Chapter 2: Overview
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2. Welcome
Thank you for choosing the Black Box Central Power Hub.
In tune with your network, as KVM systems expand so
too do their requirements for the reliable supply of
power. While individual Black Box power adaptors per-
form well, as devices proliferate they can become
unwieldy and difficult to manage. Central Power Hub
provides the next step in terms of efficiency, reliability
and power management.
The heart of the Central Power Hub system is a modular
chassis which occupies a 1U 19” rack slot. Arranged
along its rear panel are eight or sixteen low voltage out-
put ports. These ports are then linked via cables and/or
Converter dongles
to the devices that require power. Each
output has a nominal power rating of 20W.
The overall power is generated within the main chassis by
either one or two plug-in 460W power modules. Adding
the optional second power module provides redundancy
for mission critical installations. During normal operation,
the overall load is shared between the twin power mod-
ules, with the full load transferring instantly to one if the
mains supply to the other should fail.
2.1 Protection and control
Power integrity, safety and management are core elements of the Central Power Hub system. The main chassis features a central
microprocessor which manages all aspects of Central Power Hub operation. At start up it checks the validity of the single (or dual)
power module(s) and then enables them. It then energizes each of the power ports in a carefully coordinated sequence to reduce
the instantaneous load on the power module(s). After start up, each power port is carefully monitored to ensure safety protection
while also maintaining power consistency to the multiple devices:
•
Electronic short protection
- If an overload or short circuit occurs on any output, the power is limited to a safe value (by cur-
rent pulsing) until the microprocessor recognizes the overload condition and trips the output – this happens approximately one
second after the fault happens. Once this occurs, you will need to correct the source of the short circuit and then reinstate the
output either via the front panel CLEAR button or the management application. The other power output ports will remain
unaffected during this period.
•
5V overload protection
- Where an optional converter dongle is used to supply a 5V device, an extra layer of vigilance is
brought into play. If the load on a dongle exceeds approximately 5.5A, then an internal circuit will trip to protect the power
modules and the cabling. Once the cause is dealt with, a simple toggling of the power port will restore output.
•
Limited power source (LPS)
- Further automated protection circuits within the Central Power Hub unit ensure that it fully
complies with the IEC60950-1 regulation to operate as a Limited Power Source.
The modular 460W power modules are unique; the central microprocessor circuit reads the unique code from a register in each
power module and will only enable them once the correct code is received.
Available anywhere, via the in-built Ethernet port, a browser-based management application allows authorized admin users to
monitor and control the power module(s) and all of the individual power output ports.
2.2 5VDC converter dongles
Each power output port operates at 12VDC. For devices that use 12VDC, a simple connection cable (ACR1000-3PL-CBL2M) is all
that’s required to link them to each power port. However, numerous Black Box devices operate at a lower voltage of 5VDC and
these each require the use of a converter dongle (ACR1000-12V5-CBL2M) to take the place of the simple connection cable.
