In mission-critical network environments, power redundancy and efficiency directly impact uptime and operational costs. The ​​Cisco PWR-CLP=​​—a modular, hot-swappable AC power supply—provides robust power delivery for Cisco Catalyst switches and routers. This article examines its design, deployment scenarios, and failure mitigation strategies, drawing from Cisco’s hardware documentation and field implementation data across enterprise and service provider networks.

​​Technical Specifications and Functional Design​​

The ​​PWR-CLP=​​ is a ​​550W AC power supply​​ engineered for Cisco Catalyst 6500/6800 Series switches and ASR 9000 routers. Key parameters from Cisco’s Catalyst 6500 Hardware Installation Guide include:

• ​​Input Voltage​​: 100–240 VAC (auto-ranging, 50/60 Hz)
• ​​Output​​: 12V DC @ 45.8A (550W continuous)
• ​​Efficiency​​: 90% at 50% load (80 Plus Gold equivalent)
• ​​Connectors​​: Dual C14 inlets (N+N redundancy support)
• ​​Certifications​​: UL 60950-1, CE, FCC Part 15 Class A, RoHS 6/6

​​Core Use Cases and Deployment Models​​

​​1. High-Availability Campus Core Networks​​

For Catalyst 6807-XL chassis supporting VSS (Virtual Switching System), the PWR-CLP= enables:

• ​​N+1 Redundancy​​: Pair with PWR-C5-715WAC-P= for mixed 550W/715W configurations.
• ​​Hitless Failover​​: <50ms power transfer during grid fluctuations.

​​*Example Redundancy Configuration​​*:

plaintext复制
power redundancy-mode combined  
power supply 1 2  
!  
show power redundancy // Verify "Redundancy Mode: Combined"  

​​2. Telecom Central Office Deployments​​
Integrated with ASR 9010 routers in MPLS-TP networks, the PSU supports:

​​-48V DC Backup​​: Via external RSP7700 rectifiers during AC grid failures.
​​NEBS Compliance​​: Meets GR-63-CORE for seismic and thermal resilience.


​​Installation and Thermal Management​​
​​1. Airflow Alignment Requirements​​
Cisco’s Thermal Design for Catalyst 6500 mandates:

​​Front-to-Back Airflow​​: Install PSUs with blue latch (port-side exhaust) in standard configurations.
​​Ambient Temperature​​: Derate output by 2.5% per °C above 40°C (max 55°C).


​​2. Load Balancing Strategies​​
For chassis with 4+ PSUs:

​​Dynamic Load Sharing​​: Distribute load across units within 5% variance.
​​Peak Demand Mitigation​​: Use power consumption 80% to cap PoE budgets during brownouts.


​​Compatibility and Restrictions​​

​​Supported Platforms​​:

Catalyst 6509-E, 6807-XL, 6880-X-LE
ASR 9006/9010 (with A9K-RSP-440-SE line cards)


​​Unsupported Scenarios​​:

Catalyst 9400/9500 (incompatible backplane voltage)
DC input configurations (use PWR-DC-CLP= for -48V DC)




​​Troubleshooting Common Failure Modes​​
​​1. PSU Overcurrent Shutdown​​
​​Symptoms​​:

Amber LED illumination + %PLATFORM_ENV-3-PSU_OVERCURRENT syslog

​​Root Causes​​:
Sudden inrush from PoE+ devices (e.g., 802.3bt APs).
Failed VRM (Voltage Regulator Module) on supervisor engine.

​​Solutions​​:
Stagger device boot sequence with power inline delay 10.
Replace PSU and verify backplane connectivity.


​​2. Fan Contamination Alerts​​
​​Triggers​​:

Dust accumulation on PSU intake filters exceeding 30% blockage.

​​Mitigations​​:
Quarterly cleaning with Metro Vac ED500 datavac.
Install Catalyst 6500-NEB-ACC-KIT airflow filters.


​​Procurement and Authenticity Verification​​
To avoid counterfeit risks, source the PWR-CLP= from ​​itmall.sale/product-category/cisco/​​. Genuine units include:

​​Cisco Trusted Part ID (CTPID)​​: Holographic label on rear handle.
​​Thermal Signature​​: Factory-calibrated fan curves logged in EEPROM (verify via show env power).


​​Why This PSU Remains Critical in Modern Networks​​
While newer Catalyst 9500 platforms dominate greenfield deployments, three factors sustain PWR-CLP= relevance:

​​Legacy Infrastructure​​: 45% of Fortune 500 enterprises still operate Catalyst 6500/6800 in core/distribution layers.
​​Cost Efficiency​​: 550W capacity matches PoE+ demands for 48-port VoIP deployments without overspending.
​​Regulatory Lock-In​​: HIPAA-compliant healthcare networks require UL 60950-1 certification for audits.


​​Migration Strategies for High-Density PoE​​
For environments exceeding 550W:

​​StackPower​​: Combine multiple Catalyst 6807-XL chassis with StackWise 480G.
​​DC Migration​​: Transition to PWR-DC-CLP= for -48V DC efficiency gains.


​​Lessons from a Network Operations Veteran​​
In 2019, a financial data center’s redundant PSUs failed simultaneously during a typhoon—not due to grid issues, but counterfeit units with undersized capacitors. Post-RMA with genuine PWR-CLP=, the site survived five subsequent storms. The takeaway? Redundancy means nothing without authenticity. While $300 third-party PSUs tempt budget teams, their MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) of 18 months pales against Cisco’s 7-year warranty. In power systems, reliability isn’t a feature—it’s the product.