Helpful terms to make informed decisions
Have a question about something you’ve read about on the bXterra website or about the power protection industry in general? Our extensive glossary will have you up-to-speed in no time.
A design feature of a UPS battery backup that seamlessly provides backup power to connected electronic equipment that use Active Power Factor Correction circuitry. This feature prevents unexpected device shutdown when the power source switches from utility generated power to UPS battery power during a power interruption.
Active Power Factor Correction is a form of power factor correction that is used to correct the power factor for non-linear loads by using active electronic circuits that control the shape of the drawn current.
An electric current which periodically reverses direction, in contrast to direct current (DC) which flows only in one direction. Alternating current is the form in which electric power is delivered to businesses and residences, and it is the form of electrical energy that consumers typically use when they plug kitchen appliances, televisions, fans and electric lamps into a wall socket.
The unit of measurement of electrical current produced in a circuit by 1 volt acting through a resistance of 1 Ohm.
The product of the voltage (in volts) and the current (in amperes). It comprises both active and reactive power. It is measured in “volt-amperes” and often expressed in “kilovolt-amperes” (kVA) or “megavolt-amperes” (MVA).
When incoming utility power has minor fluctuations, Automatic Voltage Regulation provides clean, consistent AC power by automatically regulating low voltages and overvoltages to your connected equipment.
The amount of time a UPS battery is designed to support the load from its connected devices.
An integral UPS function, battery backup supplies power to equipment to give it enough time to safely shut down during a power failure. Helps minimize the effects of a sudden shutdown to power loss and helps prevent loss of data.
Total loss of power with zero voltage.
A voltage regulation process in the AVR functionality of a UPS that occurs when an undervoltage situation arises in the incoming power to the UPS. An undervoltage is “boosted” to raise it to appropriate levels. This results in extended overall battery life in the UPS.
A voltage drop for an extended period of time, but not a total loss like a blackout.
A voltage regulation process in the AVR functionality of a UPS that occurs when an overvoltage situation arises in the incoming power to the UPS. An overvoltage is “bucked” to reduce it to safe levels. This results in extended overall battery life in the UPS.
Capacity, in this sense, is the current battery charge in a UPS. bXterra UPS systems usually show capacity on the LCD screen, usually expressed as a percentage.
A device for manually opening (breaking) or closing a circuit to interrupt or apply electric power.
Defined as power which has been conditioned or regulated to remove electrical noise from the output.
To power on a bXterra UPS without A/C input power, cold start functionality restores power to the connected equipment using remaining UPS battery backup power.
A flow of electrons in an electrical conductor. The strength or rate of movement of the electricity is measured in amperes.
A network management protocol whereby a DHCP server dynamically assigns an IP address and other network configuration parameters to each device on a network so they can communicate with other IP networks.
A “power dip” is a short duration brownout condition.
When electrical charge (current) only flows in one direction, without reversal from a battery.