LED Ring in PDU 5.0

Function of the LED Ring

Visual Feedback Without Login or Tooling

The LED ring provides immediate information about:

• the PDU startup phase

• normal operating status and load

• warnings and alarms

• communication issues

• NFC activity

• locating a specific PDU via EnerTree

Because this information is always visible on the PDU itself, administrators do not need to log into an interface first. When deviations or errors occur, the LED ring automatically switches to the relevant colour or animation, allowing the cause to be identified quickly.

Hardware Design

Four RGB LEDs With Individual Control

The LED ring consists of four individually addressable RGB LEDs. These LEDs are mounted on the communication module’s circuit board and shine through an internal light guide, producing a clearly visible illuminated ring around the module.

Key characteristics:

• RGB LEDs: full colour indication for every status level

• Individual control: firmware can operate each LED separately

• Dynamic patterns: blinking, rotation, pulse effects or on/off sequences

• Adjustable brightness: smooth fade-in and fade-out

• Uniform light output: light guides distribute the light evenly around the module

This design makes the LED ring not only functional, but also highly suitable for dark rack environments where clear visibility is essential.

LED Ring Status Overview

Colours, Animations and Associated PDU States

Below is an overview of the most important LED signals and what they indicate for the PDU 5.0.

1. Startup

Colour: Blue (solid)

• Bootloader active

• Firmware update

• RPi startup

• Configuration

• Internal data bus setup

• Daisy chain ring setup

• Ethernet initialisation

Colour: Red (blinking)

• Error during startup

2. Normal Operation

Colour: Green (solid)

• PDU is operational

• Normal load

• Low, medium or high load

• Outlet switching in progress

• USB status change

3. Events, Warnings and Faults

Yellow

• Unacknowledged warning

• Acknowledged warning

Orange / Red

• Unacknowledged alarm

• Acknowledged alarm

Red (blinking)

• Network connection lost (Controller/Bridge)

• Ring connection loss (Daisy Chain)

• Hardware fault

• Bootloader fault

4. NFC Communication

Blue/white animation (blinking or rotating)

• NFC communication active

Red blinking for 3 seconds

• NFC error

Locating a PDU via EnerTree

Quickly Identify a PDU in a Rack With Hundreds of Units

The LED ring can be activated through the EnerTree interface as a location indicator. This is particularly useful in data centres with many identical racks and high density.

With a single click, administrators can trigger the LED ring to light up in a selected colour or animation, allowing the correct PDU to be located instantly.

Benefits for Data Centre Administrators

• Faster diagnosis: colour codes immediately indicate where the issue lies.

• Less downtime: warnings and errors are visible instantly.

• Efficient routines: visual feedback without logging in or using software.

• Suitable for large PDU fleets: ideal for locating and managing at scale.

• Suitable for dark environments: bright 360° light pattern.