Smart Scanning by Using Stable Electrical Power
Like all electronic equipment, large format scanners and printers need clean, constant, and regular power to run properly for the life of the equipment. We at Large Document Solutions recommend the use of surge protectors and un-interruptable power supplies (UPS) to ensure clean power to your valuable equipment.
Common power supply problems include:
Power surges: A power surge takes place when the voltage is 110% or more above normal. The most common cause is heavy electrical equipment being turned off. Under these conditions, Large format scanners and printers can experience equipment shutoff, unpredictable errors, or data loss.
High-voltage spikes: Occur when there is a sudden voltage peak of up to 6,000 volts. These spikes are usually the result of nearby lightning strikes. The effects on scanners and printers include loss of data and burned circuit boards.
Brown Outs: A brownout is a steady lower voltage state. An example of a brownout is what happens during peak electrical demand in the summer, when utilities can’t always meet the requirements and must lower the voltage to limit maximum power. When this happens, large format scanners and printers can experience data loss and unpredictable equipment failure.
Blackouts: A power failure or blackout is a zero-voltage condition that lasts for more than two cycles. It may be caused by tripping a circuit breaker, power distribution failure, or utility power failure. A blackout can cause data loss or corruption and scanner and printers damage.
Frequency variations: A frequency variation involves a change in frequency from the normally stable utility frequency of 50 or 60 Hz. This may be caused by erratic operation of emergency generators or unstable frequency power sources. For sensitive equipment like large format scanners and printers, the results can be data loss, equipment lock-up or damage to fragile circuit boards on either the scanner, printer, or connected computer.
Power Sag: A sag is the reduction of AC Voltage at a given frequency for the duration of 0.5 cycles to 1 minute’s time. Sages are usually caused by system faults, and often the result of switching on loads with high demand start-up currents.
Electrical Line Noise: Defined as Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) and Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) and causes unwanted effects in the circuits of computer systems. Sources of the problems include motors, relays, motor control devices, broadcast transmissions, microwave radiation, and distant electrical storms. RFI, EMI and other frequency problems can cause large format scanners and printers to lock-up, and data error or loss.
It is very important to connect your valuable scanning and printing equipment to a UPS and at least a filtered power supply. Large Document Solutions recommends these safety procedures for best results while scanning and printing your large format documents.