Altronix AL400ULXPD16CB 16-Output Power Supply with Battery Backup
The Altronix AL400ULXPD16CB is a UL Listed power distribution platform designed for security infrastructure requiring multiple independent 12VDC or 24VDC outlets with integrated battery backup and mains supervision. This 16-channel unit delivers 4A per output at 12VDC (or 3A at 24VDC), providing the modular power architecture that large access control, surveillance, and alarm deployments demand. Unlike generic power strips, the AL400ULXPD16CB bundles regulated distribution with supervised charging and power-loss detection into a single, field-proven enclosure.
Key Features
- 16 Independent Outputs: Each channel supplies power independently — a critical advantage for systems requiring isolation per door, reader, camera cluster, or alarm zone. If one load shorts, the others remain unaffected.
- 12VDC @ 4A or 24VDC @ 3A (Selectable): Voltage selection lets you match the power supply to your installed base without requiring multiple SKUs. 12VDC @ 4A covers most solenoid locks, readers, and powered sensors; 24VDC @ 3A suits higher-voltage industrial control gear.
- Integrated Battery Backup Charging: The unit charges and supervises connected backup batteries automatically — no separate charger module required. This simplifies wiring, reduces enclosure clutter, and ensures batteries stay conditioned during normal operation.
- AC Fail Supervision: Detects mains power loss immediately and can trigger alarm signals, log events, or initiate failover logic in your access or alarm system. Prevents silent failures that leave doors unlocked or alarms dormant during a power event.
- Low Battery Supervision: Monitors connected backup battery reserve and alerts the system when capacity drops below a safe threshold. Tells you when a battery needs replacement before a power outage leaves you without backup.
- Battery Presence Detection: Confirms that a backup battery is actually connected to the AL400ULXPD16CB. Catches situations where batteries are missing or disconnected — a frequent source of system failures during real power events.
- UL Listed Construction: Meets life-safety code requirements for most jurisdictions. Required for installations in secured facilities, hospitals, data centers, and other regulated environments.
- Lifetime Limited Warranty: Manufacturer stands behind the unit for the life of the product — not just a year or two. Reflects confidence in the design and appeals to long-term deployments where replacement hardware is inconvenient.
Typical Applications
Access Control: Multi-door facilities — office buildings, data centers, manufacturing plants — rely on per-door power circuits to isolate lock failures. The 16-output AL400ULXPD16CB powers one solenoid per output, allowing a single lock malfunction without cascading loss of access control elsewhere.
Surveillance Infrastructure: Large surveillance deployments often cluster cameras by zone or floor. Powering each cluster from its own AL400ULXPD16CB output simplifies troubleshooting and ensures a short circuit or connector fault in one cluster doesn't blind the entire system.
Alarm and Monitoring: Distributed alarm sensors — door contacts, motion detectors, glass breaks — benefit from isolated power circuits. The AL400ULXPD16CB's battery backup keeps monitoring alive during power interruptions, a non-negotiable feature for life-safety systems.
Emergency Lighting and Egress: Backup-powered egress signage and emergency lighting depend on reliable, supervised charging. The integrated supervision functions catch battery failures before an emergency actually occurs.
Integration and Compatibility
The AL400ULXPD16CB is part of the Altronix power distribution ecosystem and is widely compatible with mainstream access control panels (Viking, Lenel, Salto, etc.), alarm panels (Honeywell, DSC, Bosch), and surveillance systems. Verify pin-out and voltage requirements with your specific panel or camera cluster; the unit's selectable 12VDC/24VDC output ensures broad applicability across mixed-voltage deployments. Power supplies and battery backup systems in this class are standard building blocks for enterprise security — the AL400ULXPD16CB competes on redundancy, supervision features, and field reputation rather than raw wattage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the total power output of the AL400ULXPD16CB?
A: At 12VDC, the unit supplies 4A per channel × 16 channels = 64A total available current (assuming all channels are loaded equally). At 24VDC, it's 3A × 16 = 48A. In practice, your AC mains transformer is likely the bottleneck — confirm input amperage specs in the full datasheet to ensure your facility panel can supply the AL400ULXPD16CB without branch circuit overload.
Q: Can I mix 12VDC and 24VDC outputs on the same unit?
A: No. The AL400ULXPD16CB is selectable — all 16 outputs operate at 12VDC or all at 24VDC, not a mix. If your deployment requires both voltages, you'll need two separate units or integrate a secondary 24VDC supply module.
Q: Does the AL400ULXPD16CB support remote monitoring or SNMP alerts?
A: The unit provides local, hardwired supervision outputs (AC Fail, Low Battery, Battery Presence) that interface with your access control panel or alarm receiver. It does not offer IP-based remote monitoring or SNMP traps. If you need cloud visibility or email alerts, integrate the supervision outputs into a networked access control or monitoring system that ingests those signals.
Q: What battery type does the AL400ULXPD16CB support?
A: The unit charges standard lead-acid or sealed lead-acid (SLA) backup batteries. Consult the detailed datasheet or contact the manufacturer to confirm amp-hour ratings and physical fitment for your enclosure.
Q: Is the AL400ULXPD16CB NDAA or TAA compliant?
A: No NDAA or TAA claims are made in the product documentation. This is a domestic power distribution component with no embedded cyber-risk profile, but if your project is subject to NDAA Section 889 restrictions, confirm directly with Altronix before specifying.
Q: What is the warranty on the AL400ULXPD16CB?
A: Lifetime Limited Warranty from the manufacturer, covering defects in materials and workmanship for the life of the product.
Ted PerryPerspective based on aggregated IP Security Depot and affiliated engineering team experience.
I spec the Altronix AL400ULXPD16CB into any mid-to-large access control or alarm deployment where power isolation and battery supervision are non-negotiable. The 16-output architecture lets you power one access point per channel — or cluster cameras by floor — without risk of a single short cascading across your entire security backbone. Unlike cheaper commodity supplies, the AL400ULXPD16CB bundles AC Fail, Low Battery, and Battery Presence supervision, which means failures get logged and alarmed instead of silently killing your backup power in a real outage.
Technical Highlights:
- 4A per output at 12VDC (or 3A @ 24VDC): Sufficient for most 12V solenoid locks (typically 500–800mA holding current), powered readers, and small camera clusters. If you're pushing 2+ amps per channel on a regular basis, load balance across two units.
- Selectable voltage: Eliminates the need for separate 12V and 24V supply SKUs on your shelf. A single purchasing decision covers 90% of legacy and current control gear.
- Integrated battery charging with three-level supervision: AC Fail tells you the mains died. Low Battery tells you the backup is getting weak. Battery Presence tells you a battery is actually plugged in. Together, these flags catch the three most common battery-related failures — silent shortages that would otherwise leave you blind during an actual power event.
Deployment Considerations:
- The AL400ULXPD16CB is a 16-output concentrator, not a 16-amp power supply. Each output is limited to 4A (or 3A at 24VDC). If your access control system tries to pull more than 64A combined at 12VDC, you'll overload the internal transformer and trip the supply — no graceful degradation. Size your backup battery capacity accordingly; undersized backup batteries will trigger Low Battery alerts during the outage itself, which defeats the purpose.
- Supervision outputs are hardwired contact closures, not networked. If your VMS, access panel, or alarm receiver doesn't have a hardwired input for these signals, they won't get logged or alerted. Integration is straightforward in mature environments but requires explicit wiring in greenfield projects.
- The unit assumes a standard lead-acid or SLA backup battery in an adjacent enclosure or cabinet. If you're trying to cram battery, power supply, and panel all into a cramped wall box, thermal and physical management becomes tedious. Plan for adequate ventilation and battery foot-print up front.
Deploy the AL400ULXPD16CB into any facility-wide access control system, campus surveillance cluster, or monitored alarm network where you cannot tolerate silent battery failure or cascading power loss across security zones. It's especially valuable in retrofits where your legacy panel expects per-output voltage regulation and supervised charging — the AL400ULXPD16CB handles both without requiring panel firmware changes.
