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Date:      Mon, 20 Jan 2003 11:42:24 +0100
From:      Mark <admin@asarian-host.net>
To:        "Per olof Ljungmark" <peo@intersonic.se>, "Jack L. Stone" <jackstone@sage-one.net>
Cc:        <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
Subject:   Re: Shutdown for APC Back-UPS 350 CS
Message-ID:  <200301201042.H0KAGZL18186@asarian-host.net>
References:  <127.0.0.1.20030119185811.011becd0@mail.sage-one.net> <127.0.0.1.20030119192238.011becd0@mail.sage-one.net>

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----- Original Message -----
From: "Jack L. Stone" <jackstone@sage-one.net>
To: "Per olof Ljungmark" <peo@intersonic.se>
Cc: "Mark" <admin@asarian-host.net>; <freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG>
Sent: Monday, January 20, 2003 2:22 AM
Subject: Re: Shutdown for APC Back-UPS 350 CS

> At 02:05 AM 1.20.2003 +0100, Per olof Ljungmark wrote:
>
> > <snip>
> >
> >> To do what you want requires a UPS with "SmartUPS" to "talk" to your
> >> system. You have what is referred to as a "dumb UPS". I use SmartUPSes
> >> on "master" machines to tell the "slave" machines when to shut down and
> >> other instructions. The SmartUPSes will carry on an exchange with the
> >> machine, but the dumb ones will not. The slaves are attached to the
> >> dumb UPSes for continuations of power, but the SmartUPS tells each
> >> slave what to do and when to shut down. Each slave must have an apcupsd
> >> daemon installed, running and configured to communicate with the master
> >> over the network for this to work. <end snip>
> >
> > But why then supply a cable for use between the 350CS and the computer?
> > I use only SmartUPS and BackUPS Pro so I could not be sure but...
> >
> > Per olof
>
> I have been asking WHY have a cable with a dumb UPS for a long time and
> yet to get a good answer. I have tested with instruments the pins on those
> cables and very little to nothing found in a way of a signal. If you go to
> that apcupsd URL and did down you will find all (most) of the cables and
> it also explains them. SmartUPSes -- yes -- okay and will work with the
> cable. The computer may sense the dumb UPS -- BUT, will not communicate
> about shutdown and other critical info. If I'm wrong, then let me know....
> I spent a lot of time falling for the "cable" bit.
>
> Dumb UPSes are useful for keeping the machines going until you or a master
> machine can tell it to shut down gracefully....
>
> Best regards,
> Jack L. Stone,
> Administrator


Thanks for the replies, guys; I really appreciate it. :)

The BackUPS 350 CS is not supposed to be truly 'dumb', but allegedly can
report power-failure over its cable. So, I ran "apctest", and a line change
of sorts IS noted:

----------------------------------
2003-01-20 11:32:31 apctest 3.8.5 (4 January 2002) freebsd
Checking configuration ...

Select test number: 1

2003-01-20 11:21:22 IOCTL GET: 5 LE RTS
2003-01-20 11:21:32 Test 1: normal condition, completed.

Select test number: 3

For the third test, the serial cable should be plugged
back into the UPS, but the AC power plug to the UPS should be DISCONNECTED.

Please enter any character when ready to continue:

2003-01-20 11:23:10 IOCTL GET: a5 LE RTS CTS RNG
2003-01-20 11:23:20 Test 3: no power, completed.
----------------------------------

Apparent, CTS changes state. Dunno what RNG does (alarm?), but CTS should
suffice. Hmm, that kinda makes me wonder, is there not a FreeBSD command I
can issue myself, via cron or something, to test the state of CTS? Then I
may not need apcupsd at all.

Thanks for your continual help,

- Mark


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