Review: Eaton's Pulsar UPS Power Management

One option for a high-end power management solution is the Pulsar UPS from Eaton, of Pittsburgh, Pa. The Pulsar UPS is an online double-conversion power protection device for servers and networking equipment. The CRN Test Center looked at the rack-mount Pulsar 1500 UPS with an EXB battery extension.

Available in 4 kVA, 5 kVA, 15 kVA or 20 kVA ratings, the Pulsar 1000 and 1500 models can be deployed either as standard 19-inch rack-mount systems or as free-standing tower units. The tested unit, the Pulsar 1500 UPS, weighed 45 pounds and can be connected to up to four EXB models.

Depending on rating, capacity, number of battery extension modules and load, the Pulsar's backup time can range from 10 minutes up to 2 hours. With a 25 percent load and one EXB attached, the backup time was 88 minutes.

For power upgrades, units can be paralleled to provide 8 kVA or 10 kVA using the Modular Easy kit. The Pulsar MX Frame, a 16U unit, is a modular system with 5 kVA submodules paralleled to provide up to 20 kVA or 15 kVA with redundancy. The Pulsar UPS is also a convection-cooled static bypass switch. The system converts raw input from AC to DC and stores it in battery packs. The battery power is inverted to AC output to power the connected equipment. As a result, there is zero transfer time when power cuts out, since the UPS has already switched to battery power. However, it's important to note that the Pulsar doesn't supply power from the battery packs the entire time. The unit has a fairly wide input voltage tolerance range during which the UPS will not rely on the battery. When power fluctuates to the point where it is out of range, the battery kicks in.

The unit has a two-line rotating LCD multilingual display and LED display status, diagnostics and event log information. Menu options allow simple configuration and setup. The Pulsar 1500 has six outlets.

The two submodules for power and battery are accessible through the front, simplifying maintenance. The batteries are hot-swappable, so faulty batteries can be replaced on-site without interruption. The battery also can be tested automatically at specified times.

The UPS is hot-swappable as well. With the Pulsar UPS, power modules can be hot-swapped at any time without placing mission-critical servers on unprotected system bypass. However, if the UPS fails, there is a built-in internal bypass that will continue supplying power.

The Pulsar comes with network software, management tools and communication connectivity features to integrate easily into the existing network. All models include USB and DB9 serial ports for remote communications and power management. The minislot is compatible with Minislot NMC, NMC ModBus/JBus and MC Contacts/Serial. There is an RJ-11 port for remote power-off, an RJ-45 port for EXB module detection, a DB9 port with five output contacts and a DB15 port for paralleling.

Eaton offers a two-year warranty on the system, with a one-year guarantee on batteries. Partners can offer additional services such as extended guarantees, commissioning, both in-band and out-of-band TeleService and personalized maintenance contracts.

The VAR Partner Program has two tiers. Channel partners qualify for monthly VAR product promotions, exclusive discounts, inventory sales, partner bundles and free 60-day trials. MDFs and co-op programs are also available to qualified partners.

There is no cost for training, and partners selling MGE products can choose to attend a monthly Webcast or on-site sales team training events. Eaton has a full technical support team along with local field sales engineers.