Destruction
     Destruction occurs when a power disturbance is so large that its energy literally “blows up” or destroys a semiconductor device like a transistor or integrated circuit. Destructive power disturbances are the easiest to identify since they leave visible evidence of their occurrence – smoke, soot, and charred components. Establishing cause and effect is easy with destructive events.

Degradation
     Degradation occurs when lower amplitude power disturbances enter an electronic system and affect a semiconductor at a microscopic level. Solid state junctions are designed to operate at small voltages. Degrading power disturbances often exceed the voltage tolerances of the material. Erosion of the semiconductor material occurs (much like rust damages metal) leaving less of the semiconductor material to handle the current needs of the circuit. Higher operating temperatures are the result. Damage from degrading events tends to be cumulative. Eventually so much damage occurs that the semiconductor junction experiences “thermal runaway” and fails. Establishing cause and effect may be difficult or impossible since there are no visible failure indications.

Disruption
     Disruption occurs from power disturbances that are of such a frequency and amplitude that they can mimic actual logic signals causing the digital system to make incorrect decisions. Disruption also occurs when neutral to ground (common mode) voltages become excessive. Disruptive events are difficult to document and may be easily mistaken for software “bugs” or operator errors. Disruptive events are the most common cause of system lockups and “No Trouble Found” service calls.

Dynamics
     Power quality problems can affect the dynamics of an audio or video system by deteriorating the quality of both sound and image. Power line disturbances raise the system’s “noise floor” to the extent that interference can be both heard as well as seen. The noise floor for the system must be kept as low as possible to ensure that dynamic performance of both the audio and video signal will be ensured.