Re: UPS Tab & wiring?

Tech-Archive recommends: Repair Windows Errors & Optimize Windows Performance

Hi Paul.

Thanks for the reply. Sorry if I was not clear with my original post. Let
me post a little more details about what I'm trying to accomplish.

I have a in-car computer that runs directly on 12volts and is wired directly
to my car battery and thus can be powered on even while the engine is not
running. I'd like Windows to power down after 30 minutes of running on
'battery' power. I understand using power management I can have my system
standby/ hibernate/ shutdown if idle via the power options properties in the
control panel, however, I'm looking for a method to force shutdown after a
period of time. Since windows has support for generic UPS's and it would be
fairly simple for me to wire in a relay sitting next to the computer that
activates when the ignition is on, allowing me to open/close a circuit. I'm
interested in knowing what pins I need to close on a serial port to tell
windows my computer is 'running on battery power'. So there is no 3rd party
software, no ups manual to consult, etc. It's simply a matter of what
signaling does windows use for it's generic ups support.

I see that Windows has built-in support for a 'generic' UPS and am trying
to understand how that signaling is supported.

"Paul Randall" wrote:

Hi, Jeff,
I'm not sure, but there may be hardware groups that have more knowledgable
people on this subject. I have some cheap UPSs. They have a small built-in
battery and an inverter so they can supply 120VAC for a short time. They
normally just pass through 120VAC from the wall outlet to the UPS's outlets;
when the normal power fails, the UPS's inverter starts and its 120VAC output
is connected to the outlets. A completely different device is the 120VAC
inverter you can purchase relatively cheaply that can supply power to a
computer. You plug it in, turn it on, and you have 120VAC available from
its outlets. A UPS does not work this way. You can't just turn it on and
get 120VAC from its internal battery. I suppose this may not be true for
all UPSs, but it is for the two that I have used.

Maybe you should post the brand and complete model number of the UPS you
intend to use. You might also go to the manufacturer's web site and
download the manual. It should give you wiring diagrams and info about the
software included with the UPS for monitoring it.

-Paul Randall

"Jeff Hanley" <JeffHanley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:00BAC667-E6F3-4D72-ADCE-530ADD1FEEFF@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
First time posting to the newsgroups - sorry if this is not the correct
group.

I'm interested in using the built-in UPS support in Windows Media Center
for
an in-car PC. I see I can select a 'generic' manufacturer, and 'custom'
model and select my serial port to communicate on (I'm using Com1).

When I attempt to configure the interface I get three options to enable,
each one having negative/positive as a selection. The three options are:
Power Fail/On Battery, Low Battery, UPS Shutdown.

I'm assuming I can just use the power fail/on battery method, then
configure
the appropriate number of minutes on battery before critical alarm and
have
the computer hibernate or shutdown. (so that's kindof my first question-
should that work as expected?)

Second, and maybe a more simple question - is what method of communication
is happening here? What do I need to trigger to get this to happen?
DTR/DSR/RTS/CTS/RI etc? If someone can put it in simple terms that would
be
best (ie, connect (signal ground - pin5 on db9) and connect to (DTR - pin
4
on db9) to trigger the positive connection for power fail/on battery.

I'm planning on connecting a 12v relay to the ignition switch to
close/open
the loop for whatever pin(s) I need to so hopefully this will be a simple
connection.



.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: UPS waveform question for SUN servers
    ... O.K. The pure sine wave is better for systems with input ... The SB-1K and SB-2K use the same power supply. ... this UPS has caused more trouble than ... it has alleviated - with the battery sometimes discharging for no ...
    (comp.sys.sun.hardware)
  • Re: back-up power supply
    ... :I was thinking to get a back-up power supply for my PC and saw a book ... The least expensive type of UPS is 'passive'. ... the battery goes back out again when the power returns. ... One issue with passive UPSs is that the electricity is not flowing ...
    (comp.security.misc)
  • Re: ups installation question
    ... They protect connected devices from sudden power ... UPS AKA battery back-up: ... Most have surge protection et al, ... The issue of UPS vs. auto battery life is more a limitation of the ...
    (alt.sys.pc-clone.dell)
  • Re: suggestions for a UPS
    ... If you use the Server Monitor application, ... (Power, System Poard, Estimated Input Power) ... for a while and note the average and peak power before selecting a UPS. ... it doesn't report the battery level, claiming to be at 100% capacity all ...
    (comp.sys.mac.system)
  • Re: UPS and surge protection for LCD TV
    ... and surge protectors for large screen projection TV's? ... features as well as standard UPS units for computer protection. ... That depends on how much power everything you are going to hook to it ... Battery cost vary greatly depending on size. ...
    (alt.tv.tech.hdtv)