UPS Glossary
AVR
The AVR provides stepped voltage regulation while the UPS is on and operating in mains mode. If the input voltage is close to the nominal voltage (approximately 230V), the AVR does not make any corrections and the UPS supplies the same voltage at the output as it receives at the input. The AVR applies a 30 Volt step correction whenever the voltage rises above approximately 250V or falls below approximately 200V.
PURE SINE WAVE
During battery operation, the Pure Sine Wave Line Interactive UPSs generate a perfectly sine wave output. This type of wave is ideal for the most delicate devices or for systems equipped with Active PFC technology power supply such as, for example, Mac computers, high-performance computers, Playstation 5, Playstation 4 Pro, Xbox, Soundbars, Stoves pellets.
PFC ACTIVE
Power supplies with Active PFC technology, which are increasingly widespread, improve the energy management performed by the device itself. In a nutshell, a computer equipped with this power supply has a better performance but is more delicate and requires a Pure Sine Wave UPS or, alternatively, a UPS specifically designed to be correctly supported in the event of a blackout.
PWM TECHNOLOGY
PWM (pulse-width modulation) technology allows to modulate the amplitude of the square wave (usually generated by UPS Offline or Line Interactive) with a frequency and speed suitable for the specific situation. Thanks to this technology, the wave produced at the UPS output is able to adapt to load situations with highly variable consumption, such as, for example, power supplies with active PFC
UPS LINE INTERACTIVE
During normal operation, Line Interactive UPSs power the devices by returning the same voltage they receive from the power line to their output, but correct any voltage fluctuations using the AVR function. In the event that the voltage values exceed the minimum or maximum threshold accepted by the AVR or in the event that a real blackout occurs, the UPS intervenes by supplying current to the devices through its own batteries. For more information, see our “UPS operation” page.
UPS OFFLINE
During normal operation, the Offline UPSs power the connected devices by returning the same voltage they receive from the power line to their output without carrying out any particular intervention. The Offline UPS intervenes only in the event of a power cut or voltage fluctuations that are out of tolerance, absorbing the energy from its internal batteries and supplying it to the connected output devices. For more information, see our “UPS operation” page.
VOLTAMPERE (VA)
Voltamperes, indicated with the abbreviation VA, are the unit of measurement for the apparent power required by a device.
WATTS (W)
Watt is the unit of measurement that indicates the real power of a device. To correctly choose your UPS, it is good to take the real power as a reference as it expresses the real power of the UPS and the real absorption of your device.