A UPS or uninterruptible power supply, a.k.a. battery backup is a system that’s used to provide backup power when voltage drops to dangerously low levels or a regular power source fails. Uninterruptible power supplies allow for the safe, systematic shutdown of computers and other connected equipment. The design and size of a UPS are what determines how it will supply power. It’s always advisable to have a replacement UPS battery.
UPS Topologies
Different uninterrupted power supply topologies provide different levels of power protection. For instance, CyberPower UPSs will belong to either one of the following topologies: double-conversion, standby, and line-interactive.
Standby
Of all UPS topologies, standby is the most basic one. Standby uninterrupted power supplies resort to battery backup power when common power problems like voltage surges, blackouts, or voltage sags. When utility power surges above or drops below safe voltage levels, the system switches to DC battery power, which it inverts to the AC power needed to run the equipment connected to the system. This type of UPS is designed for entry-level computers, consumer electronics, security systems, POS systems, and other basic-level electronic equipment.
Line-Interactive
Line-interactive UPS systems incorporate technology that allows them to correct minor fluctuations (over fluctuations and under voltages) in power without switching to the battery. This UPS system has autotransformer, which regulates overvoltages (swells) and low voltages (brownouts) without changing to the battery. These models are typically used for gaming systems, consumer electronics, home theatre electronics, PCs, entry-to-mid range servers, and networking equipment. Line-interactive uninterrupted power supplies provide power during events like over-voltage, voltage surges, voltage sags, or blackouts.
Online or Double-Conversion
An online or double-conversion UPS provides clean, near-perfect, and consistent power irrespective of incoming power conditions. Double-conversion uninterrupted power supplies convert AC power to DC then to AC. Systems that use this technology operate using isolated DC power 100% of the time and have zero transfer times since they don’t have to switch to DC power. UPS systems that use this technology are designed to protect data centre installations, large telecom installations, storage applications, mission-critical IT equipment, advanced network equipment, and high-end servers from damages caused by voltage spikes, over-voltage, voltage surges, voltage sags, power blackouts, harmonic distortion, frequency noise, or frequency variations.
Sine Wave Output
Sine wave is the highest-quality waveform output available and is a repetitive and smooth oscillation of AC power. Uninterrupted power supply systems within the enterprise level produce sine wave AC power to operate sensitive equipment. This output ensures that any piece of equipment using Active PFC power supply does not shut down when you switch from utility to battery power.
Simulated Sine Wave Output
This is an approximated waveform of the sine wave output. Simulated sine waves use pulse wave modulation to create an approximated and stepped sine wave to supply cost-effective backup power for equipment that doesn’t need sine wave output to operate. The technology employed to produce this form of output is less expensive to make and is generally used in line-interactive and standby uninterrupted power supply systems.