[ProAudio] AES on the west coast, was Re: Ampex/ProAudio List Dinner

[Scott Dorsey]

Ethernet is a special case because UTP ethernet is completely (well, up to 1KV
if the interface meets specs) isolated from ground on both ends.  So you can
run UTP between systems without worry about creating spurious ground paths,
and you have no worries about induced ground currents (as long as the voltages
stay under 1KV).

If you are worried about voltages over 1KV, say you're running a line outdoors
or near a big power ground, or up an antenna tower, you can buy inexpensive
clamping circuits using gas arrestors and clamp diodes to eliminate surge
problems.  If that's not enough (and it might not be if you are running up an
AM broadcast tower), fibre ethernet is actually not much more expensive than
UTP.

The folks who came up with the 10BaseT standard were thinking on their feet.
--scott