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Date:      Sat, 2 Jan 1999 15:21:40 -0600 (CST)
From:      James Wyatt <jwyatt@RWSystems.net>
To:        Co-app Network consulting <almazs@wgn.net>
Cc:        freebsd-isp@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   RE: APC Smart UPS Cable
Message-ID:  <Pine.BSF.4.05.9901021501230.24215-100000@kasie.rwsystems.net>
In-Reply-To: <368E5D4C.422D@wgn.net>

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On Sat, 2 Jan 1999, Co-app Network consulting wrote:
> Date: Sat, 02 Jan 1999 09:54:20 -0800
> From: Co-app Network consulting <almazs@wgn.net>
> To: freebsd-isp@FreeBSD.ORG
> Subject: RE: APC Smart UPS Cable
> 
> Does anybody know the computer interface cable pinouts for the APC
> Smart UPS series? I am having trouble getting information on support
> information for Unix type OSs and the cable that they are selling for
> about $40.00 oly works for other OSs! it this true.

This is a load of, uh, horsefeathers! They have two cables: one for simple
"grunt! power gone, tarzan says shutdown soon" which uses the '232 status
lines and one for advanced "You have 12.5 minutes at the current load of
677VA before I have to shutdown, sir". The advanced cable is meant for the
SmartUPS(tm) hardware in conjunction with the PowerChute Plus(tm)
software. It is rather cool to use.

I haven't seen anything for FreeBSD, but their SCO Unix(tm) version worked
fine under Linux's SCO emulation when we tired of SCO support. When we
asked APC, we were told we could have the protocol if we signed a NDA, we
told them we wanted to do something we could release publicly so an NDA
was out of the question. We never got any protocol from them, so anything
we work on isn't tainted.

THe protocol isn't much different, in concept, from the Best equipment
once you get the cable figured-out. I liked Best's products, but APC
became more cost-effective for us. I got a cable for $5 at a local Tandy
surplus store with the Novell/IPX version of PS+. We found some protocol
by watching with a serial snooper and experimenting w/cu. Just go down the
alphabet typing everything but 'ZZZ' and you will be fine.

If you can't find a cable to ohm-out yourself, send some email and I can
take one of ours loose and do it. We've done it before, but it must be in
an OLD home directory somewhere because it's not new. I did find the stuff
for our AST Manhattan (really a deltec in sheeps clothing, but that won't
help you, sorry...

There have been several folks that have made this work in the Linux crowd,
so you might try looking through their archives as well. Hope this helps
somewhat - Jy@


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