SmartUPS 2200 Not Visible to PowerChute Software

[mweiss_apc]

This was originally posted on APC forums on 7/20/2016

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Background:

We have a new genset and it's no load voltage is only 111 vac. Manufacturer won't do anything to correct it as it's within the 108-132 vac tolerance range they specify.

Our SmartUPS 2200 is going into AVR frequently. The relay switching is causing computers to reboot at random.

On a generator forum, I was told to download PowerChute and reprogram the thresholds for the UPS so it doesn't keep toggling AVR at the generator voltage.

I bought a special USB cable to do this, and put my Windows 7 laptop to the task. Initially, I installed PowerChute Business Edition, all three modules, but it could not find a UPS, despite Windows 7 installing drivers for a battery backup unit it found when I plugged the USB cable into the laptop.

After an hour of frustration, I rolled back the laptop to a prior restore point and downloaded PowerChute Personal Edition. I could not get through the installation because, like with the other version, even though Windows detected the UPS hardware and installed its own drivers, PowerChute did not detect a UPS.

90 minutes of online research and no successful solutions.

Failing at this, I'm planning to modify the generator so that it puts out 120 vac, as I can't seem to make this UPS happy at 111 vac.

[UnexpectedBill_apc]

This was originally posted on APC forums on 7/21/2016

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What is your Smart-UPS 2200's exact model number? There have been a few different models sold under that name.

If you haven't already, you could try adjusting the UPS's sensitivity setting. This requires no software to adjust. On a tower UPS model, there's a green LED and a small button (often grey in color) near the LED on the unit's back panel. The default, indicated by a dimly lit LED, is medium sensitivity. At low sensitivity, the LED turns off. And while it's supposed to be "bright" at high sensitivity, I've never found the LED to be terribly bright. In other words there isn't a whole lot of difference in the LED brightness between "medium" and "high" sensitivity.

I'm not sure if PowerChute Business Edition supports a USB connection.

In the case of an older Smart-UPS, one still using the UPSLink or "APC Smart" protocol, you could attach the UPS to a computer with a 940-0024 serial cable and use a terminal emulation program to directly program the unit. A reference to the commands that are supported and what they do is available for download. Other UPS management software (such as apcupsd) would be able to change these settings, as would the old APC PowerChute Plus software. (940-0024 cables with letter suffixes are all the same thing, they're just newer revisions.) Settings you program into the unit will be saved until (or if) they are changed again.

A newer MicroLink UPS should let you change the transfer voltage settings via its front panel LCD screen. No software should be required.

[mweiss_apc · Accepted solution]

This was originally posted on APC forums on 7/21/2016

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I don't have access to the rear of the UPS, so I reached in with a mirror and flashlight and read (hopefully accurately) the sticker on the back. It says SUA2200R2X180.

I've tried both Business and Personal Editions. Neither one detected the UPS.

I also tried turning down the sensitivity. However, the relay cutover time increases to about 1/2 second and half the computers in the office rebooted when a line quality issue caused the UPS to kick in. So I set it back to normal/high sensitivity.

The problem isn't a power quality issue though. We have a clean sinewave of under 5% THD from the genset. The problem is low voltage causing the AVR Boost to keep toggling constantly.

What type of cable is a 940-0024 serial cable? It's it a straight serial cable or like a null modem crossover cable? It may be a moot point, as none of our current desktop computers have serial ports. Just USB. I have an older PC from 1998, but it issues a series of beeps when I turn it on and won't boot.