SMT1500i Firmware Upgrade - Differences between F/W Versions - Fan Behaviour - U/G Procedure

[BillP]

Hello - we have a few APC Smart UPS SMT1500i (UK models) that have just had new RBC7 battery packs fitted to them and we are considering updating the Firmware.

Where could we find a complete list of the Firmware changes/bug fixes/improvements from the current “05.0” version firmware we are running to the latest “09.4” version of firmware.

Does the UPS Fan Behaviour actually change after updating the firmware? Somewhere online I read that the Fan is reprogrammed to no longer run constantly on newer firmware when the UPS is running on Mains power and that the fan will only come on when running on only battery power – is any of that true? Came across that point while shopping for replacement RBC7’s but cannot now find where I read that.

Found a “Firmware Revision Matrix” which reads: -
“SMT Tower (firmware less than UPS 08.0) – Firmware after update – UPS 07.1”
Next line reads: -
“SMT Tower (firmware UPS 08.0 or greater) – Firmware after update – UPS 09.4”

Does that “matrix” mean that my UPS’s can go no further/newer than 07.1 firmware -OR- does it mean you have to update in two steps (05.0 to 07.1 then 07.1 to 09.4) to get to the latest firmware revision?

Is the current latest firmware version for SMT1500i still “09.4”?

The front panel LCD reads: -

“UPS Firmware 1: UPS 05.0”

“UPS Firmware 2: COM 02.1”

“UPS Firmware 3: UBL 05.0”

“UPS Firmware 4: CBL 5.21”

I assume that “COM” is communications but what are “UBL” and “CBL” – does the “BL” part refer to Boot Loader?

Has anyone experienced tangible benefits to upgrading their APC UPS Firmware?

[RLP1_apc · Accepted solution]

Hello,

This is a late reply but I thought I would post anyway in case it might benefit someone.

Some change notes are available in the firmware update zip package available from the firmware update FAQ page with that revision matrix on it, but as you may have seen, these are incomplete and only for the latest versions of the firmware. I don't know of any complete list.

In my experience there is no change to fan behavior between UPS 05.0 and UPS 07.1. On both revisions, the fan will run at a very low speed all the time, and run at full speed when the UPS is on battery/charging/over 40^oC. Apparently, some units with firmware prior to UPS 05.0 ran their fans on high speed all the time. The low speed is a significant improvement, but in my opinion is still too loud to use the unit in a residential environment like a quiet office or bedroom. That isn't primarily what these units are designed for. You would have to replace the fan with a quieter fan to reduce the noise any further (this isn't a particularly complicated job but requires an appropriate replacement).

From my knowledge there was a hardware change somewhere around the end of 2012/beginning of 2013 (it would be great to know exactly when in terms of serial numbers, if anybody has that info). Units made prior to this can only be updated to UPS 07.1. Units made after this start at UPS 08.0 and can be updated to whatever the latest version of the firmware is. I don't know much about the newer units or their fan behavior as I have none, all I know is they support additional communications protocols.

The "BL" part does indeed stand for bootloader, there are a variety of different names and version numbers as there are several microcontrollers inside these units that get updated. I didn't notice much of a difference between UPS 05.0 and 07.1, they did add additional options for dimming the LCD backlight I believe and most likely bug fixes which I am not aware of.

Hope this helps.