Rack-Mount PDUs

A rack-mount PDU (power distribution unit) is a strip of mains sockets built to fit a 19 inch rack, so the equipment in the cabinet can be powered from one lead. The Adastra 776.490UK, 776.491UK, 776.495UK and 776.497UK are 1U units that run from a hard-wired 1.8m lead with a UK plug.

Choose by the plugs on the equipment in the rack. Servers and switches with an IEC inlet connect by IEC lead to the C13 sockets on the Adastra 776.495UK, while equipment with UK plugs needs the BS1363 sockets on the 776.490UK or 776.491UK. The 776.497UK mixes 2 UK and 8 IEC sockets for a rack that holds both kinds.

The Adastra 776.490UK has 6 UK sockets, the 776.491UK 8 UK sockets, the 776.495UK 10 IEC C13 sockets and the 776.497UK 2 UK plus 8 IEC sockets. The Connectix RR-FP1-6 and RR-P1-6-C14 have BS1363 UK sockets. Count the plugs in the cabinet and allow a spare socket or two for equipment added later.

The Adastra 776.495UK is rated 13A in total and 10A per socket, and the 776.491UK description gives a maximum total current of 13A, though its title lists a 10A fuse. The 776.490UK and 776.497UK are listed at 10A, and the Connectix units list no rating. Add up the running current of the connected equipment and keep it within the PDU rating.

The Adastra 776.490UK. Its title lists a resettable circuit breaker, and the Adastra descriptions state the re-settable 10A fuse is fitted to the 776.490UK only. After an overload trips it, remove the cause and reset it rather than replacing a fuse. The 776.495UK has a master switch for circuit protection instead.

The Adastra 776.490UK, 776.491UK, 776.495UK and 776.497UK each take 1U, the smallest rack height, and fit 19 inch rack cabinets or cases. Mount the PDU at the back of the rack or in a spare 1U space close to the equipment it feeds, so the power leads stay short and tidy.

The Adastra 776.490UK, 776.491UK, 776.495UK and 776.497UK each have a hard-wired 1.8m lead with a UK plug, so the wall socket or UPS should be within reach of the rack. The lead is fixed rather than detachable, so plan its route through the cabinet cable entry before mounting the unit.

Yes, on the Connectix RR-FP1-6 and RR-P1-6-C14, which have a built-in blue LED ammeter; the RR-P1-6-C14 also lists an internal RMS current ammeter. The Adastra units list no meter, so check their load by adding up the ratings of the connected equipment. Connectix describes standard and filtered versions with different input plugs, so confirm the part number before ordering a match.

The Adastra units mount horizontally in 1U of a 19 inch rack. The Connectix RR-FP1-6 description says 4 and 6 way RackyRax PDUs fit horizontally between the cabinet 19 inch profiles, with sizes above 6 way designed for vertical installation on the back profile of a floor-standing cabinet.