APC by Schneider Electric BN1350M2-CA Back-UPS PRO BN 1350VA Line Interactive UPS
Overview
The APC by Schneider Electric BN1350M2-CA is a 1350VA / 810W line-interactive UPS designed for small offices, workstations, network closets, and security equipment rooms where you need clean, conditioned power without the cost or footprint of a true online UPS. It holds 10 NEMA 5-15R outlets, delivers automatic voltage regulation, and backs the whole package with a 3-year manufacturer warranty — making it a practical choice for any 120V North American installation that can't afford unplanned downtime. The BN1350M2-CA (often searched as BN1350M2 CA) is the Canadian-market variant of the Back-UPS PRO BN series.
Key Features
- 1350VA / 810W Capacity: At 810 watts of real power, this unit comfortably supports a workstation with dual monitors, a mid-range NVR with several hard drives, or a small network stack. Know your actual load wattage before sizing — 810W is the ceiling, not a sustained operating point.
- Line-Interactive Topology with AVR: Unlike basic standby UPS designs that switch to battery every time voltage sags, the BN1350M2-CA's automatic voltage regulation corrects under-voltages (down to 88V) and over-voltages (up to 139V) without touching the battery. That matters in areas with chronic voltage fluctuation — you're not burning through battery cycles on routine sags.
- 10 Outlets — 6 Battery + Surge, 4 Surge-Only: Six NEMA 5-15R outlets provide full battery backup plus surge protection; four additional NEMA 5-15R outlets deliver surge protection only. Route your critical loads (NVR, switch, workstation) to the battery side; peripherals like monitors or printers can take the surge-only positions.
- 1080 Joule Surge Energy Rating: The 1080J surge rating and full-time multi-pole noise filtering protect connected equipment from transients and electrical noise — relevant if your panel feeds a mixed commercial/industrial load or shares a circuit with HVAC or elevator equipment.
- 8 ms Typical Transfer Time (10 ms Maximum): When a power failure does force a battery switch, the transition happens in 8 ms typically, 10 ms maximum. Most desktop OS kernels and NVR firmware handle this without a hiccup; check your most sensitive load's spec if sub-cycle continuity is a hard requirement.
- Stepped Sinewave Output: The BN1350M2-CA outputs a stepped approximation to a sinewave on battery. This works reliably for resistive and switched-mode power supply (SMPS) loads — standard computers, IP cameras, NVRs, and most networking gear. Pure sinewave is required for some UPS-sensitive devices (certain laser printers, some AC motors); verify your load's compatibility before deploying.
- 2 USB Charging Ports: Two integrated USB charging ports let you keep tablets or phones charged without occupying outlet positions — useful in a security operations desk or small NOC environment.
- Coaxial Data Line Protection: Built-in coaxial protection for CATV/SATV/modem/audio-video connections provides a second layer of surge defense for connected coax runs — a meaningful addition for hybrid IP/analog installations that still have coax backbone.
- Battery Runtime and Recharge: The internal lead-acid battery carries a 3–5 year expected service life. After a full discharge, recharge time runs approximately 16 hours — plan accordingly if your site experiences extended outages or you're using this as a bridge-power device. A 10W battery charger handles the recharge cycle.
- Acoustic Noise at 45 dBA: The 45 dBA acoustic rating is equivalent to a quiet office environment. This unit is deployable in open office areas, small server closets, and surveillance desks without generating disruptive fan noise.
- ENERGY STAR V2.0 / TUV C-US / NOM Certified: Carries ENERGY STAR V2.0 (USA), TUV C-US, and NOM certifications — relevant for Canadian and US installations requiring product safety compliance and for facilities tracking energy efficiency metrics.
- Operating Range 0–40°C, up to 10,000 ft Altitude: The 0–40°C operating range and 10,000 ft altitude ceiling covers virtually all conditioned equipment rooms and office environments in North America. Do not deploy in unconditioned spaces that exceed 40°C — battery life degrades sharply above rated temperature.
Integration and Compatibility
The BN1350M2-CA connects to protected equipment via standard NEMA 5-15R outlets — no special cabling required. The 1.8m input cord provides reasonable placement flexibility relative to a wall outlet. Two USB-A charging ports sit on the unit itself. For power management integration, APC's PowerChute software (sold and downloaded separately) enables graceful OS shutdown on extended outages; check APC's compatibility matrix for your specific OS version. The unit accepts 120V / 60Hz input within an 88–139V tolerance window, making it compatible with standard North American single-phase circuits up to 12A maximum input current.
For power protection planning in multi-camera or NVR deployments, match your total connected load wattage against the 810W capacity with at least 20% headroom. Pair this unit with a PoE network switch on the battery-backed outlets to keep cameras online during brief outages. Explore the full APC by Schneider Electric power protection line for higher-capacity or rack-mount options. For larger installations, review our UPS selection guide to match capacity to runtime requirements. If your deployment includes structured cabling, consider pairing with a dedicated surge protection device upstream for layered defense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the difference between the 6 battery-backed outlets and the 4 surge-only outlets on the BN1350M2-CA?
A: The 6 NEMA 5-15R battery-backed outlets provide both surge protection and continued power from the battery when mains power fails. The 4 surge-only NEMA 5-15R outlets protect against surges and spikes but will lose power when mains fail — use these for non-critical peripherals like monitors or printers.
Q: Does the BN1350M2-CA output a pure sinewave on battery?
A: No. The BN1350M2-CA outputs a stepped approximation to a sinewave when running on battery. This is compatible with the vast majority of SMPS-based loads including computers, NVRs, IP cameras, and networking equipment. If any connected device specifically requires a pure sinewave input on battery, you'll need to verify compatibility or select a pure sinewave UPS model.
Q: How long does the battery take to recharge after a full discharge?
A: Full recharge from a depleted state takes approximately 16 hours using the integrated 10W battery charger. If your site is subject to multiple outages in a short window, factor this recharge time into your continuity planning.
Q: What is the warranty on the BN1350M2-CA?
A: The BN1350M2-CA carries a 3-year manufacturer warranty covering repair or replacement.
Q: What certifications does the BN1350M2-CA hold?
A: The unit is certified to ENERGY STAR V2.0 (USA), TUV C-US, and NOM standards — covering product safety for Canadian and US installations and meeting ENERGY STAR efficiency requirements.
Q: Can the BN1350M2-CA protect coaxial cable runs as well as AC power?
A: Yes. The unit includes integrated coaxial data line protection for CATV/SATV/modem/audio-video connections, providing surge protection on coax runs in addition to AC outlet surge and battery backup.
The BN1350M2-CA sits in a useful middle ground for small security deployments — the 1350VA / 810W capacity and line-interactive AVR make it a practical fit for a 4–8 channel NVR with a couple of drives, a PoE switch feeding 6–10 cameras, and a workstation running VMS client software, all on a single unit. The AVR alone is worth calling out: in commercial strip malls or older office buildings where voltage swings between 95V and 125V are routine, this unit corrects in-place rather than punishing the battery with every sag.
Technical Highlights:
- AVR Input Range 88–139V: Corrects both sags and swells without a battery transfer — extends battery service life in voltage-unstable environments, where a standby-only UPS would cycle the battery dozens of times per day.
- 1080J Surge + Full-Time Multi-Pole Noise Filtering: Combined surge energy absorption and noise filtering protects NVR hard drives and camera image processors from transients that don't trip a breaker but degrade hardware over months of exposure.
- 8 ms Typical Transfer Time: At 8 ms typical (10 ms max), the switchover is well within the hold-up time of any modern SMPS — connected equipment won't see a brownout or reboot when mains drop.
Deployment Considerations:
- The stepped sinewave output is not compatible with all load types — verify any UPS-sensitive device (certain active PFC power supplies, laser printers) before connecting; a pure sinewave model is the safer choice if you're unsure of load requirements.
- The 16-hour recharge time after full discharge is long relative to some competing units — if your site sees back-to-back outages (e.g., storm season), a secondary unit or generator hand-off plan is worth building into the design.
For a small surveillance operations room — NVR, managed PoE switch, and a monitoring workstation — the BN1350M2-CA provides enough capacity to keep the system recording and the operator station live through typical utility blips, with AVR handling the voltage instability that plagues many commercial electrical services.
