Bryant Unleashes The 'EyePower' MDU

The all new Bryant Unlimited "eyePower" Mains Distribution Unit (MDU) heralds the future for rack power distribution management in broadcast, IT racks and server farms.

Bryant Unlimited have manufactured "Intelligent" Mains Distribution Units since the 1990s and the eyePower MDU is the very latest design, based upon user demands for functionality. eyePower offers the highest standard of monitoring and status reporting in mission-critical installations such as broadcast and IT, where loss of on-air time or data is a killer.
Bryant Unlimited introduce the super stable, highest resolution Power Monitoring MDU for broadcast and IT racks with control and monitoring deliberately performed by separate micro-controllers. An intelligent MDU offering 14 IEC outlets; 20A powerCON single or dual inlet auto-changeover from main to back-up power in event of power failure; comprehensive control and monitoring of inlet and outlet parameters over multidrop serial or optional Ethernet interface with PoE; 1-Wire sensors for environmental monitoring - all in a 1U rack mount unit.
Like all Bryant Unlimited mains units, eyePower does not rely on PCB tracks for power distribution; all units are hand wired with crimped cables and soldered busbars. Installation fault currents can be surprisingly high – and PCBs can be damaged with repeated circuit overloads.
eyePower Outlets are 10A rated to the unit maximum of 20A. Factory fit is 3.15A fuses, which suits most loads and provides clear discrimination between supply and outlet fusing. Customers can uprate fuses as required.
Supply voltage is detected after each fuse and after each relay, using a circuit which consumes 0.25W total for over 30 measurements: many none-Bryant units consume this much power for each presence detect and do not check both fuse and relay.
Current measurement is performed with high sensitivity current transformers. Unlike cheap, PCB-mounted shunt resistors, there are no heating issues and reliability is maintained by simply passing the output cable through the centre of the transformer rather than routing via the PCB. With no direct connection to the supply, there are no issues when measuring current throughout supply voltage disturbances. Currents from mA to 40A (Crest Factor 2) can be monitored.
The PSU is high quality, a linear supply with over-specified components that runs much cooler than a cheap switched mode unit with limited life. Linear supplies are more tolerant to supply harmonics and voltage dips.

Features:

- 20A powerCON inlets, either single or dual auto-changeover.
- 14 x 10A IEC outlets, individually controlled and monitored.
- Advanced monitoring of mains supply parameters.

Fully equipped, eyePower uses 22 separate 24 bit, oversampling A-D converters together with a number of 10 bit ADC to measure diverse parameters including neutral/earth, residual current and "DC on the mains". Voltage and current waveform display for visual analysis of current draw. In an intensive research programme Bryant found that power consumed by equipment can be surprisingly constant, while the current waveform varies dramatically due to faulty power supply components. eyePower's innovative graph can highlight connected equipment's unusual current draw waveform allowing preventative maintenance to be performed in scheduled downtime.
- Comprehensive internal macro language for sequence programming. Bryant Unlimited already have thousands of SMS units in service that allow user programmable sequences for outlet and GPI interactions. eyePower has this powerful functionality at its core, giving the optional web interface access to complicated sequences to meet any requirement. Even the front panel switch can access these macro routines so the switch is extremely versatile. The unit can also redefine GPI and switch use according to live requirements.

- Four programmable GPI in/out to for macro triggers and tallies.
- 1-Wire interface allows multiple temperature/ humidity sensors. Up to twenty Dallas/Maxim sensors can be connected, allowing for temperature, humidity and GPIs in addition to the standard four GPIs if required.
- OLED display for local monitoring.
- Serial and Ethernet connections for monitoring and control. Custom-developed 10/100Mbit Ethernet module with PoE as standard that can power the entire unit and its logging/reporting through power failure or brown out. The powerful, 32 bit processor will meet the demands of future developments.
- Energy efficient design using modern techniques. Standard relays are preferred; this latest unit reduces relay power consumption and heating by 70%. Relays hardly get warm using PWM, a technique adopted from the automotive industry to save energy.
- Full protocol available for interface to third party NMS (Dataminer/Colledia) etc.
- The units and sub-assemblies are manufactured in the UK to a very high standard using the highest quality components. Design and manufacturing teams take pride in the units they produce. Compliance with current European standards is assured by third party testing, which unfortunately is not true for all MDUs on the market.
Bryant's 'eyePower' Mains Distribution Unit, designed and built in the UK, offers unrivalled local or remote access to mains power information in your racks. You can't manage what you can't measure.

Read the article in the online edition of RFV here.

(IT/JP)