Square Wave Vs Sinewave UPS for Computers? Most of the UPS, sold for single computer applications, come in the range of Rs 2000/ in India and are square wave UPS, all imported from China, and people buy when they buy a computer to provide backup and protection. They do not realize they are buying a square wave UPS that will damage the Computer over time rather than give it protection.
A small UPS for computer protection in square waves can harm computers. Square wave inverters produce a sharp, rectangular voltage waveform that can cause problems for sensitive electronic equipment. https://suvastika.com/why-a-pure-sine-wave-technology-is-a-must-for-your-inverter/ This is because the square wave waveform can contain harmonics, which are high-frequency components that can interfere with the operation of the Computer’s power supply. In some cases, the harmonics can cause the Computer to overheat or damage the components.
For this reason, using a square wave UPS to power a computer is not recommended. If you need to use a UPS to protect your Computer from power outages, choosing one that produces a pure sine wave output is important. Pure sine wave UPS are more expensive than square wave UPS but safer for computers. https://www.daytradingbias.com/sine-wave-and-square-wave-uninterruptable-power-supply-ups/
Here are some of the problems that can occur if you use a square wave UPS to power your Computer:
- Overheating: The harmonics in the square wave waveform can cause the Computer’s power supply to overheat. This can lead to premature failure of the power supply or other components. Rather than protecting the Computer, it ensures the Square wave UPS damages the power supply or motherboard of the Computer, which become non-repairable.
- Damage to components: The square wave waveform harmonics can also damage the Computer’s power supply components. This can lead to intermittent problems or even permanent damage to the Computer.
- Noise: The square wave waveform can also produce noise that can interfere with the operation of the Computer. This noise can manifest as audio interference, video interference, or data corruption. If you connect the computer speakers, you will get the noise once the UPS comes on the battery mode.
- Switching time is higher in the square wave UPS, so sometimes computers will reboot when the power goes or come back, which is also one reason to avoid square wave UPS.
- Built-in Stabilizer made by relays which work for stabilizing the voltage also create harmonics when the UPS is working on the Mains power as the AVR section try to correct the voltage through the switching of relays which in turn produce sparks and spikes in the UPS system which goes directly to the computer.
If you are concerned about the safety of your Computer, it is best to use a UPS that produces a pure sine wave output. Pure sine wave UPSs are more expensive than square wave UPS, but they are the only insurance for the Computer; otherwise, it’s better not to attach any UPS for the safety of the Computer as the Square wave only creates problems for the computers. Square Wave Vs Sinewave UPS for Computers is a subject which needs to be understood by everyone buying UPS to protect their Computer.