Solutions for power distribution units (PDUs)

HARTING offers plug-in, pre-assembled cabling solutions for distributing power from the uninterruptible power supply (UPS) of the data centre to the rack power distribution units (rPDUs). These solutions optimise the data centre's energy supply chain by significantly reducing installation time compared to fixed wiring, while simultaneously increasing profitability.

Schematic illustration of a data centre: This is where the building's exterior facilities are located as well as the complete infrastructure for ensuring the functionality of a data centre.

Reduce the installation time with Plug & Play solutions

In the past, data centre developers and planners have had to manually wire the electrical connections from the UPS to the PDUs. This was time consuming and there was a high risk of wiring errors. Plug-in cable assemblies are safer. These are pre-wired, tested and usable in Plug & Play mode. As soon as the IT equipment being supplied with power has been installed, the cable assembly only needs to be plugged in. This takes only a fraction of the time it would take to wire it directly to the PDUs.

Minimising downtimes is also very important. When it comes time for maintenance work, the connection can be quickly and easily disconnected and re-established using a cable assembly from HARTING. This considerably reduces downtime compared to hard wiring.

Cabling solution using Han-Eco® at an rPDU in the server cabinet.

Use of intelligent connectors for the IoT

As a result of the IoT (Internet of Things), intelligent solutions are also being developed on the connector side and are already available. These "intelligent" connectors enable ID modules to store information about the status of a unit and then communicate this information. Furthermore, overvoltage protection modules prevent damages to a data centre unit which could otherwise result from system overvoltages.

For data centres, HARTING offers the Han-Eco® connectors made of high-performance plastic, which can be fitted with compact modules and Han-Modular® inserts. In addition to power and signal modules, the Han-Modular ® series also features modules for transmitting data in the Gigabit range. By using Han-Modular® inserts, PDU design engineers have been able to create fully customised cable assemblies quickly and easily using standard, of–the-shelf modules.

In addition to the power supply, signals (such as for the temperature or voltage level in the rPDU) can also be transmitted via a standardised connector base (e.g. Han-Eco®).