Comparison Full Energy BBGP-1210 vs Eaton 3S Mini 36W

— Normal (Tower). UPS designed for floor mounting or placement on any suitable horizontal surface. This “installation” is extremely simple, and it is suitable even for the most powerful and heaviest devices, and therefore most modern uninterruptible power supplies (of all categories) are made in the usual Tower form factor. They are supposed to be placed vertically.

— Rack (in a rack). Models for installation in telecommunication racks. Most of these uninterruptible power supplies belong to the professional equipment segment, designed to power servers and other similar electronics (which are also often mounted in a similar way). The most common rack standard is 19", however there are other options, so it would be a good idea to check the compatibility of the UPS with a specific rack separately. We also note that models of this type are often equipped with legs that allow you to place the device on the floor “sideways” or in a vertical position. Display (if available) in such models may have a rotating design for ease of reading parameters in both positions.

— Wall-mounted. Uninterruptible power supplies, primarily designed for wall mounting. Wall hanging may be the best option in tight spaces. However, such an installation is not the only option - many devices can optionally be installed on the floor. Also note that wall-mounted UPSs are often u...sed for heating boilers. The main disadvantage of this form factor is the need to drill into the walls to install an uninterruptible power supply.

- Flat. UPS, structurally assembled in a low, flat housing. As a rule, this form factor allows for several options for installing equipment: the uninterruptible power supply can be installed horizontally or vertically. However, it is the horizontal method of installing the UPS that predominates. In fact, everything depends on the location of the uninterruptible power supply and its dimensions - it would not hurt to clarify this point separately.

— Extension cord. Uninterruptible power supplies that resemble an extension cord in appearance. Structurally, such UPSs consist of a set of sockets in one housing, with the sockets located on the top platform of the uninterruptible power supply. Often, the housing of such UPSs is provided with holes or fasteners for wall mounting.

UPS continuous operation time from a fully charged battery when connected to a load with a power equal to the UPS output power (maximum or effective, depending on the type of load, see the relevant paragraphs for details). For a UPS designed to work with a home or office PC, a time of about 10-15 minutes is considered sufficient, this is enough to save data and complete work. To power servers, it is worth using devices with an operating time of 20 minutes or more.

UPS continuous operation time from a fully charged battery when connected to a load with a power equal to half the output power of the UPS (maximum or effective, depending on the type of load, see below for details). The operating time with such a load is much longer than for a full load, and even in the simplest models it can reach 20-30 minutes.

In this case, the input voltage range is implied, in which the UPS is able to supply a stable voltage to the load only due to its own regulators, without switching to the battery. For redundant UPSs (see "Type") this range is quite small, approximately 190 to 260 V; for interactive and especially inverter ones, it is much wider. Some UPS models allow you to manually set the input voltage range.

The effective output power of the UPS is, in fact, the maximum active power of the load that can be connected to the device.

Active power is consumed directly for the operation of the device; it is expressed in watts. In addition to it, most AC devices also consume reactive power, which is "wasted" (relatively speaking) is spent by coils and capacitors. Apparent power (denoted in volt-amperes) is precisely the sum of active and reactive power; it is this characteristic that should be used in accurate electrical calculations. See "Maximum output power" for details; here we note that when selecting a UPS for a relatively simple application, it is quite possible to use only effective power. This is at least easier than converting the watts claimed in the characteristics of the connected devices into full power volt-amps.

The most modest modern "uninterruptibles" give out less than 500 watts. 501 – 1000 W can be considered an average value, 1.1 – 2 kW is above average, and in the most powerful models this figure exceeds 2 kW and can reach very impressive values (up to 1000 kW or more in some industrial class UPS).

The ability to change the output voltage of the UPS at the request of the user. Electrical networks in different countries have different voltages: for example, in the post-Soviet space, the standard is 230 V, in European countries — 230 V. Small differences in appearance may not play a significant role, however, voltage mismatch can adversely affect the efficiency and durability of electrical appliances. Voltage regulation allows you to choose the optimal value, thus providing the best conditions for the operation of electronics.

The terminals are used to connect wires to the UPS — directly, without using any plugs. For models of relatively low power, such a possibility is not needed, but for powerful devices with at least a few kilowatts (used, in particular, for server cabinets), this connection option often turns out to be optimal, or even the only acceptable one. A terminal block is a set of several terminals arranged in a row. Note that the number and purpose of such terminals may be different, this point should be clarified according to the official documentation.

The absence of a battery in the UPS package — in order to use such a device for its main purpose, the battery will have to be purchased separately. This is associated with additional hassle, but gives such an important advantage as the ability to independently choose the capacity and number of batteries, without relying on the choice of the manufacturer and without the risk of overpaying for the wrong option.

Note that only models that do not have internal batteries and are designed to use external batteries can be supplied in this configuration (see below). These can be both professional inverter models (see "Type"), and inexpensive backup ones.

- Lead acid. Structurally, lead-acid batteries are based on a combination of electrodes made of lead compounds immersed in a liquid electrolyte, the role of which is played by an aqueous solution of sulfuric acid. The advantages of this type are simplicity and low cost, low self-discharge, no "memory effect" and maintaining performance in a wide temperature range. At the same time, the less charge remains in such batteries, the less current they produce. Also, lead-acid batteries are afraid of deep discharges, take a long time to charge, have large dimensions and weight in the context of other types.

- Lead-acid (AGM). An advanced type of lead-acid battery with an electrolyte in a jelly-like state. The gel electrolyte provides maximum contact with the negative and positive plates while maintaining a uniform consistency throughout the volume. AGM batteries impress with their high reliability, low self-discharge, deep discharge resistance and long service life. However, they are sensitive to charge quality, short circuits and negative temperatures.

— Li-Ion. Lithium-ion batteries have a high capacity with small dimensions and weight. They are not subject to the “memory effect”, they are able to charge quite quickly, they can boast of an excellent reserve for charge-discharge cycles. Li-Ion batteries also have disadvantages - first of all, it is sensitivity to low or high temperatures, and when overloaded, such a battery can catch fire or even explode. Howeve...r, due to the use of embedded controllers, the likelihood of such "accidents" is extremely small and, in general, the advantages of this technology significantly outweigh the disadvantages.