive-load switching, electrostatic discharge, and more. These unpredictable voltage transients can be catastrophic to today's AV devices, which are highly vulnerable due to their internal microprocessing technology. This circuitry is incredibly sensitive and is not built to withstand sudden changes in current. With hundreds and even thousands of dollars of AV equipment on the line, surge protection is a vital and foundational element in any installation. COMMON CAUSES OF SURGE & SPIKE EVENTS | Internal - Undersized Power Supply- Machinery or large power supply failure- Bad Transformers External - Lightning- Damage to telephone poles SURGE PROTECTION: What Is SERIES PROTECTION? Series mode protection is a more reliable and stronger option ideal for maximizing protection of expensive, sensitive AV components. Series mode protection's internal circuitry leverages a large, high-current inductor that is followed by an energy-absorbing circuit that's generally comprised of a bridge rectifier and capacitors. The series inductor slows the incoming current spike, which in turn spreads out the peak surge energy in the time domain and allows the surge to be harmlessly absorbed by the capacitors. With this design, series mode protection eliminates sacrificial design challenges. In addition, some designs incorporate a capacitor bank that is always in circuit. In time, these capacitors will degrade. They are also susceptible to sustained over-voltage failure which causes a long term reliability problem.If not replaced, capacitors can become leaky, or in some cases, fail completely. This is a well-known problem in the audio world, and audiophiles will "re-cap" their amps after a period of time. However, as part of the core for ensuring systems dependability, this is an expensive and inconvenient long-term solution.Look for solutions that leverage Series Protection to its maximum capabilities, which has been engineered as the best way to manage energy. Middle Atlantic Products invested years of time and resources in its engineering and R&D teams. They went deep into the science of energy and series mode protection to discover ways it could provide a more reliable and enduring solution. The result is Series Protection, the industry's fastest responding, long-lasting patented surge protection technology that benefits all AV components. Series Protection is designed to deliver superior series mode protection through two unique capabilities.