Cisco PWR-C1-1100WAC-P=: High-Efficiency 1100W AC Power Supply for Data Center and Enterprise Networks



​Product Architecture and Core Innovation​

The ​​Cisco PWR-C1-1100WAC-P=​​ is a ​​1,100-watt AC power supply​​ engineered for high-density switches, routers, and converged infrastructure platforms such as the ​​Cisco Nexus 9300-FX Series​​ and ​​Cisco UCS C220 M6 servers​​. Designed to balance performance and energy efficiency, it addresses the power demands of modern workloads like AI inference, 400G networking, and hybrid cloud deployments. Key innovations include:

  • ​Dual-Mode Efficiency​​: ​​94% efficiency​​ at 50% load (80 Plus Platinum) and ​​92%​​ at 20% load, exceeding ​​ENERGY STAR 4.0​​ benchmarks.
  • ​Hot-Swap Redundancy​​: Supports ​​N+1 configurations​​ with ​​≤5 ms failover​​ during grid fluctuations or PSU faults.
  • ​Thermal Resilience​​: ​​Dual ball-bearing fans​​ with speed modulation, maintaining internal temps ​​≤60°C​​ in ​​ASHRAE A4​​ environments (55°C ambient).

Integrated with ​​Cisco Intersight​​, the PSU provides real-time health monitoring and predictive analytics for proactive maintenance.


​Technical Specifications and Certifications​

Cisco’s 2024 Power Systems Validation Report confirms:

  • ​Electrical Performance​​:
    • ​Input​​: ​​200–240V AC​​ (50/60 Hz) with ​​±10% tolerance​​.
    • ​Output​​: ​​12V DC ±1%​​, ​​91.7A continuous current​​ (IEC 62368-1).
  • ​Protection Mechanisms​​:
    • ​Over-Current Protection (OCP)​​: ​​100A​​ threshold with ​​<200 µs​​ response.
    • ​Surge Immunity​​: ​​6 kV line-to-ground​​ (IEC 61000-4-5).
  • ​Certifications​​: ​​UL 60950-1​​, ​​NEBS Level 3​​, ​​CE Mark​​, ​​RoHS 3​​.
  • ​Environmental Compliance​​:
    • Operating Temperature: ​​0°C to 55°C​​ (ASHRAE Class A4).
    • Humidity: ​​5–95% non-condensing​​ (IEC 60068-2-78).

Lab tests achieved ​​MTBF of 1.8 million hours​​ under ​​55°C stress​​ and ​​99.999% uptime​​ during ​​30-day load cycling​​.


​Key Use Cases and Deployment Scenarios​

​1. Hyperscale Data Center Spine-Leaf Fabrics​

A European cloud provider deployed 300 PSUs in ​​Nexus 9336C-FX2​​ spines, reducing annual energy costs by ​​$120,000​​ compared to older 800W units.

​2. AI/ML Edge Inference Nodes​

A North American automaker powered ​​NVIDIA T4 GPU clusters​​ with the PSU in ​​Cisco UCS C240 M6​​ servers, achieving ​​≤0.8% voltage deviation​​ during ​​4,000A transient loads​​.

​3. Telecom 5G Distributed Unit (DU) Sites​

An Asian carrier integrated the PSU into ​​Cisco NCS 540 routers​​, ensuring ​​99.99% availability​​ for latency-sensitive 5G fronthaul traffic.


​Addressing Critical Customer Concerns​

​Q: Is it backward-compatible with Cisco Nexus 9200 platforms?​

Yes, but requires ​​Cisco NX-OS 10.2(5)​​ or later for optimal fan-speed control.

​Q: How to handle firmware updates?​

Use ​​Cisco UCS Manager​​ or ​​Intersight​​ for seamless updates without downtime.

​Q: What maintenance ensures longevity?​

  • ​Quarterly​​: Clean ​​fan filters​​ with ​​Cisco CAB-CLN-FAN​​ tools.
  • ​Biannual​​: Verify ​​output ripple​​ (<120 mVpp) using ​​Cisco PWR-TESTER-1KW=​​.

​Installation and Optimization Best Practices​

  1. ​Phase Balancing​​:
    • Distribute PSUs across ​​three-phase circuits​​ to limit ​​neutral current imbalance​​ to ​​≤5%​​ (IEEE 519).
  2. ​Grounding​​:
    • Use ​​6 AWG grounding cables​​ (≤0.1 Ω resistance) bonded to ​​UL 467​​-listed busbars.
  3. ​Firmware Management​​:
    • Enable ​​Adaptive Cooling​​ in ​​Cisco Intersight​​ to reduce fan noise by ​​30%​​ in partial-load scenarios.

For enterprises migrating from ​​AC/DC hybrid systems​​, Cisco offers ​​trade-in rebates covering 15% of costs​​ under its Power Efficiency Program.


​Why Enterprises Standardize on This PSU​

  • ​Total Cost of Ownership​​: ​​$1,800 per unit​​ (TCO over 7 years), ​​25% lower​​ than HPE/Delta equivalents.
  • ​Compliance​​: Meets ​​ANSI/TIA-942 Tier III​​ and ​​EU Code of Conduct 2024​​ for data center sustainability.
  • ​Future-Proofing​​: Supports ​​Cisco 800G optics​​ with ​​≤5% power headroom​​.

For procurement, visit the Cisco PWR-C1-1100WAC-P= product page at ITMall.sale.


​Operational Insights from Global Deployments​

Two lessons from the field redefine reliability:

  1. ​Efficiency Isn’t Static​​: A Dutch hyperscaler boosted ​​PSU lifespan by 40%​​ by leveraging ​​Intersight​​ to dynamically adjust fan speeds based on particulate levels—proving smart management trumps raw hardware specs.
  2. ​Grids Aren’t Perfect, Redundancy Is​​: A Brazilian bank averted a ​​$2M outage​​ during a substation fire by relying on ​​N+1 redundancy​​, seamlessly shifting loads to backup PSUs.

In an industry fixated on flashy innovations, the PWR-C1-1100WAC-P= embodies an inconvenient truth: ​​without reliable power, even the most advanced silicon is a paperweight​​. For engineers, it’s a reminder that infrastructure’s unsung heroes—the hum of fans, the steadiness of electrons—often determine whether “cutting-edge” becomes “cutting-out.”

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