New Falcon UPS Fills Niche

UPSes come in all shapes and sizes. At the low end, a 500VA unit would typically be used to support a desktop system. At the high end, a 10,000VA (10kVA) UPS might support an entire data center.

Then there's everything in between. Usually a UPS greater than 1,500VA or so is designed to work off 220 volts rather than 120, as 220-volt installations generally deliver more power. But sometimes, 120 volts AC is all that's available in a given location.

The new UPS, model SG5K-1TX 5kVA, is intended for those deployments in which 120 volts are required or are all that's available. Sometimes a server or large system requires 120 volts, but more often, an older building or other location will only be wired for 120-volt AC power. Rewiring a building for 220-volt power can be expensive, so it's usually easier to work with what's available. In addition, many portable generators only output 120 volts, so in temporary

or remote locations, 120 volts AC is often all there is to work with.

The SG5K-1TX is a regenerative online UPS that converts the incoming AC to a regulated DC voltage. The regulated DC voltage is then used to regenerate a clean AC signal.

The unit is able to provide both 120- and 240-volt outputs for equipment requiring dual-voltage input. The UPS also can be configured to produce a 230-volt, 50Hz output from a 120-volt input. This is useful for testing computer equipment that will be sold in Europe, or for operating 230-volt equipment in remote locations.

Other important features include an optional make-before-break maintenance bypass switch that can keep power applied to equipment that can't be shut down, while allowing the UPS circuitry to be removed from the loop in case the UPS needs servicing.

The UPS includes a free version of Falcon's UPSilon 2000 shutdown and monitoring software, which supports all popular operating systems, as well as an optional internal SNMP/HTTP agent.

The SG5K-1TX is a heavy tower unit mounted on casters, so it's able to be moved around a room. But don't plan on moving it too much, as the unit measures about 32 inches high by 10 inches wide by 22 inches deep and weighs more than 300 pounds.

The unit will support a 5kVA load for 9 minutes and support half that load for 28 minutes. It also will support a light load, such as a simple desktop system and

monitor, for more than three hours.