Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) Requirements

An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is a device that sits between a power supply (such as a wall outlet) and a device (such as a switch) to prevent outages, sags, surges, and bad harmonics from adversely affecting the performance of the device.

A UPS traditionally can perform the following functions:

• Absorb relatively small power surges.
• Smooth out noisy power sources.
• Continue to provide power to equipment during line sags.
• Provide power for a period of time after a blackout has occurred.

In addition, some UPS devices or UPS-plus-software combinations provide the following functions:

• Automatically shut down equipment during long power outages.
• Monitor and log power supply status.
• Display the voltage (current draw) of the equipment.
• Restart equipment after a long power outage.
• Display the voltage currently on the line.
• Provide alarms on certain error conditions.
• Provide short-circuit protection.