ap9617 just blinking orange

[Anonymous user]

Hello everyone, I've looked high and low on this forum and I can't seem to find an answer. I have an older Matrix 5000 which is great! New batteries and all and has been running terrific. For additional management it has a ap9617 card in it. All of the sudden the ap9617 doesn't want to boot and just sits blinking a single orange light on the link side. I upgraded the firmware on it about a month ago (3.5.5 i think?) and everything had been working fine. I even had it dumping logs to my ftp server every hour and sending out email alerts just fine. But now it's just dead. I tried running through the procedure for replacing the card. Put the 5000 in bypass mode unscrewed the back bolt. Took the card out, put it back in. And turned everything back on. This did not work. I then tried shutting the power down completely and reseating the card. This time it came on, but only for about an hour and then went back to it blinking orange again. I'm stumped am I doing something wrong? Connection look fine, it's fully seated and screwed in. I've tested the nic cable by plugging it into my laptop and it works fine so I know it's not a network issue. Help?

[Anonymous user]

Unfortunately not yet, I should have the serial cable by end of week to try the console connection.

[Erasmus_apc]

So the link LED is blinking orange but the status LED (has a checkmark next to it) is off? Typically a blinking link LED just means the card is communicating on the network...but the status LED being off indicates the card is either faulty, starting up, or is not getting power. Have you been able to hyperterminal to the card via serial and access the control console? Have you been able to ping or telnet to the card? Finally, have you tried removing the card and putting it in a different Smart-UPS or Matrix unit?

This link will help you in hyperterminaling to the UPS/NMC:

http://nam-en.apc.com/cgi-bin/nam_en.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=3061

[Anonymous user]

I'll try to find my serial cable tomorrow. I have another Matrix 5000 head unit, and the card does the same in that. I also have another ap9617 card which oddly enough seems to be doing the same thing also. So two cards same thing, same firmware regardless of Head Unit. It seems like maybe I flashed the wrong Firmware to these cards. But if that was the case I don't see why they would have continued to work for the past month without issue. If I'm able to get to it through serial would I be able to flash the unit some how with an older firmware again? I doubt both cards are bad. And the chances of two head units or two cards going bad at once...unlikely. I'll let you know the result after I find my cable, thanks...

Oh on a side note I found one of the log files that recently dumped to my ftp server and here are the firmware versions. Hope this may help

Network Management Card AOS v3.5.5
Smart-UPS & Matrix-UPS APP v3.5.5

[Anonymous user]

Hi there, did you finally resolve this issue please as we have the same problem, although our card has never worked from new. Thanks

[HandyManDM_apc]

I have a similar problem.   I have 4 SU 2200 units and just purchased AP9617 cards for them.   3 of the cards worked great (I configured them all in the same UPS which is a backup unit)  The 4th card won't talk.   I install it in a powered off and unplugged SU2200RM, Apply Power to the UPS, then turn the UPS on.   The Status led stays dark but the link led comes on and blinks amber at a steady rate about once a second with the on time being longer than the off time.   I've have a serial cable attached to the UPS which works fine with the other 3 cards.  I can't get a username prompt out of the 9617 or even a SM response.   Tried resetting the 9617 but no luck.    Obviously it has power since something is causing the link let to blink and since it doesn't match the network traffic blinking of the other near by ups, it appears to be trying to tell me something.

What does this led pattern indicate?    Anyone know how I can get it to come alive?

[BillP]

So to be clear, the status LED is the one with the checkmark and X next to it - that is completely off? I haven't seen this combination before. You could try the different supported serial baud rates outlined here just in case someone changed it -> 
http://www.apc.com/support/index?page=content&country=ITB〈=en&locale=en_US&id=FA156126 but that wouldn't really cause a problem with the status LED. It is also possible that the operating system has been corrupted but on these older cards, there is not really a way to recover it as there is on AP9630/31.

[HandyManDM_apc · Accepted solution]

Yes the led with the check and x, and the word Status next to it is off.   The Link Led (10/100) starts its regular blinking as soon as power is connected to the host UPS.  It blinks with an on/off time of something like 3 to 1 even when the ethernet cable is not connected.   I did try all the baud rates but can't get a username prompt or the "SM" from pass through mode.   Looks like I'll call the card "dead" and get a replacement.    Maybe this will help someone else that sees the same indication.    I assumed that maybe the booting firmware was fashing the led.   Thought there might be some way to possibly bootp the board or other method to bring it back.    Thanks for the info.