Cisco PWR-C4-950WDC-R= High-Efficiency DC Power Supply: Technical Deep Dive and Deployment Strategies

​​Functional Overview and Target Applications​​

The Cisco PWR-C4-950WDC-R= is a ​​950-watt DC power supply​​ engineered for mission-critical networking environments requiring ​​48V DC input​​ and N+1 redundancy. Designed for Cisco’s Catalyst 9400 and Nexus 9500 Series platforms, it supports:

• ​​Telecom Central Offices​​: Powering 5G RAN aggregation routers with -48V DC power plants
• ​​Hyperscale Data Centers​​: Enabling high-efficiency 400G spine-leaf architectures
• ​​Industrial IoT Hubs​​: Ruggedized operation in -40°C to +70°C environments

​​Technical Specifications and Compliance​​

• ​​Input Voltage​​: -48V DC to -60V DC (negative grounding)
• ​​Output​​: 12V DC, 79.2A max (split into isolated 12V/3.3V/5VSB rails)
• ​​Efficiency​​: 94% at 50% load (94% 80 PLUS Platinum equivalent)
• ​​Hold-up Time​​: 15ms at full load (EN 61204-3 tested)
• ​​Compliance​​:
  • ​​NEBS Level 3​​ (GR-63-CORE seismic/vibration)
  • ​​UL 60950-1​​ (Safety)
  • ​​ETSI EN 300 132-2​​ (DC power interfaces)
• ​​Environmental​​:
  • Operating Temperature: -40°C to +70°C (derate 2% per °C above 65°C)
  • MTBF: 500,000 hours (Telcordia SR-332)

​​Compatibility and Integration​​

​​Supported Cisco Platforms​​

• ​​Switches​​: Nexus 9508 (N9K-X9636C-R line cards), Catalyst 9400 (C9400-PWR-950DC= chassis)
• ​​Routers​​: ASR 9902 (A9K-RSP-440-SE with IOS XR 7.8.1+)
• ​​Power Distribution​​: Compatible with Cisco CAB-48VDC-300A= busbars

​​Third-Party Validations​​

• ​​Vertiv Geist DC PDU​​: Requires firmware v4.2+ for current sharing
• ​​Nokia AirScale Radio​​: Validated for 5G mMIMO RU power budgets

​​Performance Benchmarks​​

​​Telecom Edge Deployment Case Study​​
A Tier-1 carrier achieved ​​99.999% uptime​​ across 200+ cell sites by:

• Deploying PWR-C4-950WDC-R= in ASR 9902 routers
• Configuring ​​active-active load sharing​​ with 2% current imbalance tolerance
• Maintaining ​​≤0.5°C thermal variance​​ between redundant units

​​Efficiency Metrics​​

​​Addressing Critical Deployment Concerns​​

​​Q: How to handle DC ground faults?​​

• ​​Isolation Monitoring​​: Use show environment power to detect >10mA leakage
• ​​Mitigation​​: Replace within 4 hours per ETSI EN 300 132-2 guidelines

​​Q: Can it operate in positive-ground DC systems?​​

• ​​No​​—requires negative-ground configurations. For mixed systems, use Cisco CAB-DC-ISO48V= isolator

​​Q: Redundancy configuration steps?​​

power redundancy-mode combined  
power supply 1 priority primary  
power supply 2 priority secondary  

​​Installation and Maintenance​​

​​Step-by-Step Deployment​​

1. ​​Safety​​: Verify DC circuit breakers are locked out (-48V DC)
2. ​​Mounting​​: Align PSU with chassis slot; engage latch until click (15N force)
3. ​​Grounding​​: Connect to chassis ground with 6 AWG cable (<0.1Ω resistance)

​​Thermal Optimization​​

• Maintain ≥3cm clearance between PSUs
• Monitor via show environment temperature (alarm threshold: 70°C)

​​Lifecycle Management​​

​​Firmware Requirements​​

• ​​NX-OS 10.3(1)F+​​ for adaptive load balancing
• ​​IOS XR 7.8.1+​​ for predictive failure analytics

​​End-of-Life Strategy​​

• ​​Last RMA Date​​: Q2 2033 (Cisco EOL Notice #7882)
• ​​Secure Disposal​​: Degauss EEPROM and recycle copper via R2v3-certified partners

​​Operational Insights from Subsea Cable Stations​​
Deploying 50+ PWR-C4-950WDC-R= units in undersea landing sites revealed their ​​corrosion-resistant terminals​​ outperformed competitors by 5x lifespan in salt-rich environments. While 400V DC gains traction, this PSU’s ​​-48V compatibility​​ preserved legacy rectifier investments in 80% of global PoPs. The unanticipated ROI? Its ​​94% efficiency​​ reduced cooling costs by 22% in sealed underground vaults—where every watt saved translated to $450/year in HVAC savings.

For procurement and technical validation: [“PWR-C4-950WDC-R=” link to (https://itmall.sale/product-category/cisco/).