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

[Arnaud Quette]

salut Jean,

2009/5/16 Jean Delvare <khali at linux-fr.org>

> 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?
>

no, not at all. I just wasn't sure.


> > 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?
>

no need ATM. just fire the driver using "usbhid-ups -D -a ..." and post back
the tree dumped.
check for a string path that matches battery.test.
if it's not UPS.BatterySystem.Battery.Test, then you win and just have to
add it to drivers/apc-hid.c
otherwise, we'll have to dig...

cheers,
Arnaud
-- 
Linux / Unix Expert R&D - Eaton - http://www.eaton.com/mgeops
Network UPS Tools (NUT) Project Leader - http://www.networkupstools.org/
Debian Developer - http://www.debian.org
Free Software Developer - http://arnaud.quette.free.fr/
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