A 500 W industrial power supply with PFC and a built-in fan — for powering higher-capacity distribution cabinets or larger LED wall segments.
MEAN WELL · power supply, enclosed with PFC and fan cooling
Mean Well RSP-500 LED wall component
The RSP series is Mean Well's higher-power, industrial-class power supply family with PFC (power factor correction). The 500 watt RSP-500 is cooled by a built-in, speed-controlled fan, and also supports remote on/off switching and remote voltage sensing (remote sense) — the latter matters with longer cabling, because it compensates for the voltage drop occurring on the cable.
In practical terms, higher-power central power supplies like this typically do not feed individual modules but a complete distribution branch (a DC bus tying several modules together) in a distribution cabinet — so when sizing, not only the modules' total power but also the reserve capacity (derating) has to be taken into account, particularly in outdoor cabinets operating at higher ambient temperatures.
Where the RSP-500 sits in an LED wall system
The RSP sits in the central distribution cabinet and feeds not one module but a whole DC branch: the bus runs from here towards the cabinets. Remote sense measures the actual voltage at the far end of the bus with two thin conductor pairs, and the power supply compensates for it — this is the function that eliminates the dimming of the more distant modules on DC cabling several metres long. The remote on/off input can be tied to a scheduled start-up of the wall, from a controller relay output or a time switch.
WHEN IT IS THE RIGHT CHOICE
On larger cabinet-based systems, where one central power supply feeds several modules or a complete DC distribution branch, and compensating for the voltage drop on the cable (remote sense) is also a consideration.
WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR
Because of the fan cooling, the RSP series requires maintenance (dust, filters) and can be a source of noise — in a quiet environment (a studio, a meeting room) this can be a design consideration against passively cooled alternatives.
The RSP-500 in practice
Inrush current is particularly high on PFC supplies: several supplies starting at once draw a peak current that trips a normal B-characteristic circuit breaker even though the equipment is faultless. So the distribution cabinet has to be designed with a C-characteristic (or D on a larger wall) circuit breaker, and the supplies should if possible be started in stages, with delayed contactors — something to settle with the electrician when the cabinet is designed, not at commissioning. The fan and the filter need maintenance: with a clogged filter the supply throttles back or shuts down, which shows up on the wall as intermittent, temperature-dependent dropouts, and is very hard to identify.
Alternatives to the RSP-500
For a smaller system, the LRS-350 is cheaper and passively cooled, in exchange for having no remote sense. In a quiet environment (a studio, a meeting room, an office) the noise of the fan-cooled RSP can be disturbing, and it is better to distribute several smaller, passively cooled supplies there. If the supply goes into the cabinet rather than into a distribution enclosure, the EPP-200 or the G-Energy JPS200V is the right form factor. Deciding factors: the length of the DC cable (whether remote sense is needed) and noise tolerance.
RSP-500 manual and datasheet
The documents live on the manufacturer's own site and open in a new window — so you always get the latest version. We do not copy or translate their contents.
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