Metered & Switched Power Distribution Units (PDU): Managed Power Supply

Metered and Switched PDUs – your solution for reliable IT and AV installations

Active, intelligent power distribution units can be divided into metered (measuring on the input side) and switched (switching per output) PDUs. With these intelligent PDUs, users can switch each individual output and measure detailed current on the input side. Read more detailed information on these these terms.

Failures in the IT infrastructure, such as in server racks, or overloads when switching on AV media technology are among the biggest challenges for companies. Intelligent power strips, also known as metered and switched PDUs, offer an ideal solution here: they enable IT and AV technicians to switch devices on or off remotely in the event of a malfunction and to switch off unused devices in a targeted process. The input-side current measurement also provides valuable data to recognise and avoid overloads at an early stage. This not only optimises your energy costs, but also reduces your CO2 footprint – a benefit for your company and the environment.

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Metered and Switched PDU: What does this mean in simple terms?

Switched PDU

A switched PDU has a switching function in which connected devices can be switched on and off individually in each socket. This makes it possible to switch devices on and off in isolation in order to identify any problems that may occur. In addition, electricity costs can be reduced by switching off individual sockets if a connected appliance is not needed.

An integrated watchdog enables an automated and fail-safe switching sequence (self-healing function). The quality of the integrated switching relays plays a key role in the fault-free operation of the PDU. Ideally, so-called high inrush relays are used here.

Metered PDU

A metered PDU has a measuring function that can be used to monitor the consumption of the connected devices in the individual sockets. The measured data can be accessed remotely to calculate electrical quantities. The functions vary depending on the model, but metered PDUs generally measure the following electrical variables:

• Voltage
• Current
• Phase angle
• Power factor
• Frequency
• Active power
• Apparent power
• Reactive power

In addition to the electrical parameters, a metered PDU can also measure the residual current, which is important for operational safety. Users can define limit values with additional functions to recognise threshold values. These threshold values automatically send an alarm to the user, for example by e-mail, to inform them immediatley time if they are exceeded. There are three types of current measurement:

There are three types of current measurement:

Unit-Metered PDU (input side)

A unit-metered PDU monitors the power of all connected devices at the PDU infeed, i.e. at the input or per bank. The unit-metered PDU is always used in data centres or IT environments to monitor and measure the total power consumption.

Outlet-metered PDU (output side)

An outlet-metered PDU monitors the power at each individual socket on the power distribution unit. There, the outlet-metered PDU monitors the power consumption of all individual connected devices and recognises trends in power consumption. This enables administrators to recognise whether they can reduce energy costs and comply with energy guidelines.

Inline-metered PDU (intermediate)

An inline-metered PDU measures the power consumption between the power source and the connected devices. Inline-metered PDUs monitor and manage both individual devices and device groups to visualise power consumption.