Power Control Unit lessens need for remote site visits.
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Press Release Summary:
Suited for telecom, wireless, and broadcast providers using remote sites to propagate their signals, PowerBoss One allows individual power-cycling of 8 independent pieces of equipment at mixed voltages. Heavy-duty mechanical relays each handle ac or dc current up to 10 A @ 60 Vdc or 277 Vac. They can be used in NC position to avoid single point of failure and ensure non-stop operation of remote site equipment. Rack-mount unit measures 14.25 x 1.75 x 7.8 in.
Original Press Release:
Omnitronix' PowerBoss One Brings Flexible Power Control to Remote-Site Equipment Switches AC or DC Voltages, Allowing Power-Cycling of Most Equipment Without a Site Visit
SEATTLE, WASH.-Telecom, wireless, and broadcast providers using remote sites to propagate their signals now have a new option in reducing site visits, as Omnitronix, a major supplier of remote monitoring equipment, announces the release of its PowerBoss One (PB1), first in a new line of power-management products. In a move to offer maximum flexibility, the PB1 control unit allows the individual power-cycling of eight independent pieces of equipment-such as routers, servers, transceivers, amplifiers and air conditioners at the mixed voltages commonly found in remote and local sites.
The PowerBoss One brings much-needed versatility to the control of remote sites via its heavy duty mechanical relays that can each handle AC or DC current up to 10 amps at 60VDC or 277VAC. Unlike other power switching devices that use solid-state switches, the PB1 relays can be used in a normally closed position which ensures that power will still be provided to all remote equipment even if the PB1 were to experience a failure. The helps avoid a single point of failure, ensuring non-stop operation of remote site equipment.
"Other products can power-cycle a computer in a server room because they run on 120VAC line current; but the PB1 is the first device to accommodate the mixed voltages commonly found in remote site cabinets such as -48 and 24 VDC," says Tim Stoner, President of Omnitronix. "We already have orders for hundreds of these units from a major carrier specializing in long-distance wireless Internet, so we know we have tapped into a need for effectively controlling remote equipment from the head-end."
"Previous computer-controlled power switches that can turn power off or on typically bring all the equipment down with them should they lose their power," continues Stoner. "But with the PB1, the power connection is always on. You could unplug it or even pull the microprocessor out of it, and it will still supply power to all connected equipment."
The PowerBoss One operates as an attachment to other Omnitronix site monitoring equipment such as the Omnitronix SNMP-Link SL81. Up to 16 PowerBoss units or other sensors can be daisy-chained to an SL81, allowing multiple monitoring points and scalability on an "as needed" basis. Each PB1 can then individually power-cycle (switch OFF/ON) up to eight various pieces of equipment, even though they are of different voltages such as -48 VDC, +24 VDC, 110VAC or 220VAC. Using the SL81, power can then be manually controlled via SNMP or command-line interface, or power cycling can be programmed into the SL81 as a response to detected alarm conditions.
The PB1 is immediately available in rack mountable form, weighing 5.5 pounds (12.1 kg) and measuring 14.25 x 1.75 x 7.8 inches (36.195 x 4.45 x 19.81 cm). Power requirements are 24VDC to 60VDC, with an operating temperature range of 0 - 40C.
For more information on the PowerBoss One or other remote monitoring products, contact Omnitronix, Inc. at 1200 North 96th St., Seattle, WA 98103, USA. Tel: 1.206.624.4985, Fax: 1.206.624.5610, or visit www.omnitronix.com.
