RE: Inspiration, Re: More on UPS issues

["James H H Lampert" <jamesl@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> James,
>
> I guess I don't understand what you are trying to circumvent.

I'm trying to circumvent having a UPS self-test shut us down for 45
minutes at a time!

Let me try this one more time:

Scenario 1: Power failure lasting long enough to drain healthy batteries.
Assuming a shutdown haisn't already occurred from QUPSDLYTIM being
exceeded, the combination of ON BATTERY and LOW BATTERY signals causes, as
it should, an immediate LIC disaster power-down.

Scenario 2: Power failure with NFG batteries. Again, the combination of ON
BATTERY and LOW BATTERY signals causes, as it should, an immediate LIC
disaster power-down.

Scenario 3 (the situation here): NO POWER FAILURE The ON BATTERY and LOW
BATTERY signals are both raised by a FAILED SELF-TEST, causing an
UNNECESSARY LIC disaster power-down, effectively defeating the whole
purpose of having a UPS in the first place! (The presence of a low-battery
panel light, and periodic alarms from the UPS to call attention to it, is
a more-than-adequate indication of the failed self-test; interrupting the
day's business, and possibly even killing an "iffy" hard drive, is
overkill)

By blocking the LOW BATTERY signal from reaching the AS/400  when there
isn't an actual power failure, Scenarios 1 and 2 are still allowed to
occur, but Scenario 3 is prevented from happening.

To restate my idea: the contacts of a normally-closed reed relay are
inserted into the LOW BATTERY line, and the relay is powered (and held
open) by a "wall wart" plugged directly into the wall (NOT on UPS power!).
If there's an actual power failure, the relay contacts fall closed, and
any LOW BATTERY signal is allowed to pass to the AS/400, but in the case
of a failed self-test, since the power hasn't actually failed, the "wall
wart" holds the relay open, blocking the LOW BATTERY signal.

--
JHHL

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JHHL