Inside a UPS: Where Connectors Support Power, Control and Communication

a CLOSER LOOK AT HOW CONNECTOR REQUIREMENTS CHANGE ACROSS THE SYSTEMS INSIDE A UPS

When the power goes out, a UPS has one job: keep critical equipment running. But inside the system, making that happen requires much more than a battery.

A UPS provides immediate power when the primary source is interrupted, helping bridge the gap until longer-term backup power, such as a generator, can take over. Unlike a generator, which requires time to start, the UPS is designed to respond without interrupting the connected load.

In a data center, where even a momentary interruption can affect critical systems, that continuity matters.

Inside the UPS, power conversion, battery systems, control electronics, cooling, monitoring, and network communication all have a role to play. Each also depends on reliable connections to keep power and information moving through the system. Hirose's UPS recommendations span these different functions, including AC/DC power, HMI and display, networking, battery monitoring, and fan and control connections.

For connector selection, that creates an interesting challenge: the requirements change depending on where you are in the UPS.

Following the Power Through a UPS

During normal operation, incoming AC power passes through a rectifier, where it is converted to DC. That DC power supports the battery system and feeds the inverter, which converts it back to AC for the connected load. If utility power is interrupted, stored battery energy allows the inverter to continue supplying the load while longer-term backup power comes online.

But the main power path is only part of the system.

HMI and control boards provide system visibility and control. Fans and cooling systems help manage operating temperatures. Network connections allow the UPS to communicate with monitoring and management systems. Battery monitoring helps track the condition of the system's stored energy.

In a system designed to prevent interruption, every connection matters.

Power Conversion: Supporting High Current

Along the main power path, connectors face some of the UPS's most demanding electrical requirements.

Connections between the power supply, battery, power distribution board, inverter board, and external load may need to carry significantly higher currents than the control and communication connections elsewhere in the system.

Depending on the architecture, these connections may use wire-to-board or board-to-board configurations. Hirose recommendations include the DF60 Series, rated up to 65 A, and DF22 Series, rated up to 30 A. Board-to-board options include the FX30B and FX31 Series, rated up to 25 A.

Current capacity is only part of the selection process. Engineers also have to consider available space, PCB layout, wire size, mating configuration, and mechanical requirements when designing the power path. 

HMI and Control: Smaller Connections, Different Priorities

Move away from the main power path, and the connector requirements change.

HMI and control connections carry the signals needed for displays, control boards, and other electronic functions. Here, engineers may be more concerned with board space, connector height, pin count, cable routing, and retention than with high-current capability.

For example, the FH34 Series provides a 0.5 mm pitch and 1.0 mm height for space-constrained HMI and control-board applications. Ribbon cable connectors are also commonly used for these internal connections.

The right connector, therefore, depends on the requirements of the specific interface—not simply the UPS system as a whole.

Network Communication: Keeping the UPS Connected

Power continuity also requires visibility into what the system is doing.

Modern UPS equipment can communicate with monitoring and management systems throughout the data center, providing information that helps operators understand system status and respond when conditions change.

Depending on the equipment architecture, these interfaces may support Ethernet, USB, or wireless communication. Hirose's UPS recommendations include the CX Series for USB Type-C connectivity up to 20 Gbps, the ix Industrial™ Series for Cat6A Ethernet, and the U.FL(A) Series for coaxial connections up to 18 GHz.

These connections may carry information rather than primary power, but they are still part of the infrastructure supporting reliable UPS operation.

Cooling and Control: Supporting the Systems Behind the System

Fans, sensors, and control modules can be easy to overlook when thinking about a UPS. Yet these supporting systems also contribute to continuous operation.

Wire-to-board connectors are commonly used for these internal connections. Hirose recommendations include the DF11, DF51/DF51K, and DF62/DF62W Series, providing different locking, wire-size, and environmental options. The DF62W provides an IP67-rated option where additional environmental protection is required.

The individual connections may be smaller than those along the main power path, but the reliability requirement remains. A system designed around continuity depends on more than its largest components.

One UPS. Many Connection Requirements. 

The rectifier, battery system, inverter, control electronics, cooling fans, monitoring systems, and communication interfaces perform different functions, but they all contribute to the same objective: continuous, reliable operation.

That means connector performance needs to be considered throughout the UPS—not only along the main power path.

A high-current power connection has different requirements than an HMI interface. A network connection presents different challenges than a fan or sensor connection. Looking at each interface individually allows engineers to consider the current, signal, space, mechanical, and environmental requirements appropriate to that part of the system.

And ultimately, all of those individual connections support the larger purpose of the UPS itself: keeping critical data center equipment running when power is interrupted.

Explore Hirose UPS Connector Solutions →

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