Didactum Knowledge Base · Didactum Devices
Didactum PDU 8T
Overview of the device, its connectors and technical specifications of the Didactum PDU 8T – the switched power distribution unit with 8 C13 outlets, SNMP connectivity, built-in sensor ports and an optional LTE modem for 19" technical, switch and server racks.
What sets the PDU 8T apart
Switched power distribution with integrated sensor monitoring – for targeted protection and remote control of IT equipment.
8 switchable C13 outlets
Switchable individually or as a group manually, via SNMP, or sensor-controlled.
Up to 100 sensors
8 analog ports directly on the device, expandable via CAN bus to up to 32 devices.
Real-time alerting
Via email, SMS, SNMP trap, syslog, or a connected siren.
Web-based & SNMP
Compatible with Zabbix, PRTG, Nagios and Check_MK, without any additional software.
I/O control
Additional control of doors, fans, generators, UPS units and circuit breakers.
Scalable
Up to 700 elements – notifications, triggers, timers, logic schemes.
LTE modem & SMS
Optional LTE modem for remote monitoring and switching on/off via SMS command.
Video surveillance
Optional USB camera plus display of up to 4 IP cameras in the web interface.
Made in EU
19" rack mounting brackets included, German support included.
Typical application examples
- Remote switching on and off of server and IT equipment
- Rebooting unresponsive PC, server and storage systems
- Out-of-band management via SMS remote command (LTE modem required)
- Automatic shutdown of heat-sensitive systems in case of overtemperature in the rack
- Immediate shutdown of consumers during UPS battery operation
- Protection against water damage through immediate power shutdown in case of a leak
- Physical environmental monitoring (temperature, humidity) in the rack
- Rack monitoring and integration with DCIM/NMS systems
Connectors & Controls
All ports, outlets and LEDs on the front and rear of the PDU 8T, plus the complete connector and function diagram at a glance.
The PDU 8T separates the control/sensor side from the power side: the front panel holds the 19" rack mounting brackets, the 2 analog sensor inputs, LAN, USB, the modem slot, and all status LEDs (operation, error, alarm, CAN bus, relay and outlet status). The rear panel houses the 8 switchable C13 outlets, the power inlet (IEC C20) with fuse, the relay and dry-contact connectors, the two CAN connectors, the SD card slot, the Modbus RTU/OSDPv2 expansion slot, the chassis ground, the DC 12V backup power supply, the built-in temperature sensor, the restart/factory-reset buttons and the DIP switch for system recovery.
Front view
Front view: rack mounting brackets, analog sensors A1–A2, LAN, USB, modem slot, status LEDs.
1U 19" rack mounting brackets
2× brackets for mounting the PDU in a 1U 19" rack slot.
Analog sensors A1–A2
2× RJ12 connectors for analog sensors with automatic detection (AutoSense).
LAN port
10/100/1000 Base-T Ethernet connector. Orange LED indicates network traffic, green LED indicates connection status (steady green = connected, blinking = connecting/system startup).
USB
Micro-USB port – for USB camera recording and USB flash drives for system logs and system recovery.
Modem slot
Accepts an optional LTE slot modem (sold separately) for remote monitoring without a fixed IP network.
Label area
Space for a label, e.g. to identify the system with its IP address.
Status LEDs (Activity, Error, Alarm, CAN, E1/E2, R1–R8)
Activity (green) shows system status (operation: 2 Hz blinking, successful update: 4 Hz blinking). Error (red) indicates faults and data traffic. Alarm is freely programmable via the web interface. CAN (green) shows bus status. E1/E2 show the status of the 12V/0.25A relay outputs, R1–R8 show the switching state of the 8 C13 outlets.
Rear view
Rear view: C13 outlets, power inlet, relay and dry-contact connectors, CAN, SD card, expansion slot, chassis ground, temperature sensor, DIP switch.
Outlets 1–8 (C13)
8× C13 outlets, 110–240V AC, 50/60 Hz, switchable individually or as a group.
Power inlet
C20 inlet, 110–240V AC, 50/60 Hz.
Inlet fuse
16A fuse to protect the PDU and connected consumers.
12V / 0.25A outputs
Terminal outputs (electronic relay) for each output, with dedicated status LEDs (E1/E2) on the front panel.
Dry contact inputs 1–2
Digital inputs (type IN), e.g. for reed contacts, fire alarm or UPS systems.
CAN
One digital RJ12 connector for connecting CAN sensors, expansions, and devices on a CAN bus; cascadable.
SD card
MicroSD card slot with eject mechanism – for data storage or system recovery.
Expansion slot
Accepts a Modbus/RTU or an OSDPv2 reader expansion module (sold separately). Only one of the two expansions can be installed at a time.
Chassis ground
M4 thread. Improves immunity to conducted and radiated RF interference; connection should be made by a qualified electrician.
DC 12V backup power
Connector for the backup power supply.
Temperature sensor
Built-in sensor with an accuracy of ±1 °C.
Restart / factory reset button
Restart: hold for 2 seconds and release to restart the system. Factory reset: hold for longer than 5 seconds – the Error LED starts blinking; after 20–60 seconds the device is reset and reachable again once the Activity LED blinks.
DIP switch (N–R)
Normal mode: switch set to the left (should always be in this position). Recovery: switch set to the right, loads the clean system image from the SD card.
Connector and function diagram
Complete connector and function diagram of all ports, outputs, and expansion options of the PDU 8T at a glance.
What's included in the delivery
Please check the scope of delivery upon receipt for completeness and report any missing or damaged parts to your supplier immediately.
- Didactum PDU 8T monitoring device1 piece
- EU Schuko-to-C13 cable, 0.75 mm², 230V, 10A1 piece
- IEC C13 socket to IEC C14 plug power cable1 piece
- RJ-45 patch cable (LAN/Ethernet), 3 m1 piece
- Micro-USB to USB adapter cable1 piece
- Connector plug, 3-pin, 3.81 mm1 piece
- Connector plug, 3-pin, 3.5 mm1 piece
- Connector plug, 2-pin, 3.81 mm1 piece
- 19" rack mounting brackets2 pieces
- Phillips flat-head screws, M3 × 8 mm6 pieces
- Self-adhesive rubber feet4 pieces
- Quick start guide1 piece
Dimensions in detail
Technical Specifications
Device management
| Device management | Web, SNMP |
|---|---|
| Physical sensors | CAN, Analog |
| Virtual sensors (e.g. Modbus TCP) | Yes |
Interface
| LAN | Ethernet 10/100 Mbit |
|---|---|
| Operating system | Linux |
| Interface | Any browser |
| Memory (RAM) | 128 MB |
| CPU speed | 720 MHz |
| Total CPU cores | 2 |
| Clock | Built-in clock |
| Timer | Built-in watchdog |
| USB | 1× USB 2.0 Type-C |
Sensors & logic
| Max. number of sensors | 100 (physical sensors, dry contacts, relays) |
|---|---|
| Max. number of elements | 700 (notifications, triggers, timers, logic, sensors, dry contacts, SNMP Get/Trap, etc.) |
| Temperature sensor | ±1 °C board temperature, built-in |
Network / protocol support
| LTE gateway mode | Optional, via separately available LTE modem |
|---|---|
| Network protocols | DHCP, HTTP, HTTPS, SNMP (v1/v2c/v3), SMTP, FTP, Syslog, TLS |
| Modbus TCP/IP | Yes |
| Modbus RTU (RS-485) | Optional, via expansion module |
| OSDPv2 reader expansion | Optional, via expansion module |
| VPN / SSL | Supported |
| DynDNS, static routing, RADIUS | Supported |
Notifications
| Alarm types | Email, FTP log, syslog, SMTP, SNMP traps, SMS (modem sold separately), web-to-SMS |
|---|---|
| Max. email recipients | 20 |
| Max. SMS recipients | 20 |
| Ping function | Built-in server ping function |
Power supply
| Inlet | IEC C20, 110–240V AC, 50/60 Hz |
|---|---|
| Outlets | 8× C13, switchable |
| Fuse | 16 A (PTC) |
| Power metering at outlets | No |
| Backup power input terminal | DC 12V emergency power supply, 3.81 mm, 2-pin |
| Min. power consumption | 1 W |
| Max. power consumption | 6 W |
Inputs/outputs
| Analog port | 2 built-in ports (A1–A2), expandable via CAN bus |
|---|---|
| CAN port | 1 port, max. 32 devices |
| Dry contact inputs | 2 |
| Max. dry contact outputs | 5 (relay/digital outputs) |
| Relay outputs (12V / 0.25A) | 2 |
Video support
| USB cameras | 1 |
|---|---|
| IP cameras | up to 4 (display only) |
Storage & logs
| MicroSD slot | Up to 512 GB (SDXC), FAT32 formatting possible |
|---|---|
| USB export | Logs, sensor data, settings |
| Log transmission | Syslog, FTP, email |
| Max. number of log files | 10,000 logs/day ≙ 27 years |
Mechanics & housing
| Mounting | 19" rack (1U), brackets included |
|---|---|
| Housing material | Plastic |
| Dimensions (L × W × H) | 440 × 44 × 107 mm |
| Weight | approx. 2.38 kg |
| External chassis ground | Yes |
Web interface panels
| Dashboard panel | Yes |
|---|---|
| Overall statistics panel | Yes |
| System tree panel | Yes |
| Dry contact outputs/inputs panel | Yes |
| Camera panel | Yes |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Didactum PDU 8T and what is it used for?
The Didactum PDU 8T is an SNMPv1-, SNMPv2c- and SNMPv3-compatible, IP-based power strip with 8 switchable C13 outlets for 19" technical, switch, network and server racks. It is used for remote switching on/off and rebooting of server and IT equipment, as an I/O controller for doors, fans, generators and UPS units, and for physical environmental monitoring in the rack.
How many outlets does the PDU 8T have and how are they switched?
The PDU offers 8 switchable C13 outlets, which can be switched individually or as a group manually via the web interface, via an SNMP command, or automatically via connected sensors (e.g. in case of overtemperature or UPS battery operation).
Which sensors can be connected to the PDU 8T?
The PDU 8T has 2 analog sensor ports (A1–A2) directly on the device and can be expanded via the CAN bus to up to 32 additional devices – including temperature, humidity, smoke, door, and water sensors. In total, up to 100 physical sensors, contacts, and relays can be managed simultaneously.
How are alarms and notifications sent?
The PDU 8T offers email notifications to up to 20 recipients, SMS delivery (optional, via LTE modem) to up to 20 recipients, SNMP traps for network management systems, and syslog and FTP transmission. In addition, external sirens or beacon lights can be connected via the 12V relay outputs.
Can the PDU 8T be controlled remotely via SMS?
Yes. With the optional LTE modem, the connected C13 outlets can be switched on and off via SMS command even in the event of a network or DSL outage. Every switching command is acknowledged by the PDU via SMS, ensuring reliable confirmation of execution.
What do the modem and expansion slots do?
The modem slot accepts an optional, separately available LTE modem and enables remote monitoring and SMS remote commands without a fixed IP network. The expansion slot accepts either a Modbus/RTU or an OSDPv2 reader expansion – only one of the two modules can be installed at a time.
Can the PDU 8T be integrated into existing monitoring systems?
Yes. The PDU 8T supports SNMP v1/v2c/v3 as well as Modbus TCP/IP and – via expansion modules – Modbus RTU and OSDPv2. It can be integrated into common platforms such as Nagios XI, check_MK, openITCOCKPIT, OpenNMS, PRTG, WhatsUp Gold, or Zabbix; the required MIB files are included in the scope of delivery.
What is the difference between the PDU 8T and the PDU 4T?
The PDU 8T offers 8 switchable C13 outlets instead of 4, and a C20 inlet with a 16A fuse (the PDU 4T uses C14 with 10A). Both devices share the same control platform with identical sensors, logic, and notification features; at 440 × 44 × 107 mm, the PDU 8T is slightly taller to accommodate the additional outlets.
Questions about the PDU 8T?
Our support team in Germany will be happy to advise you free of charge on selection, setup, and sensors.
Scope of delivery
- 1 x Didactum PDU 8T monitoring device
- 1 x EU Schuko C13 0. 75 мм2 230V 10A cable
- 1 x IEC C13 socket to IEC C14 plug power cable
- 1 x RJ-45 3m patch cable, LAN/Ethernet cable
- 1 x MicroUSB to USB adapter cable
- 1 x 3-pin connector plug, 3, 81 mm
- 1 x connector plug 3-pin, 3.5 mm
- 1 x connector plug 2 pins, 3.81 mm
- 2 x 19" rack brackets
- 6 x M3 x 8mm Phillips flat head screws
- 4 x self-adhesive rubber feet
- 1 x quick start guide
Manufacturer information:
Didactum® Security GmbH
Im Mühlenfeld 4
48163 Münster
Germany
Phone: (+49) 2501 92 90 160
Email: info@didactum-security.de
Extension modules
Extension units
Suitable sensors
CAN sensors
Warranty extension
Software
