What Is That Small Cylinder On A Laptop Charger For?

Do you at least know the name of that little cylinder in your laptop charger? If you don’t, you need to find the name. It’s called a ferrite bead. Ferrite bead is affixed to your laptop charger for some reason.

Sadly, only a few are conscious of its function.

For you to come here means you are interested in knowing what ferrite bead is all about. Lucky for you, you’re in the right spot. In this article, we will assimilate all that concerns this little cylinder on a laptop charger.

Not to delay further, let’s move to our main discussion.

What is a Ferrite Bead all About?

A ferrite bead is also called a ferrite choke, ferrite ring, ferrite block, or EMI filter.

This ferrite bead is made of ferrite materials. These materials are more of magnetic components such as solenoids, iron oxide, and other metal objects.

It is aimed at removing high-frequency noise and electromagnetic interference from electronic devices.

The magnetic material is wire-wired with an insulated wire. Consequently, it makes the ferrite cylinder become more of a mass on chargers.

As common as ferrite bead is, it has so many uses on several electronic devices including your new, used, or refurbished laptop.

Types of Ferrite Bead

There are basically two kinds of ferrite beads. We have the wire-wound ferrite bead and the chip ferrite bead.

  • Wire-wound Ferrite Bead

This type of ferrite has the capacity to reduce the high amplitude of frequency from a wide range. This is because it has a higher power rating along with a lower DC resistance.

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The smaller DC in a ferrite bead is responsible for the low resistance flow of energy within a tighter range.

When purchasing a charger for your laptop, you should get the one that has a wire-wound ferrite bead. It is much safer than a chip ferrite bead.

  • Chip Ferrite Bead

The Chip ferrite bead is not equally powerful as the wire-wounded ferrite bead. It induces a lower DC than a wire-wound ferrite bead. In situations where it runs above the DC limits, the ferrite bead will get damaged.

That’s if the temperature goes up and the rate of current value goes down, it will affect the effectiveness of the ferrite. Anyway, that will not stop your computer from charging.

Therefore, due to its low capacity, it cannot reduce high frequency remotely. It is not used in modern laptops chargers anymore. Most of these laptop chargers today are made with a wire-wounded ferrite bead. Today, the chip ferrite bead has become old technology.

Functions of Ferrite Bead

We will now respond to the main question raised earlier.

There are mainly two functions of a ferrite bead. The first is the removal of EMI electromagnetic interference. Secondly, it is to suppress any kind of RFI radio frequency interference.

  • Remove RFI from the Supply Line

When your laptop charger is connected to a power source, it will open up to receive and transfer high radiofrequency. This high radio frequency can be found on any electronic device, including your computer.

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If your laptop charger does not have a ferrite bead, these radio frequencies may have free access to your device.

This radio frequency can become too much for your laptop, so it can damage your display on the screen. In other cases, it may also cause dysfunctions in your computer system.

But that will be only if the situation has become extreme.

This ferrite cord now serves as a roadblock to prevent any external or internal radio frequency from having access to your device. That’s why the ferrite bead is located near the end of the charging port to be closer to your laptop during charging.

As we have mentioned above, your charger can be open up to receive and transfer high radiofrequency. Remember, your laptop also has radio frequency. Now, what a ferrite bead does is block the frequency from your laptop to other nearby devices.

Without a ferrite bead on your laptop charger, it will interfere with the functionality of those other electronics.

  • Protects your Laptop against EMR

There are two ways that a ferrite bead removes electromagnetic interference.

Remember, we say your charger serves like an antenna by receiving high frequencies. This is how the ferrite bead works to remove electromagnetic interference.

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Ferrite beads protect your device from electromagnetic interference when transferring high-frequency energy to other devices. Similarly, it also protects your device from collecting EMI when you connect with other devices.

This situation normally happens when you are using data from a cable for transmission.

Electromagnetic interference can come from household appliances such as television, radio, sound system, and so on.

Must I Use a Laptop Charger With Ferrite Bead?

It is no must that you need to use a laptop charger with ferrite beads. Actually, it doesn’t stop you from charging. But if you are very concerned about your laptop, it will be necessary to use a laptop charger with a ferrite bead.

This is because of its hidden function in removing high radio frequency and electromagnetic frequency.

As mentioned above, most electronic devices generate high-frequency noise.  Especially when these electronics are supplied with electricity, they transmit high radio frequency as well as electromagnetic interference in a given space.

Any connection to these devices via wired or wireless connection can transmit such frequency.

A further interesting feature of the ferrite ball is that it converts this high frequency into heat. I.e. if the radio and electromagnetic energy are extreme, the DC inside the ferrite bead quickly converts the frequency into heat.

This process of conversion is not visible to the naked eye.

Of everything we’ve talked about so far, you now know what this little cylinder on the laptop charger is for. This is nothing other than ferrite bead.

This ferrite bead doesn’t just sit on a laptop charger. It controls high frequency from within. You can see ferrite beads on some other electronic chargers.

So any time you see a charger with a ferrite bead, you know why it’s out there.

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