ELAU PS-4 Power Supply Modules

Technical Dossier

Product Details And Specifications

ELAU PS-4 Series: Comprehensive Module Range and Technical Overview

The ELAU PS-4 series is the dedicated power supply platform for the PacDrive motion control system, developed by ELAU AG (subsequently acquired by Schneider Electric). These units are deployed across high-demand continuous-process industries including petrochemical refineries, pharmaceutical packaging lines, nuclear facility auxiliary systems, and large-scale food and beverage automation. The PS-4 family provides regulated DC bus power to PacDrive controller backplanes and servo drive networks, operating under IEC 61131-3 compliant architectures. Installed base spans several thousand production lines globally, with the majority of legacy installations still running original hardware due to the high cost and complexity of full system migration.

The Evolution of PS-4 Architecture

The PS-4 power supply line was introduced alongside the original PacDrive C200/C400 controller generation in the late 1990s. Early units such as the PS-4/10/16/230/00 and PS-4/10/16/400/00 established the modular backplane power architecture that became standard across all PacDrive installations. These first-generation units operated on single-phase 230 VAC or three-phase 400 VAC input and delivered regulated 24 VDC and 5 VDC rails to the controller rack.

With the transition to PacDrive M and PacDrive 3 platforms under Schneider Electric branding (post-2006 acquisition), the PS-4 hardware entered a maintenance-only lifecycle. Schneider Electric continued to supply spare units through approximately 2015–2018, after which production was formally discontinued. Replacement migration paths include the Schneider Electric LMC058 and LMC078 motion controllers with integrated power management, but these require full software and wiring re-engineering. As a result, the majority of end-users operating PS-4-based systems continue to source original spare units to extend operational life.

Compatibility note: PS-4 units are backplane-specific. The 230 VAC and 400 VAC variants are not interchangeable without rewiring. The /00 suffix denotes standard firmware; regional variants exist with modified EMC filtering for specific market compliance.

PS-4 Full Catalog & Functionalities (SKU List)

The following models represent the verified production range of the ELAU PS-4 power supply series. Each unit is classified by input voltage, output capacity, and backplane compatibility.

VPM01D16AA00 (PS-4/10/16/230/00): 230 VAC single-phase input, 16 A DC output, standard PacDrive C-series backplane power supply.
VPM01D16AB00 (PS-4/10/16/400/00): 400 VAC three-phase input, 16 A DC output, for European three-phase grid installations.
VPM01D20AA00 (PS-4/10/20/230/00): 230 VAC input, 20 A enhanced output, for expanded I/O rack configurations.
VPM01D20AB00 (PS-4/10/20/400/00): 400 VAC three-phase, 20 A output, high-density rack power for multi-axis PacDrive systems.
VPM01D10AA00 (PS-4/10/10/230/00): 230 VAC input, 10 A output, compact power supply for reduced-slot controller racks.
VPM01D10AB00 (PS-4/10/10/400/00): 400 VAC three-phase, 10 A output, minimal-footprint variant for space-constrained panels.
VPM02D16AA00 (PS-4/20/16/230/00): Second-generation 230 VAC unit with revised EMC filter stage and improved thermal management.
VPM02D16AB00 (PS-4/20/16/400/00): Second-generation 400 VAC, 16 A, with updated inrush current limiting circuit.
VPM02D20AA00 (PS-4/20/20/230/00): 230 VAC, 20 A, second-generation with extended MTBF rating for continuous-duty applications.
VPM02D20AB00 (PS-4/20/20/400/00): 400 VAC, 20 A, second-generation, primary supply for large PacDrive M installations.
VPM03D16AA00 (PS-4/30/16/230/00): Third-generation 230 VAC unit, revised power factor correction, CE and UL dual-certified.
VPM03D16AB00 (PS-4/30/16/400/00): Third-generation 400 VAC, 16 A, final production revision before Schneider Electric phase-out.
VPM03D20AA00 (PS-4/30/20/230/00): 230 VAC, 20 A, final-generation unit with highest available output stability specification.
VPM03D20AB00 (PS-4/30/20/400/00): 400 VAC, 20 A, final-generation, highest-spec unit in the PS-4 range.
VPM01D16AC00 (PS-4/10/16/480/00): 480 VAC input variant, produced for North American market installations with 480 V grid infrastructure.
VPM01D20AC00 (PS-4/10/20/480/00): 480 VAC, 20 A, North American high-current variant for large-format PacDrive racks.

Sourcing Hard-to-Find & Obsolete PS-4 Parts

The ELAU PS-4 series reached end-of-production status between 2015 and 2018 under Schneider Electric's product lifecycle management. OEM channel availability is effectively zero for most model variants. DriveKNMS maintains a dedicated inventory of tested PS-4 power supply units sourced from decommissioned production lines, authorized surplus channels, and controlled factory-pull stock.

DriveKNMS provides lifecycle extension support for PS-4 installations through the following services: verified surplus unit supply with full traceability documentation; exchange programs where a failed unit is returned and a tested replacement is dispatched; and long-term consignment agreements for facilities requiring guaranteed stock availability over multi-year maintenance windows. All units are supplied with test reports and, where applicable, original ELAU/Schneider Electric packaging and documentation.

For facilities operating PacDrive systems in regulated industries (pharmaceutical GMP, nuclear auxiliary, food safety), DriveKNMS can provide material certification documentation compatible with IQ/OQ validation requirements.

Quality Control for the PS-4 Range

PS-4 power supply units undergo a structured test protocol at DriveKNMS prior to dispatch. Each unit is subjected to: input voltage range verification across the rated input band (±10% of nominal); full-load DC output regulation test at rated current for a minimum 2-hour burn-in period; ripple and noise measurement on all output rails against original ELAU specification limits; backplane connector integrity check using dedicated PacDrive rack test fixtures; and thermal imaging scan under load to identify degraded capacitor banks or failing switching transistors.

Units that exhibit output deviation exceeding 2% from nominal, abnormal ripple, or thermal anomalies are quarantined and not dispatched. Test data is retained for each serial number and is available to customers upon request. This protocol is specifically designed for the PS-4's multi-rail output architecture and the known failure modes of this series (electrolytic capacitor degradation, MOSFET gate driver failure, and inrush limiter NTC thermistor wear).