The Perpetual Power Unit (PPU) is an industrial platform providing power, communications, security, and application functions for the outdoor deployment of cameras and sensors. With a large installed base of PPUs around the world, the PPU has proven to be an ultra-reliable and cost-effective solution for deploying camera and sensor networks. The PPU can provide dependable power to all attached gear such as cameras, sensors, and communications. Whether the environment provides 24/7 power (AC), periodic power (timed power light poles), or only sunshine (solar), the PPU can seamlessly store the power input and provide a reliable and consistent DC power stream allowing the attached devices to run constantly and smoothly.
The PPU consists of an outdoor enclosure that houses its software, electronic, electrical, and power storage (batteries) components. In addition, many PPU options are available to meet specific application requirements such as secure cellular communications, dynamic lighting, and audio analysis. While the PPU can always stand alone, it excels in large networks since all PPUs can report to and be controlled from a central location. The PPU greatly simplifies and increases reliability when building large outdoor camera/sensor networks regardless of the physical characteristics of each individual site.
Depending on the load and configuration, the PPU can power application devices for days without any power input, then very rapidly recharge its own battery bank when power is provided. All this thanks to a sophisticated, monitored, and temperature compensated charging system. The PPU makes available real time information about its power input, load, and charging system via an Ethernet interface. Warnings can be automatically sent if input power is unexpectedly absent. This allows early detection and response to site power problems eliminating or minimizing system down time. Also, the PPU can monitor the attached devices and automatically reset them if a problem is detected (e.g., no response to ping).
The "brain" of the PPU is an ultra reliable, low power consumption, wide temperature rated, single board computer. It runs the software that automatically operates all the PPU components as well as provides all the services to the user. It is simple to update PPUs with new features as they are developed by ClearSite.
With the optional server, operators have complete real time site status information for all sites at their fingertips. Additionally, they can view real time snapshots of any site on demand and/or setup the system to automatically archive video snapshots from all sites in the network which can be viewed later. Depending on the communication link quality, snapshots can be a great low bandwidth method of performing a visual check on the site. The user can always setup streaming video via a camera interface or private video server if so desired and the communication link is capable. Configuration and operation is simple and no software applications are required to be installed.
The PPU is available in several different sizes and configurations. What PPU is selected for a particular site depends on site factors such as power source available, continous wattage requirements of all attached cameras and devices, low and high site temperatures, and other similar factors. Contact ClearSite Communications for recommendations based on particular site requirements. See the "Products" section for information about each model.