1U PDU
1U PDU -- entry-level power distribution. Nine ports total: one "in" that must be wired to a Residential Grid slot before anything downstream draws real power, and 8 switched outlets feeding whatever you rack next to it.
- Category: Power Distribution
- Rack height: 1U
- Power draw: 0W typical, 100W max
8 switched outlets, 100W total input capacity. Every device wired to an outlet is part of this PDU's chain -- the whole chain's load is billed against the grid slot the "in" port is wired to, not against each device individually.
Fine for a starter rack of low-draw gear (a router, a switch, a couple of low-power servers); you'll outgrow it fast once anything power-hungry (an AI server, a crypto rig) comes online.
Push a chain's sustained load too far past its 100W capacity and the overload doesn't just trip a breaker quietly -- left running hot long enough, it can genuinely catch fire, a real hazard state distinct from an ordinary device fault.
A fire here isn't contained to the PDU itself: every device with a power cable plugged directly into one of these 8 outlets gets its own real chance to also catch fire the instant this PDU ignites -- an overloaded PDU is a genuine risk to whatever's actually plugged into it, not just itself.
Can't itself become the target of an intrusion fault (PDUs and UPS units are exempt from that random-fault category) -- but everything wired to its outlets can, so it's not a safe place to hide vulnerable gear.
Its outlets aren't limited to devices racked alongside it -- cross-rack cabling lets this same 100W chain feed a device sitting in a second, physically separate rack. A device powered that way is treated exactly like a locally-powered one everywhere it matters: thermal wear, overload/fire risk, disaster-recovery eligibility, and revenue tracking all apply identically, no partial or second-class powered state for a cross-rack link.
Tip: if you're not sure how close to capacity you are, the Residential Grid panel's per-port load bar is the fast read -- don't wait for the PDU's own outlet LEDs to tell you.
See also: the Game Systems manual's Fire & Smoke Hazards section, Utility Billing & Dynamic Pricing section, and Cross-Rack Power section.