*BSD News Article 37509


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From: cmetz@inner.net (Craig Metz)
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?
Followup-To: comp.os.linux.development,comp.os.linux.misc,comp.os.386bsd.questions,comp.os.386bsd.misc,sci.electronics
Date: 05 Nov 1994 00:57:25 GMT
Organization: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
Lines: 31
Distribution: world
Message-ID: <CMETZ.94Nov4195725@itchy.inner.net>
References: <TAMSKY.94Oct29191638@avarice.ugcs.caltech.edu>
	<CMETZ.94Oct30051603@itchy.inner.net> <391eg6$k9d@lace.Colorado.EDU>
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In-reply-to: vilhuber@yomama.com's message of 31 Oct 1994 00:41:42 GMT

In article <391eg6$k9d@lace.Colorado.EDU> vilhuber@yomama.com (Jan Vilhuber) writes:
   : 	Given their consistent lack of caring about their current or 
   : potential users, I'd avoid APC like the plague. It's just not worth the
   : hassle when other UPS manufacturers don't play childish games with their
   : shutdown protocols.

   I don't know. If you treat people well, they treat you well back in return.
   Listening to you talk, I can imagine why APC wouldn't do anything for you.

   I have been talking to APC for a while, and they are going to mail me their
   code for the Simple Shutdown daemon sometime tomorrow. As soon as I have
   tested it out, I will post it on the net.

	Can we say "sucker"?

	They tried this on me, and I saw right through it. Their Simple 
Shutdown Daemon makes your Smart UPS work... just like a plain old Back
UPS. Absolutely no smart communication. Oh, and you still need the cable,
which they will be absolutely less than eager to give you. 

	What's in question here is the "Smart Signalling Protocol" that 
communicates, among many other things, input, output, and battery levels and 
allows you to program the UPS parameters. That's what a smart UPS protocol
allows you to do. The signal protocol in the Back UPS is listed right in
the back of the manual. It's a simple assert a DCE line if the power's going 
out, assert another DCE line if the battery is about to go, assert a DTE line
to power down protocol. It's better than nothing, but there are already much
better daemons than the one APC is going to give you freely available to
do that. 

								-Craig