What does “daisy chain” refer to in electrical wiring?

A daisy chain in electrical and engineering relates to the way in which items are wired together. The items are linked into a specific scheme. In this scheme item “A” is linked to item “B” which is linked to item “C” which is linked to item “D” and so on. In this sequence webs are not formed and item “A” cannot be directly linked with only item “D”.

In a common electrical daisy chain all of the wires color codes are matching throughout the chain. The daisy chain scheme permits assignment of device priorities based on electrical position of the device in the order of the chain. Common uses for daisy chained electrical is for power distribution, analogy signals, digital data and a combination of these components.

There are several benefits to using a daisy chain in electrical sequencing. The first is that electrical wire is saved. Added to this advantage is the fact that less wire means less storage space needed to hide wires from view. Another advantage is that only one power supply is needed to supply power for the entire chain of electrical devices.

In areas such as a tradeshows daisy-chained electrical is a big time and cost saver. With an exhibit that has daisy chained electrical one would only need a single electrical source with the required amperage / wattage for the equipment. This would mean that only one cut would have to be made in the carpet to fish the electrical line though the carpeting as opposed to several cuts that would have to be made to supply each item individually. This saves the life and look of the exhibitors carpeting. Also, each additional line of electrical power comes at a cost, so having fewer power supplies is a much more cost effective method of powering the exhibit area.

The downside of daisy-chained electrical is that if one device fails all of the downstream devices will fail. An example of this failure is seen when Christmas tree strung lights fail. When one of the strung lights fail then all the lights following it fail. Not until a replacement light is completed will the rest of the string of lights become illuminated. If this happens with electrical components that burn out or blow fuses then the component would have to be replaced to get the other components down the line to work properly.

Sometimes daisy chains just refer to the physical connections formed when using devices such as multi-outlet strips. In this reference the power is distributed by the chain. One must remember when using this method of power distribution that each item connected in the power strip is pulling a certain amount of wattage. Once the wattage is maximized then the power line is in danger of failing. This can result in causing the fuse in the multi-outlet strip to blow, or can result in a fire starting. It is best to use only one or two power strips to distribute power if absolutely necessary to try to avoid a potentially dangerous situation.

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