Company APC, which legally ended in 2007, has still left its mark as one of the best brands of uninterruptible power supplies. In connection with its takeover of Schneider Electric and the prospects for development, it was decided to leave the APC brand itself.
Uninterruptible power supplies
The task of uninterruptible power supplies is to maintain the operability of units, mechanisms and devices from unexpected power outages or power surges.
General design of self-contained power supplies
The main part of the UPS is batteries that accumulate charge when powered from the mains and give it to the consumer if the circuit is broken for some reason.
Electronic circuits are used to manage batteries and power. Also, with their help, the expansion of the UPS with various additional functions is achieved, such as the absorption of noise, radiation and the stabilization of power surges.
APC Uninterruptible Power Supplies Overview
APC devices can be roughly divided into several categories, depending on the conditions in whichoperate the machine.
Back-UPS Series
This line of APC uninterruptible power supplies is oriented for residential and office consumers. The list of protected devices includes game consoles, computers and other equipment.
UPS is able to provide power to equipment for some time, protect it from surges and overvoltages. The design of the cases and their structures are different, allowing you to easily integrate the equipment into the interior.
Properties of the presented series
The APC Back-UPS line of uninterruptible power supplies is characterized by the function of carrying out various actions for self-diagnosis and determination of battery wear.
A range of LED and audio indicators are used for interactivity and user interaction.
Systems security checked and tested by special services.
BE400-RS
One of the simplest representatives of uninterruptible power supplies 220 V from APC. The maximum output power of 240W will protect one small home appliance such as a laptop or TV.
The UPS is able to operate stably and equalize the voltage in the network in the range from 180 to 266 V.
The battery of the device is lead-acid, with the use of electrolyte thickening, which guarantees protection against leakage. The battery is maintenance-free, that is, if it fails, you only have to change it.
Alert panel prettyascetic - has only two indicators - work from a network and from batteries. There are also two special beeps for low battery and overload.
The APC BE400 - RS uninterruptible power supply has several levels of protection. For example, there is a noise filter, voltage surge limitation, and others. If there is a need to protect communication lines, then the device has ports for telephone and network - RJ-11 and RJ-45, respectively.
BX650CI
More powerful and functional 220V uninterruptible power supply from APC than the previous model. Its output power is 390 watts.
The voltage range in which the device is capable of operating is 140-300 V. The battery is similar to the previous type - that is, maintenance-free and with a thickened electrolyte.
The control and indication panel has been slightly expanded - there is a notification about normal operation, battery, battery replacement and overload. The sound signal is the same as the previous model.
BX1400U-GR
A more technological copy of the APC IPB. The output power is 700 watts. That should be enough to protect a personal desktop computer and some additional small device.
The model is capable of operating in the range from 150 to 280 Volts. The battery is the standard solution for this UPS range - maintenance-free with condensed electrolyte.
APC Smart Uninterruptible Power SuppliesUPS
This series is designed for comprehensive protection of powerful server solutions and networks. One power supply is rack capable of up to 2100W.
SC620I APC Smart-UPS SC 620VA 230V
Designed to protect the power supply of entry-level servers, workstations and small network devices.
The maximum output power of this model is 390 watts. The voltage range in which it is capable of operating is from 160 to 286 V.
On the front there is a button to turn on the device, an indicator of operation from the network, from the battery, its replacement and overload.
To control the device from a PC, there is a DB-9 port with an RS-232 connector.
SMX 1000I APC Smart-UPS X 1000VA LCD
This representative of the UPS is made in an unusual form factor, in the form of a rack. One of the interesting features of the model is the ability to connect additional external batteries to it, which increase the total battery life of protected devices.
Output power - 800 W, which is enough for both domestic use and small offices.
Management is made by means of the console with the liquid crystal display. There are USB and SmartSlot connectors for connecting to a PC.
SUA750RMI1U APC UPS
Designed to fit in a 19 server rack. Accordingly, this UPS is able to protect small network solutions and configurations.
To connect the source to a personal computer, there are three differentport.
A set of LEDs and sounds is used for indication.
Back-UPS PRO Series
This line is a cross between Smart-UPS and Back-UPS
Products can be used both in small industrial enterprises and in everyday life. They have built-in protection against voltage surges, noise filtering. Many of their models have built-in support for remote control over the network and connecting to a PC for this.
APC Back-UPS Pro 1200VA
The output power of the model is 720 watts. The voltage range that the UPS can equalize is between 176-294V. A full recharge cycle is 8 hours.
Comes with USB cable for connecting to PC, as well as special software.
The unit itself has an LCD display with a large list of indicators and settings.
The most commonly used ports are available to secure your network and phone lines.
APC Product Reviews
APC has long been producing reliable and high-quality uninterruptible power supplies for a variety of tasks. Accordingly, there are thousands of people who have used them in one way or another. So, there are product reviews.
SPS for computers are almost always seen by users as a great way to have time to shut down the system before it shuts down. True, some note that the actual battery life does not always correspond to the declared one.
There are also testimonials about the use of UPS for boilers and similar devices in privatehomes and regions where unplanned power outages are not uncommon. As a result, people are satisfied that there is no sudden equipment failure. During the battery life of the UPS, you can have time to switch to an alternative power source. And the ability to expand many UPSs with additional batteries can save that too.
Server solutions also meet all expectations. There are many similar products on the market besides APC, but more often small companies and enterprises prefer it.
Of the existing problems, it can be noted that users often talk about battery life. It does not always correspond to the declared one.
A separate line is the service life of batteries. He also often falls short of his ideal performance.
In conclusion
APC provides a wide range of products for a wide variety of solutions. From consumer computers to huge industrial server systems. Each user is able to choose from the whole mass exactly the product that suits him best at the moment. These may be requirements for manufacturability, ease of operation, power, additional functions and voltage range.
The price of devices is also focused on being affordable for most users. There are both budget versions and high-tech ones, with all sorts of additions and "goodies".
