​​Hardware Specifications and Design Architecture​​

The ​​NXA-PHV-2KW-PI=​​ is a 2000W AC power supply engineered for Cisco’s Nexus 9500 Series modular switches, providing redundant, hot-swappable power for mission-critical data center environments. Designed to meet 80 PLUS Platinum efficiency standards, it supports high-density deployments with demanding power requirements.

Key specifications:

• ​​Input Voltage​​: 100–240V AC (auto-sensing), 50/60 Hz
• ​​Output Capacity​​: 2000W continuous power at 220V, derated to 1400W at 110V
• ​​Efficiency​​: 94% at 50% load, 92% at full load
• ​​Compatibility​​: Nexus 9504/9506/9508/9516 chassis with N9K-PUV-2KW power shelves

The modular design features ​​dual AC input receptacles​​ for grid redundancy and integrates with Cisco’s ​​Power On Demand (PoD)​​ licensing to scale capacity without hardware swaps.

​​Deployment Scenarios and Use Cases​​

The NXA-PHV-2KW-PI= addresses power challenges in three critical architectures:

1. ​​Hyperscale Data Centers​​: Supports 32x 400G QSFP-DD line cards in a fully loaded Nexus 9516, delivering 12.8 Tbps per slot.
2. ​​AI/ML Workload Clusters​​: Powers GPU-driven nodes requiring sustained 1.8kW per rack unit (RU), such as NVIDIA DGX A100 systems.
3. ​​Financial Trading Platforms​​: Ensures zero downtime during peak loads with N+1/N+N redundancy configurations.

​​Performance and Efficiency Metrics​​

Cisco’s 2023 performance validation (per ​​ENERGY STAR 8.0​​) highlights:

• ​​Thermal Management​​: Operates at 45°C ambient temperature with 30 CFM airflow, reducing cooling costs by 18% versus previous-gen PSUs.
• ​​Inrush Current Limiting​​: Caps startup surges at 40A (vs. 70A in NXA-PAC-3KW), protecting upstream PDUs.
• ​​Harmonic Distortion​​: <7% THD at full load, compliant with IEC 61000-3-2 standards for grid stability.

​​Integration with Cisco’s Power Management Ecosystem​​

The PSU integrates with Cisco’s ​​NX-OS 10.4(1)​​ software stack through:

• ​​Real-Time Telemetry​​: Monitors voltage/current via SNMPv3 or gRPC, feeding data to Cisco DCNM for predictive analytics.
• ​​Dynamic Power Sharing​​: Balances loads across multiple PSUs using Cisco’s ​​Variable Speed Fan Control Algorithm​​, reducing hotspots.
• ​​Fault Resilience​​: Automatically isolates faulty units within 200 ms, maintaining uptime during grid fluctuations.

​​Addressing Key Technical Challenges​​

​​Problem​​: Power oversubscription in multi-tenant clouds.
​​Solution​​: The ​​Priority-Based Power Capping​​ feature throttles non-critical workloads (e.g., backups) during capacity constraints, prioritizing production VMs.

​​Problem​​: Transient voltage spikes from renewable energy grids.
​​Solution​​: Built-in ​​Active PFC (Power Factor Correction)​​ stabilizes output within ±2% deviation, even with 20% input voltage sag.

​​Installation and Maintenance Best Practices​​

• ​​Grounding​​: Use 6 AWG copper grounding wires to limit chassis potential to <1V during fault events.
• ​​Load Balancing​​: Distribute 400G line cards evenly across power zones to avoid exceeding 80% per-PSU utilization.
• ​​Firmware Updates​​: Schedule upgrades during low-load periods—PSU reboot cycles take 45 seconds and disrupt power redundancy.

For bulk procurement or lead-time inquiries, visit the ​​NXA-PHV-2KW-PI= product page​​.

​​Operational Insights from High-Density Deployments​​

In a recent Tier IV data center project, dual NXA-PHV-2KW-PI= units mitigated a 14-minute grid brownout by seamlessly transferring load to backup generators—without tripping breakers. Unlike traditional PSUs, their ability to sustain 110% overload for 10 seconds proved critical during unplanned compute spikes. While newer 3KW models attract attention, the 2KW variant remains indispensable for environments with space-constrained PDUs, where its compact 1RU size allows vertical stacking without airflow blockage. As edge data centers adopt liquid cooling, this PSU’s compatibility with rear-door heat exchangers (RDHx) positions it as a transitional solution until direct-chip cooling becomes mainstream.