An uninterruptible power supply, or UPS, which is also called battery backup, supplies backup power whenever your regular source of power fails or the voltage drops down to a level that is unacceptable. A UPS, like the types provided by Source UPS, allows a computer, as well as connected equipment, to be shut down in an orderly and safe way. The design and size of the UPS will determine how long it can supply power to your equipment.
The most basic type of UPS topology is standby. Standby UPS uses battery backup power when common problems like a voltage surge, voltage sag, or blackout arise. Whenever the incoming utility power surges above or drops below voltage levels that are safe, the UPS switches over to DC battery power. It then inverts it to AC power for running connected equipment. The models have been designed for basic electronic equipment such as security systems, POS systems, entry-level computers, and consumer electronics.
Technology is incorporated by a line-interactive UPS which enables it to make corrections to minor power fluctuations (over voltages and under voltages) without having to switch over to a battery. This kind of UPS comes with an autotransformer for regulating brownouts and other low voltages as well as swells and other over-voltages without needing to switch over to a battery. Typically, line-interactive UPS models are used for entry-level to mid-range servers, network equipment, home theatre electronics, gaming systems, PCs, and consumer electronics. They supply power during events such as over-voltage, voltage surge, voltage sag, and blackout.
A double-conversion (or online) UPS supplies clean, consistent, and near-perfect power no matter what the condition is of the incoming power. Incoming AC power is converted into DC by the UPS and hen back into AC. UPS systems that have this type of technology run on isolated DC power at all times and have no transfer time since they don’t ever need to switch over to DC power. This type of UPS system is designed for protecting advanced network equipment, storage applications, large telecom installations, high-end servers, data centre installations, and mission-critical IT equipment from damage that is caused by harmonic distortion, frequency variation, frequency noise, voltage spike, over-voltage, voltage surge, voltage sag, and a power blackout.
Sine wave output: This is the highest quality of waveform output. It is a repetitive, smooth oscillation of AC power. Sine wave power is produced by enterprise-level UPS systems for operating sensitive electronic equipment. It ensures that equipment uses Active PFC power supplies don’t shut down whenever they switch to using battery power instead of utility power.
Simulated sine wave output: This is an approximated type of sine wave output. Pulse save modulation is used for generating an approximated, stepped sine wave in order to supply battery backup power that is more cost-effective for equipment that doesn’t need sine wave output. The technology used for producing this kind of power output costs less to produce and is commonly found in line-interactive and standby UPS systems.