Industrial Automation

Bicker Review: Jarda Blažek compared 2 smart UPS units with a supercapacitor and a battery

Smart industrial backup power supplies from Bicker protect your production systems and industrial PCs against unexpected power outages, voltage drops, and fluctuations. Jarda Blažek (blaja.cz) investigated the practical differences between UPS units with an integrated supercapacitor and those with a LiFePO4 battery.

Jaroslav Blažek's Review

We will take a look at two types of UPS units—or backup power supplies, as they are commonly known—from the German company Bicker. The primary difference lies in the energy storage system, whether it uses a capacitor or batteries, and in the software for managing the UPS.

The manufacturer supplies several variants of these power supplies with different power ratings and types of backup energy elements. Within the same power series, they all look identical, differing only in the communication interface (RS232, 485). The individual models are distinguished by the number following DP in their model designation. We are interested in the DP2 version with a capacitor (UPSI-2406R2DP2MB) and the DP3 version with a LiFePO4 battery (UPSI-2406R2DP3MB). The dimensions of the UPS are 63 mm in width, 120 mm in height, and 105 mm in depth.

Fotografie UPS Bicker

Connection: The setup utilizes a single connector for the input and output 24 VDC voltage, a second smaller relay contact through which our signaling relay is connected, and a USB-C interface for connecting a PC. Additionally, there is one green signaling LED.

Zapojení UPS s měřicím přístrojem

A 1.5 A load using power resistors, which "heat up nicely." 36 W is a fair bit of heat, after all. In practice, the 24 VDC output would power an industrial PC, a PLC, or entire automation circuits.

Rezistory a multimetr

The DP2 in the model name indicates that this is the capacitor-based UPS. The relay signals battery mode, meaning the input voltage to the UPS is disconnected.

UPS v bateriovém režimu

The capacitor-based UPS inherently provides backup power for a much shorter time than the battery model. Because of this, each serves a different purpose:

  • The capacitor version acts as reliable protection against brief power interruptions.
  • The battery version is primarily used to protect control PCs, PLCs, communication equipment, and measurement systems from unexpected outages, voltage drops, or fluctuations in the 24 VDC network.

Test UPS

Capacitor version load characteristics

At the applied load, the UPS kept supplying power for just under two minutes, as we will see below. On the other hand, recharging the unit was very fast.

graf výdrže kondenzátorové UPS

Configuration and Control Software

The main feature, however, lies in the UPScom software, which you can find in the downloads section for individual products on our e-shop. It communicates with the UPS, allows you to configure key parameters, and can even control the PC it runs on. It does not require installation—and we will see why shortly. You simply extract the files into a folder anywhere on your PC. There is also a second software option, UPS Gen2, which offers slightly different functionality that we will cover in the next part. You can also find this in the download section for the respective Bicker products.

Stažený software UPScom

Here is how it's done: open the folder and run the 'InstallAsService' batch file as an administrator.

Instalace služby UPScom

We can easily access the UPS data from a web browser by entering one of the listed addresses.

To access the user interface, open your web browser and enter -> 127.0.0.1:8888 or localhost:8888

Dashboard UPScom

And that's it. The entire UPS menu is on the left, with the first two items—Dashboard and UPS Settings—displaying or directly configuring the UPS data. The device info also confirms the model type: DP2, which is the capacitor version. Here, you can find electrical information regarding the input and output load.

It also displays battery information—which, in our case, refers to the capacitor.

Informace o baterii

Examples of other UPS settings:

  • when the output voltage should disconnect based on the load,
  • and the minimum charge level required after power is restored for the UPS to start supplying energy again—meaning it switches the output voltage back on.

Nastavení UPS

Right after power is connected, the UPS waits to reach this specified charge threshold.

UPS po obnovení napájení

For example, the log shows how long the UPS sustained the 1.5 A load. It was just under two minutes, matching exactly with the graph you saw earlier. Naturally, with a lighter load, the backup time extends proportionally.

Logovací centrum

Because the software runs on the PC powered by this UPS, it can shut down the entire PC once these conditions are met. We tested shutting down the PC at 20% battery capacity, and it works flawlessly—so well, in fact, that the first time it happened, we were left scratching our heads as to why the PC suddenly shut down when we unplugged the UPS. You can set a timer or even write a script to execute a specific function whenever the UPS switches to battery mode (i.e., when the input power is disconnected).

Nastavení vypnutí počítače

If the powered PC is connected to a network, it can also send an email to a specific address based on the set conditions.

E-mailová upozornění

Bicker UPS with a LiFePO4 battery

Here we have the UPS with the LiFePO4 battery, designated as DP3.

dashboard LiFePO4 verze

dashboard LiFePO4 verze

The load remains the same at 1.5 A.

test LiFePO4 baterie se zátěží

Load characteristics of the LiFePO4 battery version. At the specified load, the UPS can supply power for nearly 50 minutes. Recharging the UPS takes a bit longer in return, but that's just physics—it's not a fast-charging car. :-)

Graf výdrže LiFePO4 UPS

For each setting, a short and concise tooltip appears when you hover your mouse over the question mark.

Nastavení vypnutí počítače

The log works well, and with a little practice, you can easily trace what happened.

Podrobný log událostí

It is a shame that you cannot configure exactly what gets logged, including the load. It would also be useful to have some configuration options for the signaling relay output.

Měření proudu zátěže

Conclusion:

A reliable DC UPS backup power supply for both industrial automation and PLCs, as well as for powering devices like industrial PCs. Just make sure to choose the right type that fits your intended application—specifically, the type of energy storage: capacitor or battery. This choice determines both how long the UPS can keep the equipment running and how quickly it recharges after the energy is used. Jaroslav Blažek (blaja.cz).

Bicker UPS for the safer operation of your equipment

DC UPS units maintain a 24 V (or 12 V) voltage, safely store data, and, when possible, restart the devices. The warranty on Bicker products is 3 years. The devices also offer smart features for system optimization and safety.

Want to increase resilience against short power outages or voltage drops?

 SUPERCAPACITORSUPC Bicker

  • Up to 500,000 cycles, maintenance-free solution.
  • Lightning-fast charging – ready within seconds/minutes.
  • Wide temperature range from −20 up to +65/70 °C (depending on the model).
  • Ideal for frequent voltage drops or short power outages; bridging them in the range of a few seconds up to tens of seconds, depending on the load.

Need a longer backup time?

Need a longer backup timeLiFePO₄ BATTERIES

  • Up to 6,000 cycles, long lifespan of ~10 years.
  • Stable performance and safe chemistry (lower risk of overheating).
  • Lower TCO thanks to longer service intervals compared to lead-acid batteries.

Explore Bicker UPS

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