FAQ: Determining required battery capacity

Determining the required battery capacity

To calculate the 'Ah' (amp hour) capacity of a Cloud Node or Controller battery, you will need to multiply the expected amperage draw of the hardware by the estimated backup capacity (how long the battery needs to last while input power is lost).

1. Determine the total maximum amperage draw for the Controller/Cloud Node and any connected hardware. These ratings can typically be found on the ProdataKey datasheets and 3rd-party hardware manufacturer datasheets.
2. Multiply the total amperage by the expected backup time (a * hours) to determine the Ah value for the battery.

Please note that due to wire resistance and heat produced as the battery discharges, the backup capacity can be reduced, so a larger backup battery may be required.
For example, a Cloud Node with a connected 1200lbs maglock will draw almost 1A in an idle state (maglock locked and no reader activity). With an 8 Ah battery, this will provide a backup capacity between 7.5 and 7.8 hours.