Power Monitoring & Control Solutions | Smart PDUs & Remote Power Switches

Intelligent Power Monitoring & Remote Control for Networked Systems

Gain visibility, control, and reliability across your wireless, IoT, and edge infrastructure using smart power distribution and remote switching solutions.

• Local & Remote Power Control: Web and network-based management
• Real-Time Power Monitoring: Metering, alerts, and diagnostics
• Supports IoT & Telecom Systems: Cameras, radios, sensors, RTUs

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Power Distribution Units (PDUs) and remote power switches provide unfiltered electrical pass-through power while adding monitoring, management, and control capabilities either locally or remotely over a network.

PDUs do not generate or condition power they simply distribute the power they receive while enabling visibility and control of connected devices.

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Basic PDUs (Power Strips) simply provide a means of distributing power from the input to several outlets while an intelligent Power Distribution Unit (PDU) fills the gaps that the typical power strip cannot. It provides a central unit to control and distribute electricity across the different connected devices.

Figure 1: Basic PDU

Figure 2: Intelligent/ Managed PDU

Intelligent/ Managed PDUs allow for remote management of power metering information, power outlet on/off control, and/or alarms. Some advanced PDUs allow users to manage external sensors such as temperature, humidity, airflow, etc.

With the increased internet usage and adoption of IoT, smart power switches are essential for monitoring and controlling power to components connected to the network. You could easily do this on a web app or your phone.https://wdi.rfwel.com/cdn/imp_images/PDUapp1.jpg

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Consider surveillance cameras on a network with connection to POE switch which is powered via a smart web switch. When there is an issue with the camera connectivity, individual cameras can be rebooted via the POE switch. Otherwise, one can reboot the POE switch on the smart power supply unit if the devices are unresponsive.

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Consider other IoT devices with different input interfaces connected to a network as below. A smart PDU can be used to monitor power consumption of the devices as well as reboot them if need be.

You Can check out Rfwel’s RTU integration system with high performance LTE routers, Remote terminal Unit (RTU) and power switch.

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Primarily consider the following before settling for a PDU:

• Type of PDU whether metered, monitored, switched etc.

• Form factor and Nature of installation (0U, 1U, 2U)

• Available Input Power & Expected Output Power

• Number of Outlets & Nature of Electrical outlets

Power switches like Digital loggers LPC7 provides an autoping feature which is used to reboot the outlet which connects the WAN device in case the connection has timeouts. Also, custom scripts are possible with remote switches like the LPC7. Consider, cycling a specific port daily at a specific time.

-- Cycle an outlet daily at 1:00am

function cycle_outlet_daily()

while true do

wait_until({hour=1, min=0})

outlet[2].cycle()

delay (60) -- prevent it from running more than once in the same minute

end

end

Applications

The web power switches can be applied in the following areas where IoT devices have been interconnected in a network:

• Data-centers

• Smart Agriculture and greenhouses

• Livestock and Poultry Monitoring

• Telecommunication

• Smart homes