Vertiv Rpdu Switched Unit Level Monitoring EC 50A 208V Delta 14.4KW Vertical (24) - VP5N50A1

Vertiv VP5N50A1 Switched Vertical PDU with Unit-Level Monitoring

Overview

The Vertiv VP5N50A1 is a 0U vertical rack PDU designed for high-density data center cabinets and colocation deployments where per-outlet switching, real-time power monitoring, and enterprise network integration are required in a single unit. Rated at 50A/208V Delta input with a 14.4kW total capacity, the VP5N50A1 delivers 36 C13 outlets across a vertical form factor that installs inside the cabinet's zero-U rail space — leaving every rack unit free for active equipment. This is a three-phase unit built for environments where balancing load across phases and monitoring draw at the unit level is a daily operational requirement.

Key Features

• 50A / 208V Delta Input, 14.4kW Total Capacity: The 14.4kW power envelope accommodates dense blade or 1U server populations without headroom anxiety. At 50A on a three-phase 208V Delta feed, you have real runway before hitting the 80% NEC derate threshold — roughly 11.5kW of safe continuous load, which maps to approximately 23–28 active 1U servers depending on workload draw.
• 36 C13 Outlets: Twenty-four switched C13 outlets with unit-level monitoring give you individual outlet control without deploying outlet-level metered hardware at higher cost. C13 connectors are the data center standard for 1U and 2U servers, storage heads, and KVM switches — no adapters required in most deployments.
• Switched Unit-Level Monitoring: Outlet switching lets you remotely power-cycle locked or unresponsive devices without a hands-on visit — a meaningful operational saving in remote or colocation facilities where a truck roll costs real money. Monitoring covers current, voltage, power, and temperature at the unit level, giving your DCIM or SNMP management platform a continuous feed of load data without additional sensors.
• Dual RJ-45 Ethernet Ports: Two Ethernet ports support daisy-chaining multiple PDUs on a single network drop, reducing switch port consumption in dense pod deployments. Each PDU maintains its own addressable management interface.
• Enterprise Protocol Stack — SNMP v1/v2c/v3, LDAP, RADIUS, TACACS+, Modbus TCP: The VP5N50A1 integrates natively into existing enterprise monitoring stacks. SNMPv3 supports encrypted traps and authenticated polling for security-conscious environments. LDAP/RADIUS/TACACS+ means you can enforce role-based access through your existing directory instead of managing local PDU credentials — a real governance win at scale. Modbus TCP opens direct integration with BMS and DCIM platforms that use industrial protocols.
• IPv4/IPv6 Dual-Stack Networking: Native IPv6 support future-proofs the management plane for facilities already transitioning or planning transitions away from IPv4-only addressing schemes.
• HTTP/HTTPS, SSH, SMTP, Syslog, NTP: Secure remote access via HTTPS and SSH, automated event email via SMTP, and Syslog forwarding to your SIEM or log aggregator are all built in. NTP synchronizes timestamps across PDU events — useful when correlating power events against server logs during incident review.
• Daisy Chain Support: Daisy chaining reduces infrastructure overhead in large deployments — fewer switch ports, less cable routing, and a single management subnet segment covering a full row of cabinets.
• LED Display and Indicators: The onboard LED display surfaces current load and status without requiring a laptop or network connection — useful during initial commissioning or physical audits when you need a fast sanity check at the cabinet door.
• 3-Meter Input Cord: The 3m (approximately 10 ft) input cord reaches floor-level PDPs and in-row power panels without an extension — standard for most raised-floor and hot-aisle/cold-aisle installations.
• USB Port: The onboard USB port supports local firmware updates and configuration, reducing the dependency on live network access during maintenance windows or initial commissioning.
• 50/60 Hz Input Frequency: The VP5N50A1 accepts both 50Hz and 60Hz AC input, which means the same SKU deploys in North American 60Hz facilities and international 50Hz data centers without substitution.

Integration and Compatibility

The VP5N50A1 supports SNMP v1/v2c/v3, Modbus TCP, and HTTP/HTTPS, making it compatible with leading DCIM platforms, BMS systems, and network management consoles. RSTP (Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol) support on the dual Ethernet ports prevents network loops in daisy-chained configurations without manual topology management. The full protocol list — DHCP, NTP, SMTP, SNMP, LDAP, RADIUS, TACACS+, SSH, Syslog — covers virtually every enterprise integration requirement without additional middleware. The 200–240V Delta input range accommodates both nominal 208V and 220V/230V Delta feeds, broadening deployment flexibility across different facility standards. For teams managing rack power distribution across a fleet of cabinets, the VP5N50A1's daisy-chain architecture and dual-port network design reduce per-cabinet infrastructure cost versus deploying individually networked units. Pair with Vertiv's broader infrastructure line for a consistent management and monitoring platform. Review the PDU selection guide for help sizing input amperage and outlet counts against actual cabinet loads before ordering. Teams integrating into a structured data center infrastructure management platform should verify Modbus TCP register maps and SNMP MIB file availability from Vertiv support prior to deployment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What input voltage and phase configuration does the VP5N50A1 require?

A: The VP5N50A1 requires a 200–240V Delta (three-phase) input at 50A. This is a Delta-configured three-phase unit, not a Wye configuration — confirm your facility's PDPs supply a Delta feed before ordering. Nominal input is 208V Delta at 60Hz in North American facilities, or 220–230V Delta at 50Hz internationally.

Q: How many outlets does the VP5N50A1 provide and what connector type?

A: The VP5N50A1 provides 36 total C13 outlets. The product name references 24 switched monitored outlets with unit-level switching and monitoring capability. All outlets are IEC 60320 C13 connectors — the standard for most 1U and 2U servers, storage arrays, and networking equipment.

Q: Can multiple VP5N50A1 units be networked together without using additional switch ports?

A: Yes. The VP5N50A1 includes two RJ-45 Ethernet ports and supports daisy chaining, allowing multiple PDUs to share a single upstream network connection. This reduces switch port consumption when deploying PDUs across a full cabinet row.

Q: What monitoring parameters does the VP5N50A1 report?

A: The VP5N50A1 monitors current, voltage, power, and temperature at the unit level. Data is accessible via SNMP v1/v2c/v3, HTTP/HTTPS, and Modbus TCP, making it compatible with most DCIM, BMS, and network management platforms.

Q: Does the VP5N50A1 support enterprise authentication protocols?

A: Yes. The unit supports LDAP, RADIUS, and TACACS+ for centralized user authentication and role-based access control, along with SNMPv3 for encrypted and authenticated SNMP polling. This allows integration into existing directory services without managing local PDU credentials separately.

Q: What is the rack footprint of the VP5N50A1?

A: The VP5N50A1 is a 0U vertical PDU — it mounts in the zero-U space inside the cabinet's vertical rail channel, consuming no rack unit space. This keeps all 1U–4U positions available for active compute, storage, or networking equipment.

Jerry Tildsen

The VP5N50A1 is the unit I'd specify for a high-density colocation cabinet where you need remote outlet-switching control and a full enterprise protocol stack without stepping up to outlet-level metering. The 50A/208V Delta three-phase input at 14.4kW total capacity gives you serious headroom in a vertical 0U form factor — and the dual RJ-45 ports with daisy chain support mean a 10-cabinet row can share a single upstream switch port, which matters when you're counting infrastructure ports.

Technical Highlights:

• 14.4kW / 50A Input: At 80% NEC-derate, you're looking at approximately 11.5kW of continuous safe load — enough for 20–30 populated 1U compute nodes depending on workload. That's meaningful density per cabinet without splitting across two PDUs.
• SNMP v1/v2c/v3 + Modbus TCP: SNMPv3's encrypted, authenticated polling is the right choice for compliance-driven environments. Modbus TCP opens the door to BMS integration directly — you're not limited to IT-centric monitoring tools. Both protocols operate simultaneously on the same management interface.
• LDAP / RADIUS / TACACS+ Authentication: Managing local credentials across a fleet of PDUs is operationally painful. LDAP/RADIUS/TACACS+ lets you fold PDU access into the same directory policy as your network gear — password rotations, role assignments, and audit trails all handled centrally.

Deployment Considerations:

• Verify that your facility's power panels deliver a true 208V Delta three-phase feed — this unit is Delta-configured, not Wye. A Wye (208V 3-phase, 4-wire) facility requires a different SKU. Ordering the wrong phase configuration is the most common PDU sizing mistake in mixed-standard facilities.
• The 36 outlets are all C13 — if your cabinet includes any C19-input devices (high-draw servers above 16A per device), you'll need a PDU with C19 outlets or a C19-to-C13 adapter, which introduces a potential single-point failure on high-draw circuits.

The VP5N50A1 is the right fit for colo facilities, enterprise data center rows, and edge deployments where the combination of remote switching, real-time unit-level power monitoring, and enterprise AAA integration eliminates the need for on-site hands for routine power management tasks.