APC Smart-UPS Model RT 1000

http://www.readynas.com/kb/faq/hardware/can_i_use_a_serial-to-usb_converter_from_a_serial_port-only_ups_to_the_readynas

I'm not sure whether that add-on would help or not (you might want to ask the add-on developer WhoCares?).

It would be best to purchase a APC UPS with a USB port. Most APC UPS units that have a USB port should work.

Welcome to the forum!

thanks for the heads up, not the answer I wanted to here, and not the point of a community forum really for me :-)

However, that aside, the cable I have bought does work when I plug it into a computer with Redhat installed on it , and the Smart UPS Powerchute software , the reason all the other DB9 to USB cables don't work is because the APC designed 232 CABLE has the TX pin out not on PIN-3 but on PIN-1, this is what catches everyone out, and caught out the same person that wrote the ReadyNAS FAQ that you gave me the link for, perhaps it would be better if the FAQ were edited to give readers in the future clearer info about the issue, rather than just say "nope, tough luck it does not work buddy" and buy a new APC UPS when you do in fact have a perfectly good one sitting in your rack already with new batteries to boot.

the chip in the cable I have found out is the PL-2303

PL-2303 (Chip H/HX/X) Linux driver for RedHat 7.3/8.0/9.0 Only.
NOTE: No need to install drivers for following:
Linux Kernel 2.4.31 and above already includes built-in drivers for PL-2303H, PL-2303XA/HXA and PL-2303HXD.
NOTE: Google Android OS is also based on Linux kernel so it also supports PL2303.

Driver Source:
http://lxr.free-electrons.com/source/drivers/usb/serial/pl2303.c
http://lxr.free-electrons.com/source/drivers/usb/serial/pl2303.h

Kernel (go to \drivers\usb\serial folder):
http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/

so fingers crossed I am making headway sorting this out, and it does not look like anyone else has bothered on the forums.

NB I should apologise if I sound a little hostile, but I really want this to work, the RT1000 model that APC sell is very expensive, only because it provides me with 6 x IEC sockets of "Pure Sine Wave" power, my rack is in the garage with the ReadyNAS 1U box and Squeezecenter installed on it, the APC 2U box, and some other servers, and a ring main round the house supplying my five Squeezebox Duet Receivers, and headphone amps, so this is why it is not just a question of substituting the UPS with a cheap one that you kindly suggested. I need 700w of good quality power for my multi-room hi-fi system and this has all been designed in advance when we re-decorated the house this summer.

It's a shame you didn't shell out extra at the time to get a UPS with a USB port.

Whilst it probably would be possible to install drivers for serial-to-usb this is beyond what almost all users would be willing to do. Add to this that the fix could be potentially broken by any firmware upgrade and it's not an ideal solution. The add-on you referred to was last updated back in 2010 and possibly may be broken by a more recent firmware update. I don't know if this add-on has the drivers you need or not.

NetGear won't add support for serial-to-usb as different manufacturers do this in so many different ways that it would require lots of drivers and an inordinate amount of development and testing. Considering there's plenty of UPS units with USB ports out there and there has been for quite a long time it's recommended to get a UPS with a USB port.

Do note that Sparc ReadyNAS (e.g. 1000s) are stuck on an old kernel as 3rd party kernel development has been stopped for quite a while now. The ReadyNAS uses heavily customised Debian Linux, stripped of what is not needed and optimised for the ReadyNAS hardware and NAS use.

If your UPS supports a SNMP card you should note that x86 ReadyNAS (e.g. 1500, 2100, 3200, 3100, 4200) support working with APC UPS's that have a SNMP card. This is something worth considering.

mdgm wrote:
http://www.readynas.com/kb/faq/hardware/can_i_use_a_serial-to-usb_converter_from_a_serial_port-only_ups_to_the_readynas I'm not sure whether that add-on would help or not (you might want to ask the add-on developer WhoCares?).

The add-on might help weren't it for the fact that it was devrloped for an older firmware revision and thus was built on a different kernel version. I'd have to rebuild it for the current firmware which I of course can do once I'm back home again.
Even so I don't know whether the NUT (network ups tool) shipping with the ReadyNAS comes with serial support at all - if I remember correctly it doesn't.

-Stefan

And of course I may as well look into building the other drivers for the APC cable once I'm back :)

-Stefan

Stefan and mdgm,

my hearty thanks to you both, it sounded like I took a wrong turn at first, but maybe with Stefan's help I can see the UPS green light on the RAIDar dashboard after all, and we can add another fine APC UPS to the CCHL (community compatability hardware list)

Stefan, I am happy to be a ReadyNAS Sparc tester for you, thanks again
Peter
London UK

[quote="WhoCaresEven so I don't know whether the NUT (network ups tool) shipping with the ReadyNAS comes with serial support at all - if I remember correctly it doesn't[/quote]

I am hoping that the purpose of the Serial to USB cable that I have bought, means that the RS232 data sent by the UPS , is correctly parsed using the USB chipset and that NUT will see the USB data just fine (we don't need serial support) , am I wrong Stefan ?

Don't know yet, I'll have to check the specs of the cable and see what the driver actually does.

-Stefan

thanks for looking into this for me Stefan, it is much appreciated, thank you.