TheBug - PowerSolve PB600

Introduction

The PB600-12 from PowerSolve is a simple to operate battery backup solution, designed for use with small electronic devices, e.g. routers, cameras etc. This UPS ensures uninterrupted power during a mains 230V outage, providing emergency support to compatible devices that normally rely on an AC/DC adapter. With variants available in 12V, 19V, and 24V, the UPS can deliver 60 Watts (e.g. 5 Amps from the 12V model).

The PB600-12 has an Output socket (5.5/2.5mm) for connecting to a device using the supplied 60cm lead, and an Input socket (5.5/2.5mm) for connection to an appropriately rated AC/DC power supply.

Two LEDs are used to indicate status of the batteries and the UPS operation.

The UPS is supplied with a two adaptor jacks to allow it to connect to 5.5/2.1mm devices.

Key Points

Supplier Specification https://powersolve.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/PB600-Series-Mini-DC-UPS.pdf

Quoted prices Jan2024 £65 +Carriage+VAT, Total £94.8, direct from Power Solve UK.

Can Supply up to 60Watts e.g. 5Amps@12VDC

Emergency Runtime for a typical Router (6-8Watts) is between 7hours and 5hours15"

Battery recharge power allowance 6Watts. Recharge time from empty 8-10Hours

Auto On/Off through physical connection. No Audio warning of power or battery status

A Charge LED is used to indicate the charging status of the internal batteries.

Green: Batteries fully charged.
Red: Batteries being charged.
No illumination: No power input to the UPS.

A Work LED indicates that the UPS output is connected to a load, e.g. a Router.

Green: Battery charge > 80%.
Yellow: Battery charge 30%-80%.
Red: Battery charge 5%-30%.
Flashing Red: Battery charge < 5%.

The PB600-12 contains six off 2200mAh lithium-ion cells, arranged in a 2S3P form, with a nominal total capacity of 48.84Wh.

The PB600-12 does not provide an audible warning when a mains input power cut occurs, the only indication of a power cut is that the Charge LED switches Off. In the event of an extended power cut, it is advisable to either switch off the Router or disconnect the Output lead from the UPS. This action will preserve the battery charge remaining.

Connection

Designed for ease of use, the PB600-12 is simply connected** between the electronic device and an associated AC/DC adapter. This setup introduces a useful battery backup function with minimal effort. The UPS activates automatically when a device is plugged into the output socket, eliminating the need for a separate On/Off switch.

**When intending to use it with a device's existing AC/DC adapter, a crucial assumption comes into play: the device’s adapter must meet both the electronic device's peak power needs and provide the extra power required for UPS battery recharging after a power cut. Testing indicates that the PB600-12 needs a maximum 6 Watts (or 0.5 Amps at 12V) for recharging, with a typical maximum recharge time of 8-10 hours. It is essential to carefully consider this additional power requirement when integrating the PB600-12 into an existing setup, and appropriately manage the AC/DC adapter's power budget. In cases of doubt, opting for an uprated AC/DC supply is strongly recommended to minimize the potential risks of failure and fire.

In the event of uncertainty, a simple mains power monitor can be used to help determine the peak and average power used. Note the AC input power measured will be slightly different to the DC figures but can be used as a good indication of power demand in a particular situation.

Testing and Performance

Performance testing on a unit found that the usable capacity, when supplying 6 Watts at 12VDC, was 42Wh compared to a theoretical maximum of 48.84Wh, or 86% usable capacity. The UPS requires ~55Wh to fully recharge the batteries. It should be noted that the Charge LED turns green at an estimated 90% charge; it can take a further 2-3hours before the battery state reaches a nominal 100% charge, this is because the charge rate reduces as the cells near capacity. When fully charged and connected to an operational device, the UPS uses <1Watt for its normal function, so has low overhead running costs. The low recharge power level ensures that negligible heating of the cells occurs; during testing a difference of 4Deg C was found between the upper sections of the case and ambient temperature 24DegC vs 20DegC.

It was observed that when supplying the maximum rated 3Amps (nominal 36Watts) the UPS casing warmed to ~30 DegC.

Using the PB600-12 with a B4RN supplied Zyxel VMG8825 Router.

The Zyxel VMG8825, used for testing, was supplied with a 36Watt AC/DC adapter. Analysis of the VMG8825 power usage showed that when operating Wi-Fi and a single ethernet port, the average demand was approximately 6.5 Watts. This means the supplied AC/DC adapter was capable of powering both the router at 6.5Watts and the UPS recharge power of 6 Watts. If the Zyxel AC/DC adapter is retained then it is essential that the total power demand from the router and any attached devices does not exceed 30 Watts, note the UPS is not the limiting factor as it is capable of delivering 60Watts.

When powering a Zyxel VMG8825 from the PB600-12 in battery mode, the router ran for 5 Hours 30Minutes. The router had two ethernet link in use along with Wi-Fi active and low power USB device plugged in. No Telephone ports were being operated. The router average power demand over the test cycle was 7.6Watts