360 Systems MAXX-6T - Manual (Page 11)

____________________________________________________________________________________
MAXX 6T Owner’s 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 6T 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 6T.
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.