Among the UPS with double conversion topology (online), devices for home and office PCs at affordable prices have long appeared. However, belonging to this class in itself does not guarantee the correct sine wave at the output, as well as the ability to regulate the voltage frequency, so in critical operating scenarios, more complex and, therefore, expensive solutions are still in demand. Let’s consider one of these devices in the Ippon catalog.
⇡#Technical characteristics, price
The Innova TB family includes models designed for a full power of 1, 2 and 3 kVA, and their active power is 0.9, 1.8 and 2.7 W, respectively. But these values are true when the UPS does not regulate the frequency. Otherwise, as much as 40% will have to be subtracted from the rated power. An economical operating mode is also provided: while the input voltage remains within the specified limits, the load is supplied via the bypass. In addition to uninterruptible power supply, consumers receive protection from EMI and surge voltage. A cold start of the UPS is possible.
> 90 (in linear mode);
> 97 (in ECO mode)
USB Type-B;
RS-232;
EPO;
SNMP card slot
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The total capacity of the installed batteries and, therefore, the battery life depend on the power of the selected model. The specifications of the 2 kVA Innova TB, which we will study in the review, promise that the UPS will last without external power for 23.1 minutes under a load of 30% of the nominal value, and under maximum load – 3.3 minutes.
At the time of writing, the Innova TB 2000 was available for sale for a price starting from 37,980 rubles. The manufacturer provides a two-year warranty on the device.
⇡#Appearance, delivery set
Innova TB 2000 is larger than exclusively home UPS with a capacity of 2 kVA, but it is still a fairly compact device: its dimensions are 151 × 390 × 225 mm. But the new product weighs quite a bit – 15.7 kg.
The front panel of the case has an LCD screen with white backlighting. The symbols themselves, not the background, glow, so the screen does not irritate the eyes in the dark. A simple interface displays key operating parameters (AC and DC voltage, load power, battery charge, etc.) and, using four buttons, allows you to make a number of settings: switch the device to bypass or economy mode, set the limits of the economy mode (up to 15% of the target voltage), set the RMS value (in the range from 208 to 240 V) of the output voltage and its frequency (50 or 60 Hz). The menu can also be used to run a battery test and disable the sound warning about switching to autonomous power supply.
The Innova TB series UPSs have IEC C13 standard “computer” output sockets. The 1 and 2 kVA models have four of them, and the older 3 kVA model has six IEC C13 and an additional C19 for consumers with a current of up to 16 A. Innova TBE branded devices are equipped with three or four Schuko Euro sockets. The sockets are protected by an automatic switch with a reset button.
External control of the device is provided by USB Type-B ports, a serial port with an RSR-232 interface, and EPO (emergency power-off) contacts. In addition, there is a slot on the rear panel for an optional network card with SNMP support.
In the box with the Innova TB 2000 we found a user manual, an input power cable and two cables for connecting consumers.
⇡#Internal organization
To service the batteries, you need to remove the metal casing from the device, which is a single piece and is secured with a lot of screws around the perimeter, including the rear flange. Therefore, if the UPS is installed in a niche, it will have to be removed from there.
There are no complaints about the quality of the component installation or the reliability of the internal frame.
The batteries themselves are lead-acid, with a voltage of 12 V and a capacity of 9 Ah. There are four of them in the TB 2000 model.
⇡#Software
If the Ippon Innova TB 2000 does not have an optional network card with SNMP support, the device can be controlled locally via the RS-232 or USB interface using the Power Master+ program. Unlike the well-known WinPower utility, which is compatible with most other Ippon products, Power Master+ works via a web browser.
The program monitors the main operating parameters of the UPS: the voltage at the input, output and battery unit, the load power and the remaining charge. There are no device settings in the program, but it allows you to perform a battery test, set up email alerts and response scenarios for external power failure. In any case, using Power Master+ is not at all necessary, because the Innova TB 2000 is recognized by the operating system as a UPS when connected via USB.
⇡#Test results
As befits a double-conversion UPS, the Ippon Innova TB 2000 produces a perfect sine wave under any load in the acceptable range. The RMS voltage is 218 V, close to the default 220 V. The transient process during an external power supply interruption is reduced to minimal distortion of the wave crests. At the same time, the device is capable of operating in a very wide voltage range without switching to autonomous mode: the lower threshold is around 180, and the upper one is beyond 267 V (the LATR used for testing did not allow us to set more) under high load.
The autonomous operation time with a consumer power of 1.56 kW was 2 min 59 sec. This is quite enough to correctly turn off or put to sleep the devices protected by the UPS.
⇡#Conclusions
Ippon’s Innova TB series fully realizes the core values of a double-conversion UPS: perfect sine wave output and seamless transition to battery power. The 2kVA TB 2000 model we reviewed provides enough runtime to safely shut down a powerful workstation or server, not to mention a gaming PC or NAS.
In an enterprise environment, the ability to remotely control via an optional SNMP card will come in handy. But local configuration is only possible via the screen and buttons on the device itself: the Power Master+ program only allows you to monitor the UPS operation and run a battery test. In addition, when choosing the Innova TB model in accordance with the power of consumers, it is necessary to take into account that the permissible load in the frequency regulation mode is 40% lower than the rated maximum.