Eaton G3 Universal PDU Review

The Eaton G3 Universal PDU (UPDU) gives IT admins the ability to power nearly any equipment in a compact form factor. The PDU is a single solution to meet your most diverse data center needs, accommodating 5kVA single-phase power to 23kVA 3-phase power in 120V and 230V environments with 42 outlets in a 42U Chassis.  Of these 42 outlets, 21 are C14, and the other 21 are C39. The G3 UPDU also incorporates daisy chaining, and EMP Gen2 for simplified monitoring and detailed control.

The Eaton G3 Universal PDU (UPDU) gives IT admins the ability to power nearly any equipment in a compact form factor. The PDU is a single solution to meet your most diverse data center needs, accommodating 5kVA single-phase power to 23kVA 3-phase power in 120V and 230V environments with 42 outlets in a 42U Chassis.  Of these 42 outlets, 21 are C14, and the other 21 are C39.

The addition of C39 outlets is innovative for the industry because they accommodate C14 and C20 plugs in one outlet! This may sound like a simple change from previous models, but its compact design along with the C39 outlets allows for more organized data centers with fewer PDUs, basically serving as two-in-one where you previously needed two PDUs to get the same port selection. This addition sets Eaton’s new product a step above competitors. 

Eaton G3 Universal PDU Input

The G3 UPDU features a universal input that is located at the end of the PDU and accommodates a broad range of application power needs. Additionally, it packs six color-coded outlet banks and corresponding circuit breakers to simplify load balancing. There are a total of 12 power cable options for the universal input that are offered for sale at a length of 10 feet.

Eaton G3 Universal PDU Input Cable Options:

Build and Design

Looking at the central part of the UPS, you will notice the network management and control module. This includes a built-in upgradable network card, push-button controls, and a display with outlet-level and bank-level readings. This bay also includes Serial/Ethernet ports and a USB port for firmware upgrades. 

The display is rotatable within the menu for readability in whatever orientation you opt to mount it.  You can also control the power status of individual outlets, or even whole banks at a time. For a physical security aspect, Eaton allows you to put a pin on this display to stop anyone from altering the configuration within the display interface.

This entire network module can be removed and replaced without interfering with the output power to the PDU. This allows for easy replacement if you have issues with the network module, also allowing upgradability if a newer module is released.

Eaton G3 Universal PDU Form Factor

The Model PSU featured in this review is the EMAGU23X-3. We ran into some small form issues with this PDU since it stands about 6 inches taller than the EMA107-10 and EMI104-10 PDUs that we have in the lab. These issues only occur on Older S series racks and enclosures from Eaton and have since been resolved with larger room for PDUs in the R series Racks. Eaton sent a compatibility bracket to mount this PDU in the S series rack but they may be hard to come by.

Using this compatibility mount, it sets the PDU farther into the center of the rack getting in the way of Ports, Rack rails, and more. Another form issue is the monster end of the Universal cables. The plug is a similar form factor to a redbull can or larger, also putting it in the way of the upper spaces of the rack. Again, these issues have since been resolved with the R series racks but it was worth noting what we ran into in our environment.

Interconnectivity

Like previous managed PDUs, Up to 8 of these PDUs can be daisy chained together under a single IP address using the included Ethernet Splitters allowing easier management and less network real estate.

Eaton G3 Universal PDU Web Management

The G3 UPDU can be managed online via a web browser or SNMP integration into DCIM. It can also be managed through Eaton’s Brightlayer Data Centers suite. Third-party management systems can also be used. Management commands can be sent across multiple units instantly through mass configuration.

Remote PDU management reduces on-site visits by sending automated alerts about power issues and remotely rebooting a PDU or individual outlets. This is perfect whether you have one data center or even a global project across multiple locations. 

First up, when logging in directly to the interface for the PDU, you immediately get met with a landing screen that shows port statuses, The current Amperage and percent load of each phase that is being used, the crest factor, Input voltage, and Power summaries for the unit.

Secondly, we mentioned earlier the six-outlet banks of the PDU, well these can all be monitored individually in the interface as well. Each bank shows its amp load, percentage of capacity, active wattage usage, and total usage in KWH for a certain time period.

Third, for an even more granular view, the individual outlets themselves can be monitored for power state (which is also displayed by a red or green LED next to the respective outlet), active power usage, and total consumption.

Finally, for organization and easy monitoring, each outlet, or a group of up to 8, can be linked as a device. Devices can be spread across daisy-chained PDUs if you have something like a Left-Right configuration. This is a huge help for servers or other units that have multiple power supplies, allowing you to view the consumption or toggle power status or schedules all at once.

Environmental Monitoring

Quickly touching on environmental monitoring, This PDU like others, and some Eaton UPSes, supports the Environmental Monitoring Probe (EMP) Gen 2. This system adds a fair bit of integration into the monitoring and security within a data center or server room, Bringing support for Temperature and Humidity monitoring, Smoke detectors, Vibration sensors, Door sensors, and Water leak sensors.

These sensors can all help increase the safety and security of a data center by figuring out the root of problems as they start, localizing the detection to a rack before it may get to whole-room smoke detectors. The intrusion detection on the doors can also alert you if somebody is tampering with your equipment. The EMP Probes can also be daisy-chained throughout the rack for even more detailed monitoring and additional sensors.

The Environmental tab in the Web interface will show you the active temperature, humidity, and contact statuses reported by the EMP Gen2s

The complete EMP Product page can be found Here

Conclusion

Overall this Eaton G3 Universal PDU is a complete game changer for rack power management, bringing both the C39 ports and the universal inputs for a variety of applications covered by the same unit. Having the C39 ports on every other port brings huge amounts of flexibility to this PDU.

The management and monitoring are really nice for anyone concerned about power consumption per rack or per machine. Although we ran into some hiccups in our particular environment, this is a niche issue to the S series racks in our lab and should not majorly affect other buyers.

The Product Sheet for the G3 Universal Input Rack PDU can be found Here

Eaton G3 UPDU Product Page Here

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