Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!rutgers!cmcl2!nrl-cmf!ames!ubvax!vsi1!altnet!uunet!nuchat!sugar!ficc!morrison
From: morrison@ficc.UUCP (brad morrison XNX SE#)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.misc
Subject: Re: Protecting computer equipment
Summary: Communicate with UPS via RS232
Message-ID: <1043@ficc.UUCP>
Date: 8 Jul 88 19:21:45 GMT
References: <1188@gmu90x.UUCP> <178@kesmai.COM> <10310@ncc.Nexus.CA>
Organization: Xenix/Unix Support
Lines: 29

In article <10310@ncc.Nexus.CA>, lyndon@ncc.Nexus.CA (Lyndon Nerenberg) writes:
~ In article <178@kesmai.COM> dca@kesmai.COM (David C. Albrecht) writes:
~ >In article <1188@gmu90x.UUCP>, dana@gmu90x.UUCP (J Dana Eckart) writes:
~ 
~ >> In the case of UPS, if commercial
~ >> power goes out, is it possible to automatically signal the computer 
~ >> to do initiate system shutdown while battery power is still available?
~ 
~ >All that text and I left something out.  Some UPSen provide a relay which
~ >will close when the UPS is getting near the end of its power supply.
~ >You have to wire a connector that will interface to a port on your equipment
~ >and have some process monitoring that port and recognise when the relay
~ >switches.  i.e. it can be done but it usually isn't pretty.
~ 
~ Actually, it's quite trivial.
~ 
~ Have the relay switch the appropriate voltage onto the Carrier Detect
~ pin of an unused serial port on the system when the batteries are
~ getting low.

Or, better yet, get a Micro-Ferrups UPS (Model M1000VA or M1500VA) from
Best Power Technology and connect to their RS232 port for status messages--
including the estimated amount of time left until the batteries drain.

1-800-356-5794 . . . no affiliation, just satisfaction.
-- 
Brad Morrison
(713) 274-5449
{uunet,academ!uhnix1,bellcore!tness1}!sugar!ficc!morrison