Matrix 5000 battery constant reset

[Anonymous user]

I have a matrix 5000 at home... protecting core lighting and fridge/freezers and various computer equipment.  It has had several configurations (including my own string of batteries at one point).  The last configuration was one extended smartcell that was getting pretty sad.

Recently, I got paid, so I bought a new empty smartcell (total of 2) and refilled the first smartcell with new CSB's.  Both smartcells are connected and known to the UPS to be good.  The system has about a 25% load on it most of the time and is only calculating a 30 minute runtime (should be several hours).  Every time the UPS cuts in to change voltage, the time estimate goes below 5 minutes and warnings abound.  Note that the batteries are good and it can run at 20-ish percent load for several hours (has done in recent memory).

Thus I would like to reset the "battery constant".  The instructions say to connect a serial cable (done) and to use apctest.  They say the sequence is roughly given at the bottom of this post.  In my attempts (keep in mind there is a 4-5 second pause after the first '1'), this is how it goes:

Select function number: 6

Enter an ESC character (or ctl-[) to exit.

YSM
1NA
1NA
021
+NA
+NA
^[

Note that the second '1' doesn't say "PROG".  The '0' does say '21' ... which might be the current constant (the doc says it should be 'B0'... and '+' just gets me 'NA' ...

Proceedure.

1.Shutdown the apcupsd daemon;2.Run apctest;3.Choose option 6 to enter terminal mode;4.Enter Y (UPS should respond SM);5.Enter 1 (one, not el; wait 4 seconds);6.Enter 1 (one, not el; UPS should respond PROG);7.Enter 0 (zero, not oh; UPS should respond with current constant);8.Write down the existing value so that if something goes wrong, you can at least put it back to thatvalue;9.Enter + (plus) or - (minus) to increment/decrement the value;10.Enter R to reprogram constant value (UPS should respond Bye);11.Enter Y (UPS should respond SM);12.Enter 0 (zero, not oh; UPS should respond with the new constant);13.Enter Esc to exit terminal mode;14.Choose option 7 to exit apctest.

[BillP]

Hello, 

The constant reset procedure you posted works only for third generation smart ups units (eg. SU700/1000/1400/2200 etc...). Matrix units are second generation, thus requiring different procedure to reset the constants. I sadly do not own a working matrix myself, but *I suspect it might* require a jumper wire similar to the second gen. Smart ups units described here:

https://community.se.com/t5/APC-UPS-Data-Center-Enterprise/bd-p/datacenter-forum

Remember to experiment with this carefully and only at your own risk. 

[Anonymous user · Accepted solution]

Thanks for the reply.  Oi.  Then begs the question: do I really want to do that.  It seems like the runtime estimate has slowly crawled back to regular territory.  The only worry I have is that the short interruptions it makes to adjust the voltage don't really have a positive effect on this parameter.

I do sorta need to replace the transformer fan --- but I say sorta because the "temp" of the UPS is a healthy 18C ... and it seems to stay under 20C even when supplying load.