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Mustek/Axpert 5kva serial comms - shutdown computers


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Posted

I have a Mustek/Axpert 5kva. When grid goes down I want to send a signal to 10 different linux machines to shutdown. They will start up automatically when power comes back (this is a bios setting)

 

has anyone done something like this?

Posted (edited)

https://networkupstools.org/features.html   NUT is however a complicated high-end enterprise level system , although its free . it has hundreds of drivers to support various UPS protocols , but sadly I dont see the Axperts supported .       

Must your 10 linux machines be unconditionally shut down after 10 minutes , even if it is manned at the time ? or are all of them servers ?

 

Edited by dropkick
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Posted

I am old school (and also a Windows guy more than Linux):

Firstly, I apologise if I am assuming more experience than you have, I have gone into a lot more detail below that might not make sense and I will be happy to assist if you don't follow.

1. You are trying to detect an input from some kind of signal - Preferably an electrical signal that would be more reliable than a network signal (I have solutions if you can get me some kind of network input from somewhere, but I assume not otherwise you could have built a script/api to receive)

2. The simplest signal is a relay on the input power to trigger a signal to a device (Windows/Mac/Pi/etc) to trigger another relay. This machine needs to have a small bit of intelligence to either ignore multiple signals (up/down) in a row and a few small other rules.

3. If your 10 Linux machines support Power On, then the process is very simple

Example:

1. I use a small EEEPC Windows 7 machine, permanently up unless power off for 24hrs+.

2. That Windows PC has 2 USB devices (obtained from internet at minimal cost) - A 4 relay trigger, and a 16 point input device that detects voltage (both in 12VDC range)

3. Using a small bit of programming, I scan the inputs and react on those.

As an aside: If you have some programming skills, you don't even need any of the above and just query the Axpert directly via the USB and then make sure you are not send the shutdown and startup queries for fluctuations in power.

If interested, and you have a Windows machine nearby (sorry, my scripting and code on Linux is nearly 25 years old), I can write something to do this (at a cost, I am employed by a development company & run my own).

All the Axpert USB queries and information is on this site and is freely given by user Coulomb on this site and others, so you just need a program that can do this for you.

If most of this is not understandable, then again I apologise for assuming your experience.

 am happy to help as much as I can, this is a task I do for many clients, especially when the general UPS software does not support their needs. An Axpert is just a glorified UPS (Yes, I had one when starting my Solar experience).

Posted

thank you for this fantastic explanation - you've given me a lot to think about.

 

I'm still leaning towards an RPi which will send a shutdown signal to all the machines but I do also like the idea of listening to the voltages

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