360 Systems MAXX-2400SD - Manual (Page 11)

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MAXX 2400 Owners Manual Page 11
OPERATING ENVIRONMENT
System Cooling
When many pieces of equipment are mounted in an equipment rack, a considerable amount of
heat may be produced, which must be removed efficiently. Further, a lower operating
temperature will make equipment operate more reliably, and last longer. In the extreme case,
excessive temperatures cause rapid equipment failure, and damage which can be difficult to
repair.
Heat in an equipment rack should be removed by forced air. This is often accomplished by
blowers installed in the top of the rack, venting into the room. An alternative is to draw hot air
from the top of the rack into an air-conditioning return duct, and not vent it into the equipment
room. Cold air should be ducted into the bottom of the rack. The optimum air temperature for
cooling electronic equipment is 25° C (72° F). When many pieces of equipment are contributing
to the heat load, a substantial air-flow will be needed, and the inlet temperature may need to be
lower.
Check These Points
• Are all ventilation holes in the MAXX 2400 free of obstruction?
• Can blowers or HVAC system adequately remove heat from the equipment rack?
• Have you measured the actual temperature inside the rack? Do this near the top.
• Verify that the HVAC system is not on a timer that can shut off on weekends or holidays.
• What procedures are in place to protect the equipment when the HVAC system fails?
Power Conditioning
It is good practice to operate an on-air video server from an Uninterruptible Power Source, or UPS.
All utility power systems experience occasional transient events, including brownouts and
dropouts, which are capable of taking a server off the air. It is the station operator’s job to plan for
and overcome such contingencies. UPS units come in two varieties:
Change-over UPS Design
This design senses drop-outs and low-line voltage, and switches its output to an internal inverter
operating from a battery. This UPS is low in cost, and is most often used in non-critical
applications such as desk-top computers. A disadvantage is that it may create its own power
transients when switching between utility power and its inverter supply. For this reason 360
Systems does not recommend this type for use with the MAXX 2400.
Continuous Conversion UPS Design
This improved design continuously converts utility power to DC, stores it in a battery, then
produces isolated AC power from an inverter. It never switches, and is immune to input
transients, brownouts, and blackouts. Models are available with batteries of almost any size,
making the continuous-conversion UPS suitable for transient suppression or long-term operating
power in the absence of utility power.