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 interference 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, that’s 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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