SYMMETRA UPS E3 ALARM MESSAGE

[Anonymous user]

Can you please advise what is the meaning of the alarm message E3 on Symmetra UPS. Morever, the UPS did not go to battery back up when the power failed, The battery banks are OK.

Innovator

[Erasmus_apc · Accepted solution]

From a public APC Knowledge Base:

The "E3" error message on the Symmetra XR Frame is an indication of lost communication between the Symmetra Power Array and the Symmetra Extended Run Battery Frame. This error message will cause a fault LED on the PowerView on the Symmetra Power Array and will result in the loss of communication between the two frames where the Power Array will not be able to recognize the batteries that are located in the XR Frame.

This condition is a communication issue only, and in no way affects the function of the UPS if it were to go on battery. In that event the UPS goes on battery, the runtime will be recalculated based on the on the additional ampacity provided by the Extended Run Frame.

Resetting the communication card on the Extended Run Frame (SYXRCC) will alleviate this communication issue. Please following the following steps in resetting the SYXRCC on the Symmetra Extended Run Frame:

1) Disconnect the communication cable(s) in the SYXRCC located in the back of the Symmetra Extended Run Battery Frame and wait for the green status light to go off.

2) Disconnect the communication cable(s) from the communications card by unscrewing the top right hand thumbscrew on the SYXRCC so that the micro-latch that is being held by that thumbscrew is unseated.

3) Reseat the micro-latch on the SYXRCC and screw in the thumbscrew back into the top right-hand corner of the SYXRCC.

4) Reconnect the communication cable(s) in the back of the SYXRCC and acknowledge the return of the green status light within 60 seconds the UPS will recognize the additional batteries and adjust the runtime value accordingly to include the batteries located in the Extended Run Frame.


At this point the "E3" message should no longer be flashing on the XR Frame and on the PowerView you will see a message indicating "Number of Battery Modules Increased".

If for any reason this error message reoccurs, please contact APC Technical Support at 800-800-4APC and a technician will be able to assist you.
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Basically this is a communications fault. The issue could lie either with the XR Comm card, the cable from the Symmetra to the XR frame, or the intelligence module of the Symmetra. These are the most common causes and I would advise you to call into APC tech. support as the troubleshooting is usually reactive in terms of steps and can be lengthy sometimes.