*BSD News Article 37371


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From: sra@epilogue.com (Rob Austein)
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.development,comp.os.linux.misc,comp.os.386bsd.questions,comp.os.386bsd.misc,sci.electronics
Subject: Re: APC SmartUPS series serial-port protocol anyone?
Date: 30 Oct 94 16:21:24
Organization: Epilogue Technology Corporation
Lines: 44
Distribution: world
Message-ID: <SRA.94Oct30162124@rurha-pente.epilogue.com>
References: <TAMSKY.94Oct29191638@avarice.ugcs.caltech.edu>
	<CMETZ.94Oct30051603@itchy.inner.net>
NNTP-Posting-Host: rurha-pente.epilogue.com
In-reply-to: cmetz@inner.net's message of 30 Oct 1994 10:16:03 GMT

We've talked to several of the UPS vendors about this over the last
few years.  Summary (my opinions only, lawyers need not read this):

APC:
   Consistantly unhelpful and usually downright obnoxious.  Seriously
   inflated view of their own importance, apparently completely
   uninterested in customers who don't beg for the honor of buying
   from APC.  I have heard private reports that people from big name
   companies (eg, Fortune 500) get nicer treatment.

   A pox on APC, and the horse they rode in on.

Tripp Lite:
   Disappointing.  First UPS we bought was from Tripp Lite, after being
   told by their people over the phone that we could get technical
   information.  When one of our people actually called them on this,
   they waffled, and eventually confessed that they'd signed away
   their rights to answer detailed questions (ie, they'd signed an
   "exclusive" contract with the company that sells DOS software for
   their hardware).  They claim that the technical info that would be
   of interest to a unix weenie is in their manuals.  Unfortunately,
   we never managed to convince them that the UPS we bought from them
   didn't come with a manual....

Upsonic:
   Completely willing to discuss technical details over the phone,
   send them via FAX, answer any and every question we've asked them.
   No complaints.  Like most UPS vendors, they have a wide range of
   products with a wide range of prices.  You want pure sine wave,
   they'll sell you pure sine wave, but you'll have to pay for it.

There are many other UPS vendors, these are just the ones we've talked
to about this.  We're currently pretty happy with Upsonic, so we've
settled on them for the moment.

Caveat:
The Upsonic UPSs we've got have yet to be put to a serious test.
Power is pretty stable where we are, barring hurricanes and the
occasional self-immolating underground transformer.

No, we haven't written the *BSD/Linux Upsonic control software yet.
If/when we get around to it, we'll pass it along.

--Rob Austein <sra@epilogue.com>