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UPS monitoring

LegacyUserLegacyUser Posts: 0
in AMX Hardware
i've started this thread as it became a subject here...

http://www.amxforums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=239&perpage=15&pagenumber=5

the UPS i use at the moment is a 500va unit, some generic brand.

the thing with the serial port on this unit and other low end units i've dealt with is....

it's not a real serial port. pin 3 is raised for power out, 4 is for ground, 5 is raised for low battery.

so simply take these outputs to the master controller IO and create log events for each condition (written into a text file)

very handy for showing customers what may be wrong with their house power.

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    Thomas HayesThomas Hayes Posts: 1,164
    This is what the UPS I was sent has. I was hoping for a true smart UPS that would self monitor and log the info instead of me having to write more code for the I/O's ports to track.
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    LegacyUserLegacyUser Posts: 0
    oh come on thomas, would take some one like you 30 minutes to write :)
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    Irvine_KyleIrvine_Kyle Posts: 67
    I've had great success with MGE UPSs and using an ethernet card. That way you can parse out the HTML to look for errors etc. then email warnings to whomever.
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    LegacyUserLegacyUser Posts: 0
    i actually prefer to have an interface to netlinx anyway. that way other devices maybe controlled depending on power needs (shutdown circuits when batteries reach low) and status reports can be displayed to panels and keypads.

    might even want to turn on some emergency lighting, send an email, monitor/control generators.

    there are benefits of the UPS having it's own reporting that's for sure. containing within netlinx is my personal preference.

    and if energy management becomes a larger part of home automation, monitoring power reserves from alternate sources may be a 'feature' of the HA system.

    all just an opinion, not set in stone of course.
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    Thomas HayesThomas Hayes Posts: 1,164
    Richard, what am I going to do with the other twenty minutes. I wrote the code yesterday between jobs and tested it, I added the UPS info to my STATS page that I already have in place that monitors equipment usage and lamp time.
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    LegacyUserLegacyUser Posts: 0
    ah, knew you could do it in 10, just wanted to leave time for coffee and a chat :)
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