Second Gen Smart UPS PROG mode?

[crisp_apc]

Hello nice people.

Any old timers on the forum?  I own a Smart UPS 1250.. Remember those? Mfg date is like 4/94. It's still going good. I have recapped it, and keep it clean and cool. I replaced the batteries last week, and did a runtime cal,  but it should be better. Thought I'd try manually adjusting the battery constant before I did another runtime cal.

I searched the net, found the battery constant is supposed to be 9F, and Register 0 shows 69. Off somewhat.. I was gonna have a go at putting 9F in there, but I can't get into PROG mode with the 1+1 command. I've tried waiting various times between 1 sec and 15 sec between the first and second 1, but the unit will never reply with PROG.  

I tried the same trick on my SU600, and got identical results. 

Do these older 2nd gen units utilize different character sequence/spacing to get into PROG mode.. Can anyone remember back that far and offer any advice?

Thanks!

Russ Crisp
Western Carolina University

[Anonymous user]

I'm not an old timer, but I have an APC 1200VX that is the oldest UPS I've ever seen, still in service and working well. In an absolutely awesome and unexpected show of support, the APC employees that frequent this forum went above and beyond to help me with some questions about it.

I tried to put my own 2G Smart-UPS 600 (DOB 06/15/1994) into programming mode just now without any success. It does, however, respond to the third-party APCFIX utility. APCFIX has an automatic battery constant repair mode, although it is targeted for the 3G Smart-UPS models. Perhaps it could still help? (I don't think it could make things any worse, though obviously you'd have to proceed at your own risk there. I couldn't try it myself because the computer in question was being extremely uncooperative.)

(Might I ask if you are the original owner of this unit? If so, do you remember if it came with any software? I'm trying to pin down a copy of the old APC Power Doctor for DOS without any luck so far. My own 600 was found new in its box, with all books but no software.)

[crisp_apc]

Hey William.

I got this UPS at the university 'surplus sale'. It was in pristine condition. I imagine whatever department owned it used it till the original batteries died, then stored it somewhere.  And after a decade or two, it found its way to surplus property, and I picked it up for a couple of bucks at the sale..

I did try the UPSFix software, but it didn't work. I even contacted the author in Russia, and he advised it wouldn't work with this model.  I too have been scouring the web for old copies of powerchute and powerdoctor, without success. Sorry.. 

Thanks for the reply!

Russ

[voidstar_apc]

I'm not sure SmartUPS 2G EEPROMs can be reprogrammed outside the factory test fixtures. If they're anything like modern units, the runtime estimate gets recalibrated on discharges and will hopefully become more accurate.

[crisp_apc]

Greets voidstar.

I'm beginning to think along those same lines.. Think I'll just run another cal and see what happens. Was hoping to avoid repeated deep battery discharge by a manual adjustment of the constant, but it just doesn't seem I'm going to be able to manage that.

Thanks,

Russ

[voidstar_apc]

Make sure you have it at least 30% loaded non-varying. Perhaps a few lightbulbs.

[BillP · Accepted solution]

This is for people having problem with resetting battery constant on older APC units from 1992-1996 like APC Smart UPS 600, 900, 1250, 2000 (SU600I, SU900I, SU1250I, SU2000I, or some might know them as AP600I, AP900I, AP1250I, AP2000I)

This tutorial is for the International (230-240V) version of these UPSes. (might work for 120V ones too, but not tested)

As you may already know, 1-1 prog mode does not work with these line of units. These units have more complex way to reset battery constant. This is because the smart protocol has changed between 2G and 3G UPSes, they are not identical, though mostly compatible. Runtime calibration by discharging the batteries will not improve the displayed values significantly (if at all) for 2G Smart UPS models. Battery constant needs to be reset.

I am using a Smart UPS 900I and had the same problem a while back.

Follow these steps only at your own risk, I don't take any responsibility for your injury or your equipment's damage!

0) Completely unpower your UPS, disconnect batteries, discharge big buffer capacitors next to heatsinks. (so that no voltage is present while you work on it, prevent injury and circuit shorts)
1) Transfer all DIP switches on the rear panel to position 1 - ON. (this allows the EEPROM to be programmed, also needed if you want to change settings with software, like transfer voltage, audible alarm operation, etc...the settings are kept only as long as all of the DIP switches are left in the ON position)
2) Short pin 7 of ADC0838 chip to the ground (GND) (for example: to the pin 9 or 10 or 11 of the same chip) or - negative battery terminal. (use a small jumper wire, and make sure to reliably solder both ends for proper contact - I soldered pin 7 to pin 11) (this is needed so that the UPS "remembers" the settings once you retransfer the DIP switches to their original position, and/or unpower the UPS)

-After you have done the soldering, the UPS will not read the thermistor value, so you will see 0.0 degrees at internal temperature. This is normal.

Log on the UPS with terminal. Press 0 to read current battery constant value. Press 4 to change value (this will only work if you have properly done the previous steps). Press 4 until you reach the desired value. Then, turn off the UPS, cut off power (disconnect battery and discharge the big buffer capacitors for complete power loss of electronics), then reconnect battery and restart UPS to see wether the value changed permanently.

After you are done, remove the jumper wire, do not leave it on the PCB.

This is a pretty delicate operation, so chances are that something screws up along the way. Consider wether it is really worth to reset that constant. If you really decided to do it, maybe try it on a cheaper/less rare model first, like the Smart UPS 600.


Regards