[Nut-upsdev] Help: Vultech UPS 1500VA (richcomm_usb)

[Jim Klimov]

Hello and welcome!

  Just recently there was a trip down the memory lane with another device
with Richcomm-based hardware, and ultimately nutdrv_qx driver happened to
support that one: https://github.com/networkupstools/nut/issues/2395

  Some key take-aways were:

* try starting the driver with bumped debug verbosity (e.g. from command
line, or using a `debug_min` setting with NUT v2.8.0 and newer) to know
better what it probes and how it fails;
* if the device uses a serial port connection (maybe over a USB link, but
with a chip that presents as a serial port for the OS) be sure to specify
the appropriate `port=/dev/...` line in the NUT driver configuration;
* for "true" USB links, use `port=auto` and possibly `productid` and
`vendorid` options to tell the driver that it should not reject the device
(normally USB-capable drivers have lists of known-supported identifiers
built in);
* either way, ensure that the driver has devfs permissions to use the
serial or USB port device node in the OS - either using `chown`/`chmod` for
the serial port, or a facility like `devd`/`udev`/`upower`... so the OS
assigns permissions for the NUT run-time user account when the device is
discovered (again, NUT provides configuration files for such facilities -
but only regarding e.g. USB IDs that are built in)
* as an alternative (if persisting the permissions is too hard, or just as
a quick first shot to make sure the devices are handled by NUT at all), the
`user=root` driver option can be helpful. Security-wise, it is recommended
to not leave it in place forever, if avoidable :)

  If you can not get into the (TrueNAS) appliance for larger experiments
but have a computer or VM (with USB/Serial port pass-through) to spare, it
may be helpful to build current NUT code base there and test
support-ability of the device with it, see:
https://github.com/networkupstools/nut/wiki/Building-NUT-for-in%E2%80%90place-upgrades-or-non%E2%80%90disruptive-tests

Hope this helps,
Jim Klimov



On Fri, Apr 19, 2024 at 12:41 PM Stefan Kern via Nut-upsdev <
nut-upsdev at alioth-lists.debian.net> wrote:

> Heya,
>
> first time posting to a mailing list so please excuse me if I do something
> wrong :)
>
> I'm new to NUT and trying to get things working on my TrueNAS, I have a
> "Vultech 1500VA" UPS which comes with the software "PowerManager II" and it
> seems to be using the "richcomm_usb" driver. There are 5 devices in the
> compatibility list and I tried all of them, sadly to no success. All of
> them report that the UPS is not connected to mains (or randomly switches
> between states) and no battery information. I also tried all the "various"
> listed drivers to no avail either.
>
> This specific UPS seems to be rather unpopular as well, I wasn't able to
> find much info about it or the company in general. Is there anything else I
> can try or provide? I'd love to help to my best abilities to try and get it
> to work somehow :) I quickly read through the driver development guide but
> this is sadly way above my current skill level.
>
> Thanks already!
>
> Best Regards,
> Stefan
> _______________________________________________
> Nut-upsdev mailing list
> Nut-upsdev at alioth-lists.debian.net
> https://alioth-lists.debian.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/nut-upsdev
>
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