|  Tripp
Lite has been in the business of making DC-to-AC power inverters for decades.
The need for such products boomed when PCs became popular and the demand continues
to grow as more consumer electronics benefit from clean, uninterrupted power.
More recently A/V systems have begun to see the benefits of UPS designs, particularly
with the new digital projectors that require cooling when they are initially powered
down. Failure to properly cool down these projectors can result in shortened life
and/or damage to the hardware. Normally this is not a problem, but in the event
of a power failure the need for a UPS becomes apparent. Tripp Lite has many solutions,
but we were drawn to the Smart Online UPS for its design topology.
Tripp
Lite's Smart Online SU1000RTXL2U is a 2 rack space (2U) unit that features double
conversion (AC-to-DC and DC-to-AC) for the ultimate in power backup and conditioning.
The unit comes with tower stands for the chassis so that the unit can be installed
in an upright position if desired. The unit also includes side support and rack
ears for rack mounting the unit. Although the unit was designed to protect critical
servers, as well as networking and telecommunications equipment from blackouts,
voltage fluctuations and transient surges, the design also works well with A/V
equipment. Addressing the concern of emergency projector power, the SU1000RTXL2U
provides plenty of clean synthesized AC to your costly investment. We powered
our Optoma H77 high definition DLP projector during our tests. The
large capacity 1kVA/800 watt UPS design continuously converts the incoming utility
AC to DC, and then uses the DC to AC inverter to produce virtually perfect sine
wave AC power (120VAC, ± 2%) to the connected equipment. The result is
a significant reduction in harmonic distortion, high frequency electrical impulses,
frequency fluctuations and other difficult-to-solve power related problems. Many
UPS designs simply switch to the inverter when a problem is detected, but can
do little for small voltage and frequency variations. By continuously converting
power in the unit, the user is always getting the same clean power regardless
of the incoming utility voltage. Front
Panel
 The
front panel of the SU1000RTXL2U has separate On/Test and Off buttons
and a series of indicators for Line, Bypass, Fault, On
Line, On Batt, Batt Low, and Replace Batt. There is a
four step bar graph that is used for the load level or battery level. There is
also an Overload indicator if the load on the unit exceeds its power rating.
The yellow Bypass indicator illuminates if the internal DC/AC inverter
is not working properly or if an overload condition occurs. In this mode, the
unit is only filtering the incoming AC power and bypassing the internal synthesized
AC inverter and can therefore not provide backup power if there is a power failure.
The Fault indicator illuminates when an internal fault condition occurs
(overheating, overvoltages, etc.) and does not normally illuminate even when incoming
power is faulty. The
green Line indicator will illuminate constantly when normal utility power
is connected to the unit and the Load Active Meter LED will illuminate
with the level meter representing the load connected. The Line indicator
will begin to flash if the UPS is receiving a voltage that is too high or too
low. In either case the UPS will continue to provide clean AC power to the connected
equipment. Both the Line and On Line indicator will turn off when
the utility power fails. Once this occurs, the On Batt will illuminate
indicating only battery power reserve is available. The Batt Active Meter
LED will illuminate with the level meter representing the battery level. The
Batt Low LED indicates when the battery capacity has reached a critical level.
The Replace Batt light will illuminate and the unit will emit three beeps
if the battery fails the self test when the unit powers up.  Rear
Panel
The rear panel of the SU1000RTXL2U has a total of six NEMA 5-15R
outlets grouped into three pairs that can be individually controlled. The long
non-detachable power cord is located just below the 15 amp circuit breaker. The
TVSS panel is designed for optional modem/network surge protection modules,
available from Tripp Lite. The External Battery Pack Connector has a protective
cover and can be used to provide extended runtime. The internal electronics are
cooled by air drawn from the top of the unit and exits the rear. The fan runs
continuously while the unit is connected to AC power regardless of whether the
power is on. The Accessory Slot located on the side is designed for optional
accessories to remotely monitor and control the UPS from a network. The optional
cards slide into the slot and mate to an internal board connector.
Internal
SNMP/Web Card
 We
installed Tripp Lite's SNMP/Web (SNMPWEBCARD) Card which gave the unit LAN access
from our exiting network. The optional SNMPWEBCARD allows network users to operate
the SmartOnline UPS (using the expansion slot) as a managed device. Remote monitoring
and control of the Smart Online UPS as well as the incoming utility power can
be monitored using the SNMP network management platform or a web browser. The
interface provides remote viewing of site electrical data, UPS status information
and self-test logs. Tripp Lite also has an optional ENVIROSENSE module that provides
remote temperature and humidity monitoring as well as a dry contact interface
to control and monitor alarm, security and telecom devices. Installing the card
requires the user to first connect a terminal or terminal emulator to configure
the IP address, Net Mask, Gateway, Username and Password through the menu driven
interface. Once complete, the board switches need to be changed again and the
UPS will then be recognized on the network with the defined IP address.  Using
a web browser we accessed the vitals of the SU1000RTXL2U through our local network
via the ethernet connection. The interface worked very well and gave us access
to all the UPS data one could ask for. The advantage of the web-based interface
is that anyone on the network can access any UPS fitted with the SNMP/Web card.
Each unit needs to be configured with a unique IP address and can even be username/password
protected if desired to prevent unauthorized personnel from changing the settings.
The authorized user can also make changes to the network setting through the web
browser. If a dedicated PC is connected to the UPS, Tripp Lite has their PowerAlert
software that comes with the unit. We installed PowerAlert Version 11 for our
tests and used the serial cable.
PowerAlert
Software
 The
PowerAlert software gave us the same type of information provided through the
web browser, but with more control since the application runs directly on the
connected PC. General data on the unit such as UPS Mode, Input Voltage,
Output Voltage, Output Load, Output Frequency, Battery
Voltage and Time on Battery. The large meters displayed on the screen
can be configured horizontal, vertical or as analog meters. Other information
such as Events, Variables, Alarms, Attached Devices
and Contacts are also available. Icons located on the bottom of the window
give the user visual indicators as to what mode the unit is running in. For example,
the light bulb indicates the UPS is getting utility power and the green
battery icon lets the user know the battery is more than half charged.
A half full yellow battery indicates the battery is less than half full. The alarm
clock icon indicates an alarm condition has occurred since the last time the user
viewed the alarm screen. These indicators help to quickly assess the status of
the unit. Conclusion
Tripp Lite's Smart Online UPS (Model SU1000RTXL2U) is a very nice design that
not only protects your electronics, but executes power protection in a way that
provides constant high quality AC power to your equipment with no interruptions.
Many UPS designs rely on switching between the utility power and the built-in
power inverter when a problem is detected. This results in a momentary drop in
voltage until the electronics switch to the internal inverter. The Tripp Lite
Smart Online design provides full-time double conversion protection from blackouts,
voltage fluctuations and transient surges with zero transfer time. If an internal
fault does occur within the unit, the UPS will bypass the double conversion circuit
and feed the connected equipment filtered and protected utility power as a way
to keep the electronics online. The
large capacity 1000VA/800 Watt design provides continuous 120 VAC ± 2%
for up to 18 minutes under half load and 6 minutes under full load. Optional battery
packs connected to the rear panel can extend this time if needed. The six outlets
are arranged in two individually controlled load banks that can be independently
switched using the software interface. This allows the user to selectively reboot
equipment connected to the unit or shed less critical loads to extend battery
life on other connected components. The built-in serial interface allows the unit
to be controlled either by a local computer or remotely using the optional SNMP/web
card. The two-way (rack or tower) mounting configuration with hardware included
makes it easy to integrate into any system. If you want clean power 100% of the
time with zero transfer time in the event of a power failure, Tripp Lite's Smart
Online UPS is the answer. -
Kevin Nakano | 
