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Xref: sserve comp.os.linux.misc:21987 comp.unix.bsd:14577 Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!bunyip.cc.uq.oz.au!munnari.oz.au!constellation!convex!iphase.com!uunet!iris.tjhsst.edu!thor.tjhsst.edu!not-for-mail From: cmetz@thor.tjhsst.edu (Craig Metz) Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.misc,comp.unix.bsd Subject: APC refuses to give out info without NDA Date: 15 Aug 1994 11:22:11 -0400 Organization: The Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology Lines: 34 Distribution: world Message-ID: <32o173$icu@thor.tjhsst.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: thor.tjhsst.edu After getting the run-around several times from APC, I finally got a response from Vince, who is apparently Debbie Gray's boss. Basically, although he admitted freely that their serial protocol is simple enough that it could be figured out and other manufacturers fully document their means of automated shutdown and other communication to the host processor, APC will not tell anyone how their Smart UPSs communicate. He offered a token program that would make the Smart UPS a glorified Back UPS from a shutdown and monitoring perspective, but would not take advantage of any of the features of the unit other than telling your system to shut down when the power's gone. I strongly suggest that people interested in an UPS for Linux put significant bias against APC in their purchasing considerations. I am going to be buying from Best Power, who not only fully documents their products, but also provides the source code to their monitoring and shutdown software standard with their UNIX driver package. The people at Best Power were also easy-going, answered my phone calls and questions promptly and with concrete answers, and were just plain a lot easier to deal with then the APC people. The Best FerrUPS line is regarded by a lot of people that I have talked to as the best UPSs available on the market, though they are somewhat more expensive than the rest. If anyone wants to talk to APC themselves and express their dissapointment with their decision, the number is 1-800-800-4APC. From my point of view, however, I just couldn't justify the expense of the FerrUPS (in my price range, almost twice as much, not to mention double the weight). At least one person who responded to my original post indicated that he was going to just work on figuring the protocol out, and I plan to do the same. Would any current owners of APC Smart UPS units be interested in forming a group effort to do this? -Craig