RackBrute 3U
Has a total width of 88Hp.
When the RackBrute power supply is connected, 83Hp are available.
The max depth available on a RackBrute 3U is 53mm.
Visualize the RackBrute 3U in Modular Grid
RackBrute 6U
Has a total width of 176Hp.
When the RackBrute power supply is connected, 171Hp are available.
The max depth available on a RackBrute 6U is:
- 53mm on the upper part. (power bus)
- 75mm on the lower part. (no power bus)
Visualize the RackBrute 6U in Modular Grid
Note
Also, those two connectors can be used to directly power modules if desired as long as you do ensure not powering modules (but should not be very common) exceeding the consumption limits described in the dedicated "How much power can a RackBrute power supply provide?" section of this article.
Replacing the power module with a more powerful one is of course possible as long as you do not exceed the Bus Board limitations which are the following ones:
The limitation of the RackBrute bus board on a per bus basis is:
2000 mA on +12v
2000 mA on -12v
2000 mA on 5v
So you may need to bridge the upper and lower busses (with the help of a Ribbon) to evenly distribute the power from the external PSU.
Important note
We do not cover any issue related to an overpowering of a busboard due to the use of a 3rd party power module.
- The RackBrute Power supply is able to provide up to:
1600mA on the +12V output
1600mA on the -12V output
900mA on the +5V output
Max power load : 31.3W (Related to the Power supply provided with it)
When choosing modules, it's good policy not to exceed 80% of what the power supply can deliver, by leaving 20% headroom in case of any current spikes (such applies to all different Voltages +5V / -12V / +12V). Also make a habit of checking the current a module draws.
A typical specification looks like this:
+12V: <40 mA
-12V: <10 mA
+5V: <10mA
- Make sure to also keep in mind the following depending on your RackBrute model:
-RackBrute 3U benefits from the whole power by spreading the power on "Two quadrants" (2x 800mA on 12V & 2x 400mA on -12V)
-RackBrute 6U though (considering that it uses the same Power module and Power supply) is spreading the power on "Four distinct quadrants" ("Two per Bus") which will deliver the power as follows:
- As another exemple, you could have the following config:
1000mA on +12V
1200mA on -12V
900mA on +5V
Leading to the following power consumption:
12 + 121.2 +0.95 = 30.9W
-But in case you would have such kind of config:
1600 mA on +12V
800mA on -12V
In order not to exceed the maximum available power 31.3W, you will have to ensure not going over the following value on the +5V rail:
+5V : 500mA
- To go deeper into detail, you can even rely on the following Formula Logic:
Voltage * Amps = Watts
(Positive 12V * (Zone 1 Amps + Zone 2 Amps)) + (Negative 12V * (Zone 1 Amps + Zone 2 Amps)) + (5V * (total Amps for all zones)) = Watts of Max Power Load
Note
Considering the above informations with RackBrute 6U a wise precaution is to spread the load over the two bus boards and across the four quadrants to avoid any potential overloading.