From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Tue Feb 21 19:20:46 2006 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id BB10216A420 for ; Tue, 21 Feb 2006 19:20:46 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from paul@gromit.dlib.vt.edu) Received: from gromit.dlib.vt.edu (gromit.dlib.vt.edu [128.173.49.29]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 26C1343D45 for ; Tue, 21 Feb 2006 19:20:46 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from paul@gromit.dlib.vt.edu) Received: from zappa.Chelsea-Ct.Org (pool-71-254-44-94.roa.east.verizon.net [71.254.44.94]) by gromit.dlib.vt.edu (8.13.4/8.13.4) with ESMTP id k1LJKfAD040874 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA bits=256 verify=OK); Tue, 21 Feb 2006 14:20:41 -0500 (EST) (envelope-from paul@gromit.dlib.vt.edu) Received: from zappa.Chelsea-Ct.Org (localhost.Chelsea-Ct.Org [127.0.0.1]) by zappa.Chelsea-Ct.Org (8.13.4/8.13.4) with ESMTP id k1LJKZHU014570 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA bits=256 verify=OK); Tue, 21 Feb 2006 14:20:35 -0500 (EST) (envelope-from paul@gromit.dlib.vt.edu) Received: (from paul@localhost) by zappa.Chelsea-Ct.Org (8.13.4/8.13.4/Submit) id k1LJKYMq014569; Tue, 21 Feb 2006 14:20:34 -0500 (EST) (envelope-from paul@gromit.dlib.vt.edu) From: Paul Mather To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org In-Reply-To: <20060221173211.DCAF916A423@hub.freebsd.org> References: <20060221173211.DCAF916A423@hub.freebsd.org> Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Date: Tue, 21 Feb 2006 14:20:33 -0500 Message-Id: <1140549633.797.16.camel@zappa.Chelsea-Ct.Org> Mime-Version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Evolution 2.4.2.1 FreeBSD GNOME Team Port Cc: Subject: Re: Making APC 500 Back UPS (basic) work with FreeBSD X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 21 Feb 2006 19:20:46 -0000 Chuck Swiger wrote: > Donald J. O'Neill wrote: > > On Tuesday 21 February 2006 08:26, Chuck Swiger wrote: > [ ... ] > >> No. If your UPS isn't smart and does not have an external USB or > >> serial port, apcupsd has nothing to work with. > > > > As best I can tell from the OP's description, and the APC website, > they > > all have a UPS port. Go from there. > > All of the new Smart-UPS APC models that they are selling now have USB > ports. > > There are plenty of older models around in the channel, and there is > the entire > Back-UPS model line that are not "smart", and thus have no > monitoring/shutdown > capabilities. See the Subject: header... For my home, I bought a Back-UPS Pro 1100 that was inexpensive. It came with a 940-0020C serial cable. Unfortunately, this only supports simple signalling, so you can't monitor the UPS for its vital statistics regarding percentage battery life left, etc. I guess that's why it was inexpensive. But, it does work with apcupsd, and you do get notification of power loss and even a critical power low warning signal you can use to trigger shutdown of your machines. It has worked well for me. I don't know if your statement about the "entire Back-UPS model line" also encompassed the Back-UPS Pro models. I just wanted to say there was at least one Back-UPS Pro UPS that did support monitoring/shutdown capabilities, albeit the restricted simple signalling type. I agree that if the OPs UPS doesn't have any type of data connection to a host computer then it won't be possible to get it to interface with apcupsd. However, I haven't heard of an APC UPS that didn't come with some kind of data cable, so it would be useful if the OP posted the precise model: there are several in the Back-UPS 500 line, such as the Back-UPS 500; Back-UPS CS 500; Back-UPS ES 500; etc. All of them support either a serial or USB cable. (The CS supports both.) Cheers, Paul. -- e-mail: paul@gromit.dlib.vt.edu "Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid." --- Frank Vincent Zappa