[plug] [OT] Maitec Linx UPS Serial Interface

Shayne O'Neill shayne at guild.murdoch.edu.au
Sat Feb 5 12:18:15 WST 2005


Can I suggest for this one, grabbing a 'basic stamp' pic. Those things are
simplicity itself, and the manual has enough info for even the
electrically clueless to wire em up.

They can be programmed in a fairly simple minded basic variant (alas ,
ms-dos programmer... might work under dosbox).

I've used these little guys to interface to heaps of things in my old job.
Simplicity itself.

Parallax make em, and I think jcar or perhaps altronix distribute em.

--
"Well, I think if you say you're going to do something and don't do
it, that's trustworthiness."
-- George Bush on CNN online chat, Aug.30, 2000
RIAA Copyright notice trap: http://guild.murdoch.edu.au/~shayne/

On Sat, 5 Feb 2005, Ryan wrote:

> On Sat, 2005-02-05 at 12:34 +1000, Rider Hunt - Sunshine Coast wrote:
> > Hello
> >
> > We have an old Maitec Linx 1400 VA UPS (but still operational) which
> > has a serial peripheral interface port which we have not used for some
> > years. We believe your company has done work on it in the past.
>
> We are a Linux Users' Group based in Perth, however you are correct,
> there has been some discussion on this list about it :)
>
> For anyone angry at the OT, these UPS units are brilliant old Australian
> made beasts, and I have about 6 Debian servers plugged into 2 of them -
> near enough? :)  I still haven't managed to interface them however - I
> lost interest in that a long time ago :(
>
> > We are now setting up a new system and it is my desire to interface
> > the UPS with the server to enable an orderly shutdown in the event of
> > a power failure.
>
> My last correspondence regarding these from several sources indicated
> the serial port is for interfacing relay I/O and not for RS-232
> communications.
>
> A tentative pin-out I received:
>
> Pin2 Mains Fail N/O Contact
> Pin1 Mains Fail N/C Contact
> Pin3 Alarm N/O Contact
> Pin6 Alarm N/C Contact
> Pin 7 Alarm Common Contact
> Pin4 Linx ShutDown Input
> Pin9 Linx ShutOn  Input
> Pin 8/5 Not Connected
>
> Someone then provided me these ideas:
>
> =====================================
>
> Therefore:
>     N/O Contact means Normally Open Switch Circuit from that pin to the
> Common.
>     N/C means Normally Closed Switch.
>
> So Pin1 to 7 would normally be a short circuit when the Mains has
> failed. Alternatively Pin2 to 7 would normally be a open circuit when
> the Mains has failed.
>
> If one therefore wrote to Pin1 and read from Pin7 the values would match
> when the Mains failed; and not match othwerwise.
>
> To test this all one needs is a multi meter to check the pin to pin
> connectivity in the various operational states.
>
> To test pins 4 and 9 it is a matter of writing to the pins (maximum
> voltage according to the sheet is 3.5V) with a pulse of 300ms minimum
> duration. I don't image however that you wish to turn it off from inside
> software; a bit like pulling one's own power point out.
>
> =====================================
>
> I have an 800 and 1400 Linx (http://gallery.slowest.net/maitec-linx),
> but have not tried any of the above.  The people who reported this
> obtained a circuit diagram for a 500 and 1000 Linx.  Providing they
> maintained this configuration it should apply to all 1500 models and
> below.
>
> With regards to software/hardware setup for the above, I'm assuming
> you'd have to roll-your-own to monitor the serial ports, however someone
> else on the list will have more of a clue than me in this area.  There
> are messages in the PLUG archive you have probably seen with nice PIC
> based ideas and pretty ASCII art explaining it :)
> (http://www.cantech.net.au/plug/2002-10/msg00606.html)
>
> I have also seen previously (on a page that is now dead) a command set
> from Linx units.  It appeared that there was some kind of terminal
> server card available with a serial interface.  You could login to the
> unit and issue commands.  If you are game, chuck a serial cable on and
> have a play with minicom/hyperterminal via a serial port you don't
> highly value - you never know what you might find :)  I think such cards
> were for 3000+ series, but all models have modular card slots and might
> accept such a card.
>
> These (http://www.alandelectronics.com.au/) folk in Queensland also
> reportedly service Maitec units, so they'll probably have _some_ idea
> how they work.
>
> HTH,
>
> Ryan
>
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