Phantom circuit
Encyclopedia
In telecommunication
and electrical engineering
, a phantom circuit is an electrical circuit derived from suitably arranged wires with one or more conductive paths being a circuit in itself and at the same time acting as one conductor of another circuit.
s by center-tapped transformer
s, usually called "repeating coil
s". The center taps are on the line side of the side circuits. Current from the phantom circuit is split evenly by the center taps. This cancels crosstalk from the phantom circuit to the side circuits.
Phantom working increased the number of circuits on long distance routes in the early 20th century without putting up more wires. Phantoming declined with the adoption of carrier system
s.
It is theoretically possible to create a phantom circuit from two other phantom circuits and so on up in a pyramid with a maximum 2n-1 circuits being derived from n original circuits. However, more than one level of phantoming is usually impractical. Isolation between the phantom circuit and the side circuits relies on accurate balance
of the line and transformers. Imperfect balance results in crosstalk between the phantom and side circuits and this effect accumulates as each level of phantoms is added. Even small levels of crosstalk are unacceptable on analogue telecommunications circuits since speech crosstalk is still intelligible down to quite low levels.
or because the microphone is a type that intrinsically requires powering such as a condenser microphone. Since the microphone has only one pair of wires the return path for the power has to be provided elsewhere. This is usually done via the microphone cable screen
.
of the cable because it was inconvenient to separate low frequencies with filters. On the other hand, a one-way audio phantom could be formed from the two pairs (go and return signals) making up the star-quad cable.
s). The idea here is not to create additional circuits. Rather, the purpose is to cancel or greatly reduce the effect of the loading coils fitted to a line. The reason for doing this is that loaded lines have a definite cut-off frequency and it may be desired to equalise the line to a frequency which is higher than this, for example to make a circuit suitable for use by a broadcaster. Ideally, the loading would be removed or reduced for a permanent connection, but this is not feasible for temporary arrangements such as a requirement for outside broadcast. Instead, two circuits in a phantom configuration can be used to greatly reduce the inductance
being inserted by the loading coils, and hence the loading effect.
It works because the loading coils used on balanced lines have two windings, one for each leg of the circuit. They are both wound on a common core and the windings are so arranged that the magnetic flux induced by both of them is in the same direction. Both windings induce an emf
in each other as well as their own self-induction
. This effect greatly increases the inductance of the coil and hence its loading effectiveness. By contrast, when the circuit is in the phantom configuration the currents in the two wires of each pair are in the same direction and the magnetic flux is being cancelled. This has precisely the opposite effect and the inductance is greatly reduced.
This configuration is most commonly used on the two pairs of a star-quad cable. It is not so successful with other pairs of wires. The difference in the path of the two pairs can easily destroy the balance and results in crosstalk and interference
.
This configuration can also be called "bunched pairs". However, "bunched pairs" can also refer to the straightforward connection of two lines in parallel which is not a phantom circuit and will not reduce the loading.
Telecommunication
Telecommunication is the transmission of information over significant distances to communicate. In earlier times, telecommunications involved the use of visual signals, such as beacons, smoke signals, semaphore telegraphs, signal flags, and optical heliographs, or audio messages via coded...
and electrical engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
, a phantom circuit is an electrical circuit derived from suitably arranged wires with one or more conductive paths being a circuit in itself and at the same time acting as one conductor of another circuit.
Phantom group
A phantom group is composed of three circuits that are derived from two single-channel circuits to form a phantom circuit. Here the phantom circuit is a third circuit derived from two suitably arranged pairs of wires, called side circuits, with each pair of wires being a circuit in itself and at the same time acting as one conductor of the third circuit. The "side circuits" within phantom circuits can be coupled to their respective voltage dropVoltage drop
Voltage drop is the reduction in voltage in the passive elements of an electrical circuit. Voltage drops across conductors, contacts, connectors and source internal resistances are undesired as they reduce the supplied voltage while voltage drops across loads and other electrical and electronic...
s by center-tapped transformer
Transformer
A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another through inductively coupled conductors—the transformer's coils. A varying current in the first or primary winding creates a varying magnetic flux in the transformer's core and thus a varying magnetic field...
s, usually called "repeating coil
Repeating coil
In telecommunications, a repeating coil is a voice-frequency transformer characterized by a closed magnetic core, a pair of identical balanced primary windings, a pair of identical but not necessarily balanced secondary windings, and low transmission loss at voice frequencies...
s". The center taps are on the line side of the side circuits. Current from the phantom circuit is split evenly by the center taps. This cancels crosstalk from the phantom circuit to the side circuits.
Phantom working increased the number of circuits on long distance routes in the early 20th century without putting up more wires. Phantoming declined with the adoption of carrier system
Carrier system
In telecommunication, a carrier system is a multichannel telecommunications system in which a number of individual channels are multiplexed for transmission...
s.
It is theoretically possible to create a phantom circuit from two other phantom circuits and so on up in a pyramid with a maximum 2n-1 circuits being derived from n original circuits. However, more than one level of phantoming is usually impractical. Isolation between the phantom circuit and the side circuits relies on accurate balance
Balanced circuit
A balanced circuit is circuitry for use with a balanced line or the balanced line itself. Balanced lines are a common method of transmitting many types of electrical communication signals between two points on two wires...
of the line and transformers. Imperfect balance results in crosstalk between the phantom and side circuits and this effect accumulates as each level of phantoms is added. Even small levels of crosstalk are unacceptable on analogue telecommunications circuits since speech crosstalk is still intelligible down to quite low levels.
Phantom microphone powering
Recording and broadcast studios commonly use phantom powering as a means to provide power to microphones. Power may be needed either for a device that requires power such as a pre-amp on an electret microphoneElectret microphone
An electret microphone is a type of condenser microphone, which eliminates the need for a polarizing power supply by using a permanently charged material....
or because the microphone is a type that intrinsically requires powering such as a condenser microphone. Since the microphone has only one pair of wires the return path for the power has to be provided elsewhere. This is usually done via the microphone cable screen
Shielded cable
A shielded or screened cable is an electrical cable of one or more insulated conductors enclosed by a common conductive layer. The shield may be composed of braided strands of copper , a non-braided spiral winding of copper tape, or a layer of conducting polymer. Usually, this shield is covered...
.
DC phantom
Simple DC signalling can be achieved on a telecommunications line in a similar way to phantom powering of microphones. A switch connected to the transformer centre-tap at one end of the line can operate a similarly connected relay at the other end. The return path is through the ground connection. This arrangement can be used for remotely controlling equipment.Carrier circuit phantoms
From the 1950s to around the 1980s, using phantoms on star-quad trunk carrier circuits was a popular method of deriving a high quality broadcast audio circuit. The multiplexed FDM telecommunications carrier system usually did not use the basebandBaseband
In telecommunications and signal processing, baseband is an adjective that describes signals and systems whose range of frequencies is measured from close to 0 hertz to a cut-off frequency, a maximum bandwidth or highest signal frequency; it is sometimes used as a noun for a band of frequencies...
of the cable because it was inconvenient to separate low frequencies with filters. On the other hand, a one-way audio phantom could be formed from the two pairs (go and return signals) making up the star-quad cable.
Unloaded phantom
Unloaded phantom is a phantom configuration of loaded lines (a circuit fitted with loading coilLoading coil
In electronics, a loading coil or load coil is a coil that does not provide coupling to any other circuit, but is inserted in a circuit to increase its inductance. The need was discovered by Oliver Heaviside in studying the disappointing slow speed of the Transatlantic telegraph cable...
s). The idea here is not to create additional circuits. Rather, the purpose is to cancel or greatly reduce the effect of the loading coils fitted to a line. The reason for doing this is that loaded lines have a definite cut-off frequency and it may be desired to equalise the line to a frequency which is higher than this, for example to make a circuit suitable for use by a broadcaster. Ideally, the loading would be removed or reduced for a permanent connection, but this is not feasible for temporary arrangements such as a requirement for outside broadcast. Instead, two circuits in a phantom configuration can be used to greatly reduce the inductance
Inductance
In electromagnetism and electronics, inductance is the ability of an inductor to store energy in a magnetic field. Inductors generate an opposing voltage proportional to the rate of change in current in a circuit...
being inserted by the loading coils, and hence the loading effect.
It works because the loading coils used on balanced lines have two windings, one for each leg of the circuit. They are both wound on a common core and the windings are so arranged that the magnetic flux induced by both of them is in the same direction. Both windings induce an emf
Electromotive force
In physics, electromotive force, emf , or electromotance refers to voltage generated by a battery or by the magnetic force according to Faraday's Law, which states that a time varying magnetic field will induce an electric current.It is important to note that the electromotive "force" is not a...
in each other as well as their own self-induction
Electromagnetic induction
Electromagnetic induction is the production of an electric current across a conductor moving through a magnetic field. It underlies the operation of generators, transformers, induction motors, electric motors, synchronous motors, and solenoids....
. This effect greatly increases the inductance of the coil and hence its loading effectiveness. By contrast, when the circuit is in the phantom configuration the currents in the two wires of each pair are in the same direction and the magnetic flux is being cancelled. This has precisely the opposite effect and the inductance is greatly reduced.
This configuration is most commonly used on the two pairs of a star-quad cable. It is not so successful with other pairs of wires. The difference in the path of the two pairs can easily destroy the balance and results in crosstalk and interference
Interference (communication)
In communications and electronics, especially in telecommunications, interference is anything which alters, modifies, or disrupts a signal as it travels along a channel between a source and a receiver. The term typically refers to the addition of unwanted signals to a useful signal...
.
This configuration can also be called "bunched pairs". However, "bunched pairs" can also refer to the straightforward connection of two lines in parallel which is not a phantom circuit and will not reduce the loading.