APC AP9605 PowerNet SNMP adapter serial connection issue

[BillP]

Hello,

I got this very old AP9605 SNMP card recently. I am fully aware that this device is 20 years old and that it has potential security issues. I have the quick start guide for it, but serial connection using the 2400bps, no parity, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit and no flow control setting did not work. After some trial and error, I found that using the same settings with 19200bps, upon pressing card reset, I get the following output:

*******************************
*        Initialization:      *
*  Default baud rate for the  *
*  Adapter's  SERIAL PORT 2   *
*  is 19200. To change it,    *
*  press CR. The Adapter will *
*  adjust to the baud rate of *
*  your console.              *
*******************************

Time out for baud rate auto detection


Your terminal Baud Rate is >19200<
American Power Conversion PowerNet SNMP Agent v2.2, Agent Loader v1.0
(c) Copyright 1992-1994 by American Power Conversion Corporation.
    All Rights Reserved.

-------- END OF OUTPUT -----------

Pressing ENTER (CR) doesn't do anything, apart from adjusting comm speed to that of the console's. After getting this output, I get nothing more, nor I can trigger any action over serial. Did this happen because someone tried to do firmware flash before and got the card wrecked in the process? Is there anything I can do to revive the current firmware? I absolutely need version 2.x for communication to work with second generation Smart UPS models (legacy hardware for educational purposes, like AP250, AP400, AP600, AP900, AP1250, AP2000), because the available newest 3.x firmware for this card removed support for those models.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that the card was manufactured in 1996 (guessing from serial number). The UPS used for testing is however NOT one of the second generation, but from the third generation instead (SU700INET). I am going to try it with one of the second generation models using an AP9600 external chassis. If you have any info to share until then, please do so.

Thanks in advance for any help!

[BillP]

Using this same card inside an AP9600 expansion chassis with a Smart-UPS 900 (2nd gen.) produced the same results as above. I had an another AP9605 card nearby, which did not work at all. That card completely refuses to communicate with the terminal, and the RX/TX led flashes like twice a second (with no ethernet cable plugged in). I suppose this is some sort of a failure signal.

[Sprinterfreak_apc · Accepted solution]

The green flashing status LED looks like as if the card is stuck in a boot loop.

Bad news: There is no official way to recover. I'm facing the same issue today and looking for a way to clone the EEPROMs from another card. Maybe this works. APC must have thought about this way too because the PROMs are socketed. (no soldering)

Edit:I successfully fixed my card by cloning the flash ICs from a working card.