APPLICATION NOTE ADVANCED POWERSTRIPS

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Ruby Walton
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APPLICATION NOTE ADVANCED POWERSTRIPS OVERVIEW There are a number of Advanced PowerStrips (APS) on the market.

value. This note will highlight some of the important features and criteria to consider when deciding which Advanced PowerStrip is best for your application.

These are simple to implement and are inexpensive. MOV s work by detecting an electrical surge and diverting excess energy away from equipment via the electrical grounding system.

TrickleStar MOV s are the most advanced available and are encased in a flameproof, ceramic casing.

The patented high-temperature ceramic casing is capable of preventing fire during an abnormal surge condition as a result of arcing.

The end result is a surge protection product that is much safer than any other on the market using standard MOV s.

1 APPLICATION NOTE ADVANCED POWERSTRIPS OVERVIEW There are a number of Advanced PowerStrips (APS) on the market. With a confusing array of features, surge protection ratings and warranty options it is often difficult to compare apples with apples and to understand what you need and what represents value. This note will highlight some of the important features and criteria to consider when deciding which Advanced PowerStrip is best for your application. SURGE PROTECTION The type and quality of surge protection technology used in Advanced Powerstrips varies tremendously. Most manufacturers use standard Metal Oxide Varistors (MOV s). These are simple to implement and are inexpensive. MOV s work by detecting an electrical surge and diverting excess energy away from equipment via the electrical grounding system. However, as with all products you get what you pay for. In abnormal surge conditions, standard MOVs can arc and catch fire. TrickleStar MOV s are the most advanced available and are encased in a flameproof, ceramic casing. They are capable of suppressing more energy and dissipating heat faster than traditional MOV s. The patented high-temperature ceramic casing is capable of preventing fire during an abnormal surge condition as a result of arcing. This combination of highenergy dissipation and fire containment offers ultimate protection, safety and peace of mind. The end result is a surge protection product that is much safer than any other on the market using standard MOV s. Because the TrickleStar MOV s are able to dissipate heat faster, this helps to extend the lifetime of the product - thereby providing surge protection and energy savings for a longer period. Reducing risk and ensuring safety are important for everyone. Large organisations, power utilities and energy efficiency organisations are particularly sensitive to managing potential risk in their businesses. The added safety of the TrickleStar ceramic encased MOV s is a critical part of ensuring that product that is going into the field is safe and does not pose an unwanted risk to the end-user or the organisation that has provided it. CERAMIC MOV s = ULTIMATE PROTECTION AND SAFETY Conserving energy. Improving life. TM

STANDARD MOV FAILURE In abnormal surge conditions, powerstrips with standard MOV s can fail catastrophically leading to

Powerstrips with non UL compliant components and enclosure materials can ignite and become a significant fire hazard.

2 STANDARD MOV FAILURE In abnormal surge conditions, powerstrips with standard MOV s can fail catastrophically leading to arcing, sparking and combustion. Powerstrips with non UL compliant components and enclosure materials can ignite and become a significant fire hazard. TRICKLESTAR CERAMIC MOV FAILURE In abnormal surge conditions, TrickleStar ceramic MOV s may fail, but they will do so in a safe and controlled manner. With the MOV s encased in a ceramic housing, the MOV may fail but it has insufficient oxygen to combust, and as is it not touching combustable material, it cannot be an ignition source. Ceramic MOV s offer high quality fireproof surge protection, last longer and are considerably safer than standard MOV s.

THERMAL SHUTDOWN TrickleStar products have a thermal shutdown feature whereby in the event of the product becoming

SWITCHING THRESHOLDS One of the most important features of an Advanced Powerstrip is the way in which the switching

This is cheap to implement BUT will only work with around 70-80% of equipment in the field.

A product with a fixed switching threshold cannot support all of these products.

the switching threshold is too high then new energy efficient Netbooks won t operate correctly (not enough current draw to

If the switching threshold is too low, old legacy devices won t operate correctly (too much power draw and the switched

It is essential that an Advanced Powerstrip have an adjustable switching threshold so it can work with a variety of devices.

15-20%. A rate most retailers, power utilities and energy efficiency organisations would deem disastrous.

Powerstrips have 2 selectable switching thresholds of 18W and 35W.

3 THERMAL SHUTDOWN TrickleStar products have a thermal shutdown feature whereby in the event of the product becoming overheated due to overloading or an abnormal surge condition, the product will shut down safely, protecting itself and the devices connected to it. Most products do not have thermal shutdown detection capability as it adds extra cost to the product. SWITCHING THRESHOLDS One of the most important features of an Advanced Powerstrip is the way in which the switching threshold is set. Most manufacturers have a simple, inexpensive fixed switching threshold (typical 20W or 40W). This is cheap to implement BUT will only work with around 70-80% of equipment in the field. This is because there is a huge variety of PC s Notebooks, Netbooks, TV s, plasma displays and LCD displays. A product with a fixed switching threshold cannot support all of these products. Rocketfish Resettable Circuit Breaker / Off Switch Resettable Circuit Breaker / Off Switch Standard MOV s Standard MOV s If the switching threshold is too high then new energy efficient Netbooks won t operate correctly (not enough current draw to switch on the switched outlets). If the switching threshold is too low, old legacy devices won t operate correctly (too much power draw and the switched outlets will not switch off). It is essential that an Advanced Powerstrip have an adjustable switching threshold so it can work with a variety of devices. An Advanced Powerstrip with a fixed switching threshold is severely limited and can frequently result in return rates of 15-20%. A rate most retailers, power utilities and energy efficiency organisations would deem disastrous. Bits Ltd Adjustable Switching Threshold Ceramic Encased Fireproof MOV s Auto / Manual Switch TrickleStar Advanced Powerstrips have 2 selectable switching thresholds of 18W and 35W. This ensures that TrickleStar APS products are compatible with >99% of devices in the field -- resulting in a great customer experience and reduced risk to utility company and energy efficiency organization program sponsors. AUTO ON Sometimes a user may require the Advanced Powerstrip to function as a standard powerstrip / surge protector. With the exception of TrickleStar, all other Advanced Powerstrips do not allow a user to select Auto or Normal Operation mode. This gives a user control and can help avoid frustration and support calls. Dedicated Resettable Circuit Breaker TrickleStar Safety Shutdown & LED Control Adjustable Switching Threshold

TrickleStar has the only Advanced Powerstrip, which provides comprehensive LED Indication to simply the user experience.

4 LED STATUS INDICATION It is often helpful to be able to determine what the states of the various outlets of an Advanced Powerstrip are. If a user is having difficulty configuring or troubleshooting an Advanced Powerstrip good LED status indication is essential. TrickleStar has the only Advanced Powerstrip, which provides comprehensive LED Indication to simply the user experience. Surge Status Ground Status Good LED indication provides a user with clear, simple feedback and helps to reduce frustration and support calls. WARRANTY Perhaps the most confusing and misleading aspects of Advanced Powerstrips and Surge Protectors are the types of warranties offered. Warranties typically consist of 2 parts: Product Warranty Connected Device Warranty Product Warranty: covers failure of the product within the warranty period. This typically covers parts and labour. It is essential that a manufacturer offer a product warranty of at least 1-2 years. If there is going to be fault with a product it will typically appear in the first 6-12 months. TrickleStar offers a 2-year, full parts and labour warranty on all Advanced Powerstrip products. Connected Device Warranty: covers damage from an electrical surge to any products / devices connected to an Advanced Powerstrip. It is CRITICAL that the terms and conditions of the Connected Device Warranty are well understood. It is not uncommon for manufacturers to provide a very high warranty amount e.g. $500,000 but to have an unreasonable warranty agreement which makes the warranty worthless. For example some manufacturers will require a user to submit a completed warranty card within 2 weeks of purchase otherwise the Connected Device Warranty is voided. Alway On Control Switched It is important to understand the terms and conditions of a Connected Device Warranty particularly for electrical utilities and energy efficiency organisations considering large-scale programs. An unreasonable Connected Device Warranty can lead to end user anger and reflect badly on the organisation that provided the products. Another issue to consider is whether a very large Connected Device Warranty is actually required. While it sounds good if a product is supplied with a $500,000 Connected Device Warranty 95% of users will not have more than $20,000 worth of equipment connected to the Advanced Powerstrip. If a manufacturer is offering a $500,000 Connected Device Warranty it can mean either that the terms and conditions of the warranty are unreasonable or that far more insurance is provided than is required and this is a wasted expense that is passed to the customer. TrickleStar provides a Connected Device Warranty of $50,000 with simple terms and conditions. TrickleStar does not over-insure its products, but instead provides coverage that will meet the needs of >95% of customers and focuses on providing a high quality product that will result in a longer product lifetime and bigger energy savings. SAFETY & APPROVALS When it comes to power products, safety is critical. Non-approved or counterfeit products can be extremely dangerous and lead to electrocution or fire. Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is the premier testing and approvals organisation for North America. Insist that product is UL approved. Look for the UL logo on the product itself and if unsure, request a copy of the UL product certification from the manufacturer. Use of non-ul approved product may void private or public insurance policies and expose an organisation that provided the product to liability. PRODUCT LIABILITY INSURANCE A reputable manufacturer of Advanced Powerstrips will have product liability insurance to cover any claims that may arise as a result of a faulty product or components. For electrical utilities and energy efficiency organisations considering largescale programs, managers should insist on seeing a copy of the manufacturer s product liability insurance. TrickleStar has US$5 Million product liability insurance with Axa Insurance. Y W A R R A N T A very high Connected Device Warranty amount does not mean a better product sometimes it may mean the opposite.

5 ADVANCEDPOWERSTRIPS CABLE MANAGEMENT In order to make a product installation as neat and tidy as possible we include Velcro cable ties with all APS products. CARBON OFFSET Producing and distributing products results in the production of carbon. At TrickleStar we reduce the carbon footprint of our products through thoughtful design and efficient business CARBON OFFSET practices. In order to be as environmentally conscious as possible, TrickleStar purchases carbon credits from United Nations sanctioned forestry projects to offset the carbon produced in the manufacture and distribution of our products. GREEN DISTRIBUTION All APS products are produced in Taiwan and China. In order to minimize our distribution carbon footprint, we have located our distribution facility in Fremont, California. We then ship product out to the rest of the United States. Our distribution facility is also 30% powered by solar. GREEN PACKAGING TrickleStar uses REACH and CONEG compliant packaging for all APS products. We specifically avoid the use of plastic clamshell / blister pack packaging. TrickleStar Bits Ltd Rocketfish Surge Protection Electrical LED Indication Warranty Other Surge Amps 144,000 Amps 48,000 Amps 105,000 Amps Surge Joules Resettable Circuit Breaker Yes Yes Yes Fireproof / Ceramic Encased MOV s Yes No No MOV Temp Withstand Rating >1200 Deg C 175~250 Deg C 175~250 Deg C MOV Surge Life 2X 1X 1X MOV Energy Rating 1080J 295J 295J MOV Peak Current Rating 24KA 15KA 15KA Outlets Adjustable Switching Threshold Yes Yes No Auto / Manual Enable / Disable Yes No No Thermal Safety Shutdown Yes Yes No EMI / Noise Filtering <48dB <30dB <43dB Ground Yes Yes Yes Surge Protection Yes Yes Yes Control Outlet Yes No No Always Live Yes No No Switched Yes Yes No Product 2 Year 1 Year Limited Connected Device $50,000 $25,000 $200,000 UL Approved Yes Yes Yes Carbon Offset Yes No No Cable Management Yes No No Copyright TrickleStar Ltd. All rights reserved. TrickleStar is a registered trademark of TrickleStar Ltd. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. The information in this document is subject to change without notice. TrickleStar Ltd assumes no responsibility for any errors that may appear in this document.

Isobar 12-Outlet Network Server Surge Protector, 15 ft. Cord, 3840 Joules, Diagnostic LEDs, 1U Rack-Mount, Metal Housing

Isobar 12-Outlet Network Server Surge Protector, 15 ft. Cord, 3840 Joules, Diagnostic LEDs, 1U Rack-Mount, Metal Housing MODEL NUMBER: IBAR12 Highlights 12 NEMA 5-15R outlets in exclusive isolated filter