Hi,
I have two types of UPS devices and one of them (APC) gave me a false "low
battery" alert. I can't reproduce the problem... Also, there was
nothing apparently wrong with the UPS at the time of the false alert. All I
could do was grab the driver values within a minute after the "low
battery" notification.
These are the values:
battery.runtime.low : 120
battery.voltage : 55.65
battery.voltage.nominal : 048
device.mfr : APC
device.model : SMART-UPS 5000 RM DL4
device.serial : CS0603110575
device.type : ups
driver.name : apcsmart
driver.parameter.pollinterval : 2
driver.parameter.port : /dev/UPS-1
driver.version : 2.6.3
driver.version.internal : 3.0
input.frequency : 50.00
input.quality : FF
input.sensitivity : H
input.transfer.high : 253
input.transfer.low : 196
input.transfer.reason : simulated power failure or UPS test
input.voltage : 224.9
input.voltage.maximum : 224.9
input.voltage.minimum : 223.6
output.voltage : 224.9
output.voltage.nominal : 230
ups.delay.shutdown : 020
ups.delay.start : 000
ups.firmware : 112.1DL4.I
ups.id : UPS_IDEN
ups.load : 069.6
ups.mfr : APC
ups.mfr.date : 01/10/06
ups.model : SMART-UPS 5000 RM DL4
ups.serial : CS0603110575
ups.status : OL
ups.temperature : 027.4
ups.test.interval : 1209600
ups.test.result : NO
The NUT version installed is 2.6.3 and I'm using a serial-to-USB hub (1 usb
port and 4 serial ports). The brand is ATEN,
My upssched.conf contains:
AT LOWBATT INF-APC at 127.0.0.1 EXECUTE lowbatt-now-apc
and my upssched custom script notified me of the LOWBATT event.
My ups.conf contains:
[INF-APC]
driver = apcsmart
port = /dev/UPS-1
desc = "UPS Monitor - ATEN port 2 - APC UPS"
If I were to update to nut 2.6.5 (I can't do it for now) would I solve this
issue (ie. is it a known issue?)?
Thanks,
Vieri
On Feb 28, 2013, at 4:10 AM, Vieri wrote:> input.transfer.reason : simulated power failure or UPS testSounds like it was the UPS self test?> ups.mfr.date : 01/10/06If this is the original battery, it is certainly possible that it has built up enough internal resistance that the voltage reads normal when idle, but it dips too low during a test.> ups.test.interval : 12096001209600 seconds = 14 days, so if it does it again in two weeks... -- Charles Lepple clepple at gmail
--- On Thu, 2/28/13, Charles Lepple <clepple at gmail.com> wrote:> wrote: > > > input.transfer.reason : simulated power failure or UPS > test > > Sounds like it was the UPS self test? > > > ups.mfr.date : 01/10/06 > > If this is the original battery, it is certainly possible > that it has built up enough internal resistance that the > voltage reads normal when idle, but it dips too low during a > test. > > > ups.test.interval : 1209600 > > 1209600 seconds = 14 days, so if it does it again in two > weeks...Thanks for the explanation. Vieri
--- On Thu, 2/28/13, Charles Lepple <clepple at gmail.com> wrote:> > ups.mfr.date : 01/10/06 > > If this is the original battery, it is certainly possible > that it has built up enough internal resistance that the > voltage reads normal when idle, but it dips too low during a > test.BTW, would you suggest changing the battery or is it an overreaction? Thanks, Vieri
On 02/28/2013 04:12 PM, Vieri wrote:> > --- On Thu, 2/28/13, Charles Lepple <clepple at gmail.com> wrote: > >>> ups.mfr.date : 01/10/06 >> If this is the original battery, it is certainly possible >> that it has built up enough internal resistance that the >> voltage reads normal when idle, but it dips too low during a >> test. > BTW, would you suggest changing the battery or is it an overreaction?Good batteries ( for instance Yaesu, as seen in APC UPSes ) last 4 years. Normal ( usual ) ones last 2. Do the math yourself Manuel
--- On Thu, 2/28/13, Ben Kamen <bkamen at benjammin.net> wrote:> No. The mfr date is a constant. > > There IS a user modifiable field for the last battery > changeout date. It's only edited by you (the user/admin)OK, thanks. I'll look for it.> You batteries have died.If I cut the main power supply then the UPS batteries seem to work fine and serve the devices behind it for a few minutes (normal load: 75%). I'm not an expert in this field so I don't understand why the batteries die when connecting a serial cable but don't die when they're not "powered" anymore and the UPS is "on battery". Maybe it's a wiring/short circuit issue or maybe it really is related to the batteries or both.> It's wise to run a calibration once or twice a month with a > self test filling in the weeks between (maybe once a week).I did more then a self test. I cut the main power off. But I'll perform another one soon just to make sure the batteries are ok. Thanks for all the feedback. Vieri
--- On Thu, 2/28/13, Manuel Wolfshant <wolfy at nobugconsulting.ro> wrote:> my APC SmartUPS 1000 -SU1000I shuts down > the very instant I connect it to my workstation using a > serial cable that I had handy ( received together with a switch ). I > guess that the incorrect wiring makes the UPS go nuts.Ah... great, well sort of. At least now I know it could be a serial cable wiring issue. Still, I can't understand why the serial cable I'm using on 1 APC model works fine but if I use that same cable on another (identical) APC then it shuts down immediately. (I double-checked model name and serial numbers behind the UPS devices) Anyway, I'll try to get the official serial cables just to rule out wiring issues. Thanks for helping. Vieri
Ben Kamen wrote, On 2/28/2013 10:08 AM:> On 2013-02-28 11:55 AM, Kris Jordan wrote: >> Vieri wrote, On 2/28/2013 9:41 AM: >>> --- On Thu, 2/28/13, Manuel Wolfshant <wolfy at nobugconsulting.ro> wrote: >>> >>> Will the ups.mfr.date value be updated automatically by the APC ups >>> firmware when I change the battery or will I need to set it >>> manually? I'm asking because I'm not sure if the current battery was >>> really installed at the time indicated by this field. >> >> Where APC has provided a value for battery mfg date, it has always >> been the same as the UPS mfg date. The value isn't automatically >> updated and NUT doesn't (from what I've seen) provide a way to update >> it manually. >> > > The Nut Gnome client does allow updating the battery changeout value. > > the field in question is: battery.dateI've only seen it as a read-only value (not in upsrw). Have you tried changing it in that client?
Ben Kamen wrote, On 2/28/2013 11:52 AM:> On 2013-02-28 1:48 PM, Kris Jordan wrote: >> Ben Kamen wrote, On 2/28/2013 10:08 AM: >>> On 2013-02-28 11:55 AM, Kris Jordan wrote: >>>> Vieri wrote, On 2/28/2013 9:41 AM: >>>>> --- On Thu, 2/28/13, Manuel Wolfshant <wolfy at nobugconsulting.ro> >>>>> wrote: >>>>> >>>>> Will the ups.mfr.date value be updated automatically by the APC >>>>> ups firmware when I change the battery or will I need to set it >>>>> manually? I'm asking because I'm not sure if the current battery >>>>> was really installed at the time indicated by this field. >>>> >>>> Where APC has provided a value for battery mfg date, it has always >>>> been the same as the UPS mfg date. The value isn't automatically >>>> updated and NUT doesn't (from what I've seen) provide a way to >>>> update it manually. >>>> >>> >>> The Nut Gnome client does allow updating the battery changeout value. >>> >>> the field in question is: battery.date >> >> I've only seen it as a read-only value (not in upsrw). Have you tried >> changing it in that client? > > Yep. > > Just did it again now as a sanity check. Seems to work (barring a > complete shutdown of my web/dns/mail server and all systems to make > sure it sticks in the UPS too)Restarting NUT should be enough to check. So NUT probably does support it on certain models. I have a bunch of APC RS's that can have their battery date updated using apctest, but not with NUT. Not a big deal though.