[Nut-upsuser] Battery test feature of APC Back-UPS RS series

[Jean Delvare]

Hi Arnaud,

Thanks for your answer.

On Fri, 15 May 2009 23:47:34 +0200, Arnaud Quette wrote:
> 2009/5/8 Jean Delvare <khali at linux-fr.org>
> > I use an APC Back-UPS RS 800, overall my experience with NUT is very
> > good but there is one feature I am missing: the ability to ask the UPS
> > for a battery test. upscmd -l shows the following commands available:
> >
> > $ upscmd -l rs800
> > Instant commands supported on UPS [rs800]:
> >
> > beeper.disable - Disable the UPS beeper
> > beeper.enable - Enable the UPS beeper
> > beeper.mute - Temporarily mute the UPS beeper
> > beeper.off - Obsolete (use beeper.disable or beeper.mute)
> > beeper.on - Obsolete (use beeper.enable)
> > load.off - Turn off the load immediately
> > load.off.delay - Turn off the load with a delay (seconds)
> > shutdown.reboot - Shut down the load briefly while rebooting the UPS
> > shutdown.stop - Stop a shutdown in progress
> > test.panel.start - Start testing the UPS panel
> > test.panel.stop - Stop a UPS panel test
> > $
> >
> > As you can see, it is possible to test the front panel, and that works
> > OK, but no test.battery.start/stop. I would like to know if other APC
> > Back-UPS RS users see the same problem. If the feature is missing from
> > the driver, I would like to know why, as well as offer my help to
> > implement it. I don't know the NUT code at all, but I can help with
> > testing.
> >
> > I know the hardware supports it because the Windows software that APC
> > ships does implement it, and it worked OK last time I tried (several
> > months ago.)
> >
> 
> once more, I don't have much APC knowledges, and we still lack an APC
> maintainer for NUT.
> so you're somehow on your own.
> but, I've found a few info (I guess you're running apcsmart):
> - from apcsmart.h,
>         { "test.battery.start", 0,                      APC_CMD_BTESTTOGGLE
> },
>         { "test.battery.stop",  0,                      APC_CMD_BTESTTOGGLE
> },
> 
> with APC_CMD_BTESTTOGGLE = 'W'

No, I am not using the apcsmart driver but the usbhid-ups driver as
recommended at http://www.networkupstools.org/compat/stable.html. Does
it change anything to your analysis? Should I try the apcsmart driver?

> from there, you can snif on windows for the command, or... well I don't
> know.

I will be happy to do so if it helps improve the nut drivers. Is there
any sniffer software you can recommend?

Thanks,
-- 
Jean Delvare