The PC-200 is a professional grade, rack-mountable power conditioner and controller designed to provide 120 Volt AC power distribution, switching, surge protection, noise filtering, and energy monitoring for Crestron® control systems, AV systems, computers, and other equipment. Eight switched outlets are provided on the rear panel, plus a single unswitched convenience outlet is provided on the front. All nine outlets are protected, filtered, and monitored. The switched outlets are arranged in four banks of two, three of which are turn-on delay-adjustable when controlled from the front panel power switch. The same three outlet banks are also individually controllable via a control system to enable selective switching of devices, on/off power sequencing, load-shedding, and other custom power control functionality.[1]
Built-in RMS voltage and current monitoring enables logging and reporting of the line voltage, current, power, and energy usage at the input. An external temperature sensor is included to keep tabs on heat conditions within the equipment rack or room. Network connectivity allows for setup and operation using a web browser, with extensive custom control and monitoring capabilities enabled through integration with a Crestron control system, the MyCrestron.com residential monitoring service, the Crestron Fusion® Cloud enterprise management service, or an SNMP client.[1,2]
Power Conditioning
A quality power conditioner is an essential component of any professional system to prevent sudden equipment failure due to lightning and electrical disturbances, to prolong the lifespan of that equipment, and to maximize overall system performance during everyday operation. The PC-200 includes the following power conditioning features:
- Surge Protection — Provides protection against surges and spikes in the AC power line caused by lightning and other electrical disturbances
- Under/Over Voltage Cutoff — Shuts off power to the rear panel outlets if the line voltage strays beyond the normal operating range, which is adjustable on the PC-200
- Thermal Breaker — Disrupts power to all outlets in case of an overload condition
- EMI/RFI Noise Filtering — Prevents electromagnetic and radio frequency interference that can negatively impact sound and video quality
- Wiring Fault Detection — Detects faulty wiring of the incoming AC power line and shuts off power to the rear panel outlets until the fault is corrected [3]
Four-Stage Adjustable Turn-On Delay
The switched outlets on the PC-200’s rear panel are arranged in four banks, with two outlets per bank. When operated by its front panel power switch, the first bank turns on immediately while the other three banks can be configured to turn on in any order according to the delay time set for each bank. Each bank is independently adjustable to provide up to 10 seconds of delay before turning on, ensuring that the connected equipment gets powered up in proper order with sufficient time for each piece to stabilize. This helps to prevent dangerous transients that can damage delicate components and potentially trip the main circuit breaker. It can also help to prevent audible pops and thumps through connected audio equipment at power-up. Delayed turn-on is initiated by turning on the front panel power switch, or by applying power to the main line input following a power outage or through an externally switched circuit.
Three Remote-Controllable Switched Outlet Banks
When connected to a local area network, three of the four outlet banks on the PC-200’s rear panel can be turned on or off independently using a web browser or control system. The other bank is always on as long as the front panel switch is turned on. This energy-saving feature allows select components to be powered down when not needed. Through integration with a control system, custom functionality can be programmed to enable control from a touch screen, keypad, remote, or mobile device. Sequential power-up and power-down functionality can be enabled through programming of the control system. For systems employing a backup generator or UPS, load-shedding can be performed to shut down unnecessary components during a power outage.[1]
Energy Monitoring
By sensing the incoming line voltage and the total device load, the PC-200 facilitates a host of solutions for monitoring, automating, and troubleshooting a system.
- Voltage monitoring allows fluctuations in the power line to be tracked and logged, helping to identify and document problems with the power utility or building wiring.
- Energy monitoring provides the real power consumption (watts), current draw (amps), and energy usage (watt-hours) for all of the connected devices combined.
- By connecting and testing one component at a time, the PC-200 allows power-hungry equipment to be identified and replaced with more efficient equipment.
- High inrush current devices can be identified to assist in optimizing the configuration of power sequencing schemes.
- Overall energy usage can be tracked and logged to identify trends and reform energy-wasting behaviors.
- System usage can be tracked to inform the scheduling of maintenance and future purchasing decisions.
- An alert notification can be sent if there’s a sudden or abnormal drop in current draw, potentially indicating a device has been shut off improperly or disconnected due to theft (effective only when outlets are switched on).
Ambient Temperature Sensing
The PC-200 offers a complete equipment protection solution by monitoring the ambient temperature within the equipment cabinet or room to prevent overheating. The included temperature sensor connects to the rear of the PC-200 and features a choice of magnetic or adhesive mounting for easy placement within a typical equipment rack enclosure. The over-temperature cutoff threshold can be set to shut down power to the system if conditions exceed a safe operating temperature. Through a control system, the temperature measurement can be utilized to regulate the operation of cooling fans or air-conditioning equipment to keep equipment running cool.
Ping Monitoring
No matter how well a system is designed and programmed, even the finest control system or computer has the potential to lock up and stop responding once in a while. The PC-200 can be configured to detect an unresponsive device by sending it a ping command at regular intervals. If the ping request is not returned after four tries, the outlet bank feeding the monitored device cycles off and on to reboot the device, quickly restoring normal operation without any human intervention.
Built-In Logging
Events such as power surges, over/under voltage conditions, over-temperature conditions, ping failures, outlet switching activity, and sudden changes in current draw (indicative of a device being improperly shut off or disconnected) can all be logged as they occur to document the time and cause of problems and to track system usage. All sensor readings are logged at a configurable interval as short as five seconds providing a minimum of one week’s worth of data. Logs can be retrieved periodically to record a detailed history of events and energy usage over time.
Remote Management & Control
The PC-200 integrates neatly into any system or facility. Used alone, it can be set up and managed through a web browser. It can also be configured to send email notifications in case of certain specified events. Integration with the MyCrestron.com residential monitoring service provides a cloud based solution for homeowners to monitor and manage the PC-200 as part of a complete Crestron home automation system. Or, Crestron Fusion Cloud provides an enterprise solution for corporations and universities to manage rooms using the PC-200 throughout a building or campus. Built-in SNMP support enables integration with third-party IT management software, allowing network administrators to manage one or many networked PC-200s in an IT-friendly format. And of course, the PC-200 can be integrated with a Crestron control system via Ethernet or Cresnet® to enable control and monitoring through a touch screen, handheld remote, or mobile device.[1,2]
UL® 1449 Certified
The PC-200 has been tested and certified by UL as compliant with the UL 1449 safety and performance standard for surge protective devices (SPD).