Cabling a SmartUPS-1000 to a Windows 7 PC

Anonymous user · ‎2021-06-29

Been running an XP machine successfully connected to the Smart-UPS with cable 940-0024 and PCBE 8.0.1.

Purchased a Windows 7 64bit machine that has no serial port and procured cable 940-0272A which is USB-to-serial (I believe for a Back-UPS device) and installed PCBE 8.0.1. The cable firmware from Prolific installed ok. But PCBE 8.0.1 won't communicate with the Smart-UPS. Port setting are same as with serial-to-serial cable 940-0024 --- 2400/8/none/1/xon-xoff. PCBE 8.0.1 "recognizes" the device/cable as a BackUPS rather than a Smart-UPS but will not communicate to the Smart-UPS, perhaps not surprisingly.

Question - is there any way to correctly cable/connect a Smart-UPS to a Windows 7 PC that has no serial port and use PCBE8.0.1 agent? Would a generic serial-to-USB work differently than cable 940-0272A?

Thank you.

Anonymous user · ‎2021-06-29

Express Card (serial interface) worked fine. Did have to reload PCBE 8.0.1 and specify that the device to connect to was a Smart UPS as the installed PCBE agent was not able to discover that and communicate successfully.

It's a fairly simple solution to salvaging the Smart UPS 1000 which is a fine device, now about 8-10 years old.

The downside in my journey here is that no one at APC tech support ever saw that as a solution over the past three months in several attempts to get a rational answer from APC on how to get the serial port interfaced to a Windows 7 portable with no serial port. Seems that ff it's not in their scripts, there is no solution - which has been their consistent answer. The skill level in that tech support is kindergarten level.

I'm going to go back and try an earlier solution I attempted with a USB/Serial interface adapter. The trick seems to be that an installed PCBE agent will never recognize the Smart UPS and a reinstall of PCBE is needed with specification that auto-discovery should not be used but, rather, directly specifying.Smart UPS at install time.

Thank you.

See Answer In Context

Techie_apc · ‎2021-06-29

fyi..APC's current Smart UPSs have got both Serial and USB ports.

Anonymous user · ‎2021-06-29

Been running an XP machine successfully connected to the Smart-UPS with cable 940-0024 and PCBE 8.0.1.

Purchased a Windows 7 64bit machine that has no serial port and procured cable 940-0272A which is USB-to-serial (I believe for a Back-UPS device) and installed PCBE 8.0.1. The cable firmware from Prolific installed ok. But PCBE 8.0.1 won't communicate with the Smart-UPS. Port setting are same as with serial-to-serial cable 940-0024 --- 2400/8/none/1/xon-xoff. PCBE 8.0.1 "recognizes" the device/cable as a BackUPS rather than a Smart-UPS but will not communicate to the Smart-UPS, perhaps not surprisingly.

Question - is there any way to correctly cable/connect a Smart-UPS to a Windows 7 PC that has no serial port and use PCBE8.0.1 agent? Would a generic serial-to-USB work differently than cable 940-0272A?

Thank you.

Techie_apc · ‎2021-06-29

if possible, could you please let us know the exact model number of the UPS to provide you assistance? you can find the unit's exact model number on a white bar code sticker at the rear of the unit.

Anonymous user · ‎2021-06-29

Model SU1000NET and serial # QS0105111830.

Thnx.

Techie_apc · ‎2021-06-29

None of the Serial to USB cable will work with this unit. It is ONLY compatible with serial connection. Unfortunately, there is no way for you to make this UPS to communicate with the USB port.

BillP · ‎2021-06-29

You could try using a serial to usb adapter on the other end of the serial cable (940-0024). The 0272 cable you were trying to use is for simple signaling and the Smart-UPS units use smart signaling. As you said, not surprising it didn't work.

You can't use a generic cable though because the serial cable has a proprietary pinout.

Anonymous user · ‎2021-06-29

I'm back on the case now - my XPS16 portable does have an Express card slot - any idea if serial 1-port express card would work with the standard 940-0024 cable?

(Here's an example - [http://www.amazon.com/Serial-Port-Express-Card-BT-EC1S/dp/B002WEE4A4/ref=sr_1_107?ie=UTF8&s=electron...] )?

Anonymous user · ‎2021-06-29

I don't see why it should not. But only 1 way to find out.

Anonymous user · ‎2021-06-29

Well if all else fails, you could always install a serial port card and connect that way.

Anonymous user · ‎2021-06-29

Express Card (serial interface) worked fine. Did have to reload PCBE 8.0.1 and specify that the device to connect to was a Smart UPS as the installed PCBE agent was not able to discover that and communicate successfully.

It's a fairly simple solution to salvaging the Smart UPS 1000 which is a fine device, now about 8-10 years old.

The downside in my journey here is that no one at APC tech support ever saw that as a solution over the past three months in several attempts to get a rational answer from APC on how to get the serial port interfaced to a Windows 7 portable with no serial port. Seems that ff it's not in their scripts, there is no solution - which has been their consistent answer. The skill level in that tech support is kindergarten level.

I'm going to go back and try an earlier solution I attempted with a USB/Serial interface adapter. The trick seems to be that an installed PCBE agent will never recognize the Smart UPS and a reinstall of PCBE is needed with specification that auto-discovery should not be used but, rather, directly specifying.Smart UPS at install time.

Thank you.