How Does an Uninterrupted Power Supply Work?
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Purpose of an Uninterrupted Power Supply
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An Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) protects an electronic device from several different problems related to its power supply. These problems include voltage surges, voltage sags, total power failures and frequency differences. Each of these issues affects an Uninterrupted Power Supply and connected electronics differently, and the quality of the UPS determines how well it guards the electronics from each of these potential problems.
Standby Uninterrupted Power Supply
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A standby UPS is used in many homes and office areas because it is a simple, lower cost design that is normally used with less expensive electronic equipment. A standby UPS powers the electronics connected to it using the standard building power by default, but it will automatically detect any problems with the input voltage level, frequency changes, or total loss of power and switch over to battery power supplied through an inverter to save the electronics from any possible damage. The entire process of detecting the problem and then switching on to the power inverter takes just a small fraction of a second, but can cause a device to lose power temporarily because of the change in the path used to supply electricity. Also, if it does not switch quickly enough, the electronics can be damaged by the change in input power.
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Online Uninterrupted Power Supply
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The other type of UPS that is commonly used is an online UPS, which is designed so the electronics normally run using battery power. The input voltage is passed through a battery charger to the battery, and the output from the battery is sent through an inverter to ensure that the power supplied to the electrical equipment is as clean as possible. The UPS only uses the input voltage to supply power to the electronics if there is a problem with the battery. These UPS systems provide more reliable backup power than a standby UPS, but they do cost more.
Conclusion
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Uninterrupted Power Supplies are a must-have tool for anyone with a computer, printer or television in their home or high priced servers used in offices and laboratories. Many expensive electronics can be ruined just by one voltage spike, sag or power outage. However, if your electronics are plugged into a Uninterrupted Power Supply, it will automatically redirect power to an internal battery and make sure that a battery powers your electronics for the split second as the electrical abnormality passes through the circuit.
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