We all have a basic
idea about the purpose of each wire going in and out of our computer. But
a few wires seem a bit off when it comes to their appearance. They have a
cylindrical bead dangling near the end. So what’s this bead doing on that
wire and what purpose does it serve? Today, we are going to unravel this
mystery for you.
You will not only find
this bead at end of charging cables but also mouse, keyboard and other
peripheral cables. It turns out that lump’s called a ferrite
bead or, more
generically, a choke. It’s a fancy
name for what’s basically an electromagnetic wave-bouncer. If you open this
bead, you will not find any complex circuits but only a ferrite cylinder that
is magnetic in nature. It is this magnetic quality of the bead that serves the
purpose.
So basically, when
current passes through any cable, it generates
electromagnetic interference (EMI). Your electronic gadgets also produce
EMI during operation. For example, if you connect a camera to your
monitor, the camera would produce intereference and cause your monitor to
flicker without the presence of a ferrite bead. If left unabated, EMI can wreck
havoc with your computer peripherals
These ferrite chokes
ensure that signals are only sent in the intended directions and no EMI is
transmitted between the peripherals. The choke dampens these EMI waves by
acting as an EMI blocker. The blocking is most effective when it is near the
source of the EMI, thats why you will only find these ferrite beads
near the end of the cables. So, this little mystery is now solved! These
tiny cyst-like beads make sure that our computer peripherals work properly and
don’t cause any issues for the computer itself.
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