Hi Huw,
Thanks for the picture. It's the first time I've seen a picture of inside of power distribution side of an ECI cabinet.
I would have guessed that it was a 60 Amp supply but I could be wrong.
I agree that it's a significant overkill and I am also surprised that there is a meter installed.
I wonder if this cabinet is in some sort of sampling regime ?
It seems absolutely crazy to expect BT Openreach and the meter reader contractor to meet at every FTTC !
BOTH staff would be required as the power door (and the ECI IDC side door) have no external latch so must be released from inside the main logic compartment door.
You'll see most street lights only have a much smaller cut-out unit without any metering so there must be a standing charge agreed for most street furniture.
I have watched the commissioning of an ECI 128 and, with a single line card installed in cool temperatures, the 48** Volt DC ammeter registered 50 Amps.
** I'm assuming it is a nominal 48 Volt DC supply with 4 * 12 Volt batteries series-installed as can be seen on the warning labels.
I also observed the doors being tested locally so there is logic in the FTTC / testing lap top which can segregate a door alarm locally and remotely via the fibre, as well as reporting that data back up the 5 pr telemetry cable via a dial up modem connection.
However it seems probable that all the door alarms are connected in series so an Emergency report would have to be declared for every open cabinet whether it was classed as dangerous or not.
Hence the telemetry control centre staff will be bored out of their minds watching all the UK's FTTC staff working everywhere.
I expect BS's references are to the BT side breaker pictured below.
Kind regards,
Walter
