Grounding and Bonding for Video Surveillance

Last Updated Dec 30, 2022 15:00 PM

One of the most misunderstood and sloppiest elements of network design, grounding and bonding mistakes can lead to big problems.

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In this note, we explain the key elements involved including:

  • Differences between grounding and bonding
  • The purpose of bonding and grounding in surveillance
  • Published standards covering bonding and grounding
  • Rack ground traps
  • Chassis screws/bolts
  • Third plug prong
  • Camera side grounding
  • Cable shield grounding
  • Ground loop problems

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Published *********

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Surveillance ****** *********

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IPVM Image

******* ******/*****:

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IPVM Image

*** **** **** ** ********* ** be ********, *** ******** **** **** be ******** ********* ** * **** or ****** ***** ** *** ***** end.

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IPVM Image

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IPVM Image

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Ground-Loop ********

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[**** ***** *** ********** ********* ** 2015 *** ************* ****** ** ****]

Comments (20)
U
Undisclosed #1
May 04, 2015
IPVMU Certified

This is an defintely an under-appreciated topic. Thanks Brian!

Even non-hazardous currents can greatly disrupt the quality and transmission of electrical impulses, typical to ethernet traffic. To a lesser extent than safety, ground provides an outlet for these potentially disruptive currents.

Can you describe where these currents originate and how the grounding avoids the disruption?

I have been under the impression that grounding actually creates these currents by providing a path between ground differentials, as you say later.

Avatar
Mike Dotson
May 05, 2015
Formerly of Seneca • IPVMU Certified

Good article Ethan... it harkens back to my days designing mainframe systems. One thing we used a lot of was flat copper strips within the racks due to the extra low impedance they provide. This helped a lot with signal integrity between the units as well as a good path to earth ground.

(1)
TC
Trisha (Chris' wife) Dearing
May 05, 2015
IPVMU Certified

With IP video, this is not a common problem simply due to the twisted pair properties of UTP cabling. The cabling design makes it much more difficult for such a current to interfere and travel in a 'loop' of cable, and therefore is not a practical issue.

Does this become more common again for those who use various EoC devices to propagate their IP signal thru coax instead of twisted?

Also, when, if ever, is it appropriate to 'float ground'?

Thanks!

BD
Bob Damrau
May 06, 2015

Got Noise?

Start with AC power bricks.

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #2
May 12, 2015

Thank you for the article because grounding is almost always overlooked. I am looking for articles on this topic which describes in details but easy to understand how to design proper grounding against lighting strikes for CCTV system. I have few questions on this topic, sorry if they might seem to naive but I am not an electrician:

Can cable shield grounding be enough against lighting strikes to protect camera or does it always have to be lightning arrester used ?

Can we connect earth point of lightning arrester to cable shield grounding ?

If we have a camera on a pole and lightning arrester next to it - can the grounding cable from lightning arrester be placed along camera data cable and go to earth point of the building or does lightning arrester have to be earthed to the pole earth point (if exists) ?

JH
John Honovich
May 12, 2015
IPVM

B, we have a tutorial on Lightning Protection for Surveillance Cameras.

I will defer to Brian to answer your specific questions later this morning.

Avatar
Brian Rhodes
May 12, 2015
IPVMU Certified

So one important point about Lightning Arresters: they do nothing to protect cameras, or whichever other devices they are connected inline outside a building. If lightning strikes your camera, it is toast. A lightning arrester primarily works to limit the harm of a lightning strike to only the camera.

It is kind of like a surge protector in reverse.

#1) "cable shield grounding be enough against lightning strikes to protect camera"

In general, no. Shielding is different than grounding, but there is really nothing that protects a camera from lightning. You can employ lightning rods (or some other more attractive conductor) that lightning may strike in lieu of cameras, but if lightning strikes your camera it almost certainly is a casualty.

#2) "Can we connect earth point of lightning arrester to cable shield grounding ?"

Again, shielding is different than grounding, but if we're discussing grounding like the article above mentions then yes, lightning arresters can be (and should be) connected to those points.

#3) "can the grounding cable from lightning arrester be placed along camera data cable and go to earth point of the building or does lightning arrester have to be earthed to the pole earth point (if exists) ?"

In general, the sooner you can ground a lightning arrestor, the better! I think either way you describe would work, but it sounds like physical distance to a ground point would be shorter at the pole.

Anytime a conductor carries hundreds of thousands to millions of volts (ie: a lightning strike) there is a high likelihood it will be obliterated in the process. Shorter ground paths = better because of less damage.

(2)
RD
Rob Dunham
Jan 16, 2018
Tailored IT Solutions

Great information, but I think it's also worth noting that most CCTV installers should not be dealing with grounding/bonding or lightning protection. That should be installed by qualified individuals who are trained for OSP cabling. Most people who attempt to do grounding or bonding end up doing more harm than good. (e.g. improperly grounding an IP camera connected to a network rack via shielded cable exposes defeats the grounding of the entire network.) It really is a specialty. When done improperly it is also a huge liability. The guy who does the grounding/bonding is typically responsible for the entire system and is often held responsible when disaster strikes.

Installing exterior cameras should really be done by OSP-trained individuals as well. In my state (Ohio) it's technically required, though rarely enforced--until something goes wrong.

(3)
Avatar
Brian Rhodes
Jan 16, 2018
IPVMU Certified

I think you raise a good point that training is useful for 'doing it right', but I'll counter by saying subcontracting grounding out by security installers rarely, if ever, happens.  And items like pole mounted camera grounds or lightning arrestors simply would not be installed at all.

So the pragmatic solution is for security installers is to understand the need and importance of proper grounding.

With that considered, however, are you familiar with/ can you share examples of whole-system liability by a video installer if not done correctly?

In many cases, camera installers are tying in to existing grounding infrastructure, not greenfielding it new, so that's an interesting dynamic.

BD
Bob Damrau
May 12, 2015

Yep, Mother Nature's strikes are best attracted to the path of least resistance.

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #3
Mar 11, 2021

This might need an update. 607C is pretty common but 607D is now out.

I just went through two BICSI bonding/grounding classes and can state that bonding/grounding is the #1 most misunderstood component of security... even the NEC code portion. I'm shocked at how little I knew.

(3)
Avatar
Brian Rhodes
Mar 11, 2021
IPVMU Certified

Thanks for the heads-up here. We will review and update this.

I just went through two BICSI bonding/grounding classes

Thanks for sharing this. I am going to look into these as well! We will report back with general findings.

Avatar
Brian Rhodes
Mar 11, 2021
IPVMU Certified

I updated the citation above to be 607C, thanks for pointing it out.

SD
Shannon Davis
Mar 11, 2021
IPVMU Certified

I would guess most all low voltage contractors know very little about grounding and bonding in general regardless of the devices being used. I learn something about it every time I look at it.

(1)
U
Undisclosed #1
Mar 13, 2021
IPVMU Certified

I would guess most all low voltage contractors know very little about grounding and bonding

Shannon’s Law Low voltage contractor =

High knowledge of Low voltage + Low knowledge of High voltage

RD
Rob Dunham
May 25, 2021
Tailored IT Solutions

I would say that is true to an extent. But it's not a hard, fast rule. Many low voltage contractors are quite knowledgeable about grounding and bonding. Anyone installing medical equipment, network or data centers, professional audio systems, or RF equipment needs to be very well versed in grounding and bonding techniques--none of whom have to do anything with high voltage.

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Alex Daley
Mar 11, 2021

Another standard that covers a huge amount of grounding/surge suppression techniques is Motorola R56 for communication sites (older versions are available online).

That document is a great example of what is needed to make a site basically lightning-proof (and it's a lot, hundreds of pages devoted to it)!

It's worth a read to gather a lot of useful info, as it describes a lot about why each element is necessary, system design, and the interaction between grounding and suppression elements.

(3)
(3)
Avatar
Billy Guthrie
Mar 12, 2021
ZMANA

I have seen many security integrator installation sites that use wireless point to point and point to multipoint radios for their IP camera networks where the RF points are not properly grounded, if any at all. Motorola R56 is a great source of fantastic information!

UD
Undisclosed Distributor #4
Feb 21, 2022

Hello

Interesting discussion

When the cable connecting a camera is grounded, the camera is essentially bonded by the cable to a ground point.

Weird point is that any (or maybe most) currently produced cameras (at least bullets) which I met do not have any metal connection point inside RJ45 connector (female), so even in case stp 8p8c is used at camera side, it has no contact with camera's circuit/housing.

So i always wonder and couldn't get an answer till now - manufacturers do not consider bonding/grounding of camera to be required? Or they consider that shield/foil/wire of network cable is anyway not enough so do not provide connection point in LAN port?

Cameras have device ground point, some have 3rd wire with DC/AC power cables but manufacturer's do not specify the required cable thickness for connection to bonding point that is important as well...And i guess it should not be thin, maybe 4mm or up... imagine wiring 4mm separate cable to each camera

'lightning arrestor' - same here, mostly thickness of required grounding/bonding cable is not described while it could be 10 or 16mm...wiring such sickness to each camera...

UD
Undisclosed Distributor #4
Mar 08, 2022

Hello

Interesting discussion

When the cable connecting a camera is grounded, the camera is essentially bonded by the cable to a ground point.

Weird point is that any (or maybe most) currently produced cameras (at least bullets) which I met do not have any metal connection point inside RJ45 connector (female), so even in case stp 8p8c is used at camera side, it has no contact with camera's circuit/housing.

So i always wonder and couldn't get an answer till now - manufacturers do not consider bonding/grounding of camera to be required? Or they consider that shield/foil/wire of network cable is anyway not enough so do not provide connection point in LAN port?

Cameras have device ground point, some have 3rd wire with DC/AC power cables but manufacturer's do not specify the required cable thickness for connection to bonding point that is important as well...And i guess it should not be thin, maybe 4mm or up... imagine wiring 4mm separate cable to each camera

'lightning arrestor' - same here, mostly thickness of required grounding/bonding cable is not described while it could be 10 or 16mm...wiring such sickness to each camera...