This man page only documents the hardware\-specific features of the apcsmart driver\&. For information about the core driver, see \fBnutupsdrv\fR(8)\&.
The apcsmart driver should recognize (or at the very least, work with) the majority of Smart\-UPS models \- which includes Smart\-UPS, Matrix\-UPS and Back\-UPS lineups, among few other ones\&.
Currently, we can roughly divide APC hardware into four groups (note that the division isn\(cqt strict by any means, and the borders between those are pretty fuzzy):
programmable EEPROM; you won\(cqt find them listed anywhere on APC\(cqs site either\&. The support for those will be usually based on driver\(cqs compatibility tables, or if the model (firmware) is not listed in those \- the driver will try to follow the very basic subset of features, while still trying to remain useful\&. Despite "smart" tagname, they often tend to behave in pretty dumb way (see the section below about shutdown behaviour)\&.
These models usually come from late 1990s / pre\-2009 times\&. They are often referred as "3rd\&. gen"\&. For the most part, they have programmable EEPROM, report supported commands and capabilities, and should work just fine with the apcsmart driver\&.
\fBapcupsd\fR, for that matter, if you\(cqre wondering)\&. Around 2007, APC (now APC Schneider) decided to go back to its proprietary roots, and all the new models (SMT, SMX, SURTD) use completely different protocol and cables\&. If you purchased a new APC UPS \- that uses cable with RJ45 on the one end, and DB\-9 on the other \- then you have such model\&. Your only option to support it through
Several Microsol serial models sold in Brazil have been rebranded as APC Back\-UPS, and the model numbers tend to start with "BZ"\&. If you have one of these "Nobreaks", they will not work with the
Another thing to remember is that Smart protocol is not USB protocol\&. If you have UPS with both USB and serial ports, then depending on how you connect it, you will need either apcsmart or usbhid\-ups driver\&.
This driver expects to see a 940\-0024C cable or a clone by default\&. You can switch to the 940\-0095B dual\-mode cable support with the \fIcable=\fR definition described below\&.
The "xx" is either "00" for a short cable, or the number of feet of a longer cable\&. The "X" is a letter representing the minor revision of the physical cable and its connectors ("C" and "E" are commonly found revisions)\&. All minor revisions should use the same pin\-outs and wiring\&.
By default the driver works in canonical mode, but it proved to be a problem in Windows systems\&. Furthermore there\(cqs a possibility of some obscure serial cards or serial\-USB converters that could cause problems as well\&. You can use \fIttymode=\fR option to force non\-canonical discipline in \fBups.conf\fR(5):
This is most basic command present in probably all APC models\&. It will hibernate the UPS, and subsequently wake it up when the mains supply returns\&.
The behaviour here is unfortunately pretty primitive \- when the power returns, the UPS just wakes up\&. No grace periods, no min\&. battery charge condition, etc\&. This is probably not what you want\&.
The behaviour here is as expected \- the power is cut off after the EEPROM defined grace period\&. The UPS will wake up when the power returns, after the EEPROM defined delay AND if the EEPROM defined min\&. battery charge level is met\&. The delay is counted from the power\(cqs return\&.
This is basic command used to hibernate UPS regardless if it\(cqs running on batteries or on mains\&. The option takes 3 digits argument which can be used to specify additional wake\-up delay (in 6 minute units)\&.
If nnn = 000, then UPS will do precisely nothing\&. On those models you\(cqre better specifying nnn > 0, if you can estimate the kind of power problems that might be happening in your environment\&. Another thing to consider with "old" models \- you might lose the connection with the UPS, until it wakes up (with
\fBS\fR)\&. Additionally, if nnn > 0, the nnn*6 minutes are added to EEPROM defined delay\&. UPS will not power up if it\(cqs running on batteries, contrary to what "old" models used to do \- the combined delay is counted from the moment of power return\&.
Supposedly there exist models that take 2 digits instead of 3\&. Just in case, NUT also supports such variation\&. You have to provide exactly 2 digits to trigger it (\fBawd\fR
option, or argument to one of the supported instant commands)\&.
This option takes string of digits as an argument\&. Methods listed are tried in turn until one of them succeeds\&. Note that the meaning of digits is different from
\fB@\fR\&. If you provide exactly 2 digits, the driver will try 2 digits variation (see previous section for more info)\&. Otherwise standard 3 digits variation is used\&.
Keep in mind that \fBsdtype\fR and \fBadvorder\fR are mutually exclusive\&. If \fBadvorder\fR is provided, \fBsdtype\fR is ignored\&. If \fBadvorder\fR is set to \fIno\fR, \fBsdtype\fR is used instead\&.
The argument is either a word \fIno\fR, or a string of 1 \- 5 digits in [0 \- 4] range\&. Each digit maps to the one of shutdown methods supported by APC UPSes\&. Methods listed in this way are tried in order, until one of them succeeds\&.
APC units \- even if they report LB mode \- will not go into shutdown automatically\&. This gives us even more control with reference to "when to actually shutdown PSU"\&. Since version 2\&.6\&.2, NUT supports \fBignorelb\fR option in driver\(cqs section of \fBups.conf\fR(5)\&. When such option is in effect, the core driver will ignore LB state as reported by specific driver and start shutdown basing the decision \fIonly\fR on two conditions:
Of course \- if any of the variables are not available, the appropriate condition is not checked\&. If you want to explicitly disable one of the conditions, simply override the right hand variable causing the condition to always evaluate to false (you can even provide negative numbers)\&.
APC UPSes don\(cqt have battery\&.charge\&.low \- you will have to define it if you want to use such condition (prefix the variable with override\&. or default\&.)\&.
"New" units have battery\&.runtime\&.low, but depending on battery quality, firmware version, calibration and UPS load \- this variable can be underestimated quite a bit \- especially right after going into OB state\&. This in turn can cause LB to be asserted, which under normal conditions will cause \fBNUT\fR to initiate the shutdown\&. You might want to disable this condition entirely, when relying on \fBignorelb\fR option (this was actually the main motivation behind introduction of such feature)\&.
You could ask \- why bother ? Well, the reason is already hinted above\&. APC units can be very picky about the batteries, and their firmware can underestimate the remaining runtime (especially right after going into OB state)\&. \fBignorelb\fR option and \fBoverride\&.*\fR let you remain in control of the UPS, not UPS in control of you\&.
Furthermore, this allows to specify conditions similarly to how it\(cqs done in apcupsd daemon, so it should be welcome by people used to that software\&.
All the above commands must be issued 2nd time to have any effect (no less than 3 seconds, and no more than 15 seconds after the initial call)\&. Those commands are mostly useful for manual testing, when your machine is not powered by the UPS you\(cqre testing\&.
Previous driver is still available as \fBapcsmart\-old\fR, should there be any need to use earlier version (bugs, incompatibilities with new functionality, etc\&.)\&. In due time, \fBapcsmart\-old\fR will be phased out completely, but this won\(cqt happen until the new version gets solid exposure with no pending issues\&.
Some older APC UPS models return bogus data in the status register during a front panel test\&. This is usually detected and discarded, but some other unexpected values have occasionally slipped through\&.
.sp
APC UPS models with both USB and serial ports require a power cycle when switching from USB communication to serial, and perhaps vice versa\&.
In 2\&.6\&.2 it was renamed to apcsmart\-old, being superseded by updated version with new features, which is maintained by Michal Soltys <soltys@ziu\&.info>
