Carolina Power & Light

Have you wondered what happens inside of a microcomputer when a power glitch occurs. Do you know that the more sophisticated and faster we make our computers, the more we have to deal with power quality.

Years ago, electric switching equipment relied on large voltage changes for switching circuitry. Whether it was early computers or power control panels, mechanical relays were the prime electronic switch. Voltage transition levels of 5V-20V DC were the norm. They were slow, and caused all kinds of jitter type transients in the system. But who cared! One didn’t worry about jitter, as the equipment was not sensitive to it. As technology got better, and man invented the Transistor, the transition level changed to 1V-3V, then with Large Scale Integration .5V-1V, then .1V-.3V, and now the industry talks about microvolt switching.

But . . these fast switchers are more sensitive to the environment around them. Why? Because it doesn’t take much energy to switch a fast electronic switch. Hence, the electrical noise can change the states of an circuit. That assumes it is able to reach the circuits without damage. . . Does this make sense?

So, what this means to you and your customer is that the surrounding equipment must be electrically ‘cleaner’ then it was yesterday. They must be sure that the noise occurring

A-R-O-U-N-D the critical load is isolated away from it. There must be less interference then before. Overall, a better environment.

Keep this in mind the next time your customer decides to install some new marvel of technology and wants you to protect it for him. Look at the equipment from a broader view. Don't just look at his immediate UPS needs, look at his data center’s power protection needs. Look at what that new piece of equipment might do to his critical load power. Look at what his power distribution environment will do to the new equipment you are about to install.

Maybe he needs a complete power protection solution. I have had several recent experiences where I was asked to conduct a post-installation survey to solve a problem that the customer blamed on the UPS. The data and subsequent report provided the customer a reference for his system. It identified his problem at a system level. Many hours were spent afterwards correcting the bad feelings between Vendor and Customer. Don’t let this happen to you!