APC Smart UPS 3000 bricked after firmware upgrade

[mikemack]

I have the APC Smart UPS 3000 (SMX3000RMHV2UNC) and after running the firmware update to UPS 15 (SMX1003UPS_15-0.enc), the device is bricked. The NMC recognises that the UPS has no firmware and trying to update it again to SMX1003UPS_15-0.enc via both the NMC, and the Firmware Update Wizard via Serial Cable fails.

What are the steps I can take to try to load firmware back onto the device? I was going to try to load 

SMX1003UPS_08-1 (the previous version according to the release notes) but I cannot locate a place to download that version of the firmware.

[Teken]

You’ll need to contact APC Technical Support for any previous version of firmware or FUW.

If the system has been powered off at all during this process.

Meaning AC Mains has been disconnected from the wall than you have a less than 1% chance of recovering the unit.

If the system is under warranty than contact APC Technical Support for a RMA. If the system is out of warranty which is more than likely you have very limited options besides having a very expensive brick.

You can search these forums as to a possible hail marry option. Where you connect the USB cable while the serial cable is connected and see if the FUW will detect and continue the firmware’s upgrade process.

The other possible option is to use XModem to transfer the corrupted / missing files.

The last possible options if you’re a corporate entity is to consider sending out the unit to CoastTech for repair / recovery as they are the only official APC Repair facility in North America.

In the worst case scenario they can offer you a refurbished unit if yours can’t be repaired.

If you’re a DIY and have some board level experience. The MCU can be replaced with a new flashed chip and then installed back on the PCB.

The above procedure assumes you have been able to extract the firmware from an existing working MCU to clone the new chip.

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