Manual runtime calibration procedure for SUA-3000XL

[Anonymous user]

I replaced all of the batteries in a SUA3000XL (and the expansion) in September of 2012 and ever since I've received a flood of alarms from the unit every other week when it does a self-test.  The gist of the alarm is:

"UPS: The battery power is too low to support the load; if power fails, the UPS will be shut down immediately."

The battery charge is 100% capacity and the load is one out of five bars (although listed at 30.5% in the web management interface).  The runtime listed under "Status" is 11m.  I think this information is inaccurate given that we have identical units with greater load that have much longer runtimes (for instance, on such unit has 33.1% load and 5hr 36min runtime remaining - see attached).  I believe that I just need to do a runtime calibration but I think I already tried a software-initiated RTC on this unit and it didn't fix the issue.  I cannot find the procedure for this on APCC's website and everytime I find a link in another forum post the link results in a dead end.  Can anybody direct me to a PDF that outlines the exact procedure for initiating a manual runtime calibration?

Thanks,

Steven

[Anonymous user]

If memory serves, performing a manual runtime cal on a Smart-UPS is simply a matter of ensuring that you have a > 30% load on your UPS, unplugging the UPS, letting it discharge, turn off, and then recharge.

You may want to add a bit more load if you can swing it since the higher the load the better chance the calibration will stick and the more accurate it will be.

[BillP · Accepted solution]

A manual runtime calibration is the process of completely discharging a battery by simulating a power outage (pulling the plug of the UPS from the AC power circuit). This process is sometimes necessary in order to reset the estimated runtime calculation if it does not appear to be correct. In order for the calibration to ""work"", and for the runtime to be estimated correctly, there are four conditions which must be met when initiating and running the calibration. They are as follows:

1. Battery must be at 100% capacity when the Runtime Calibration is initiated/started.

2. The UPS must have at least a 30% load on it during the calibration.

3. The load cannot fluctuate more than +/- 5% during the calibration.

4. The battery must be discharged to at least 25% capacity (it is best to allow the UPS to shut off due to a discharged battery).

In addition to the above conditions, any UPS monitoring/shutdown software should be stopped from running in the background, and the serial cable should be detached from the UPS. This is necessary in order to prevent the software from shutting down the server/UPS due to an on-battery or low-battery condition.