UPSs come up here quite a bit, so I was interested to see this video come across my Youtube feed:
It’s an Open Hardware replacement for an APC Network Management Card. It runs a small Linux distro on a SoC, talks to the UPS via a serial interface on the card-edge connector, and acts as a NUT server for any other devices that want to use it. Also does WiFi in case you want or need it. Manufacturer’s site here:
Looks like price is TBD, but the README on their GitLab site indicates a target of about 150 EUR.
Maybe 15 years ago, I vaguely recall the SNMP cards for APC UPSes costing about $250 US. And that was the simple type, without the environmental monitoring options. Today, they seem to range from $40 to $100, even some of the enviro ones on the lower end.
But, open source software and the ability to submit bug reports, or feature requests, counts for a lot today.
Having opaque, big vendor supported firmware generally means that unless you can prove that your bug, security issue or feature request is something that impacts a lot of people, (especially Enterprise customers), generally means you get ignored.
New, they’re north of $400, But I think that’s going to be a bit of a problem for this device, because (IMO) the people would would be interested in it wouldn’t be buying the NMC new; they’d be picking up a used one from eBay or elsewhere–so a money-saving proposition this isn’t. And the NMC2, at least, speaks both SNMPv1 and SNMPv3, so NUT can already monitor it over the network.
But, as you say, its openness is itself a benefit.
I ran a quick search on Amazon, and found the first 5 or 6 entries as specified, $40 - $100, US. But, to be fair, I did not check who was selling them. Nor if they were used.
Because others have had recent issues with used equipment, I avoid such today. In the past, I’ve bought some great items from E-Bay, and even the old mailing lists from 1995 time frame. (Oh wow, that brings back memories, and lets everyone know I am old .
PS: To be clear, some used part vendors are great. And stand behind their products. Like E-Bay seller the Art Of Server, (though I have no personal experience).
If it were only APC… I ordered a Roline LineSecure III 2000VA UPS for 349 €. Before checkout the shop “suggested” completing my pruchase with a matching SNMP card for a mere 409 €. A tiny piece of PCB for more than the 18 kg UPS itself. Er, thanks but no thanks!
I suppose, however, that the form factor is also manufactuer-specific so the above open hardware product would not fit.
I’d doubt it, but I expect the same principle would work.
Though very much a layman in this regard, it seems to me it would be fairly straightforward. Given:
The UPS has an expansion slot
The slot provides power and serial data
The serial data is in a format that nut speaks
Then the device looks like a small SBC running Linux and nut, with nut configured to consume the serial data and act as a network server. If I were designing something like this, it’d probably use a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W, but certainly there are other (and probably better) options.
But the form factor would be an issue. Though looking back at their design, it does look like the brains are on a separate plug-in module, so maybe they’re thinking along these lines–make several different carrier boards that are specific to various UPS manufacturers, and all use the same plug-in module for the brains.
Actually, most UPSes have either a serial port and or USB port, easily suitable for a miniature computer dedicated to the task of SNMP & Web GUI for the UPS.
Perhaps even as small as the NanoKVMs I’ve recently bought. It has a 10/100Mbps Ethernet port, 2 x serial ports and an USB port. Can even use power off an USB port, (though probably not the UPS, as that is a device port…). Maybe use a vendor specific carrier board, as has been suggested above. That would supply at the very least, power. Or, this NanoSNMP device could also run off PoE, (Power over Ethernet). My NanoKVMs came with PoE splitters.
Gee, makes me want to suggest to Sipeed that their NanoKVM hardware could also be used as a NanoSNMP device for UPSes. Even as is, without any hardware change, just pure software.
That really sounds like a good idea. I really like the idea of building the F/OSS into a card that would live inside the UPS, but that of course requires different cards for each UPS manufacturer. The NanoKVM has USB on one side, LAN on the other, and while it’s no compute powerhouse, should be plenty to run a NUT server. Maybe even a SNMP server? And, sure, it doesn’t fit inside the UPS, but it’s small enough that hardly matters.
Agreed. It would be preferable to live in the UPS’s SNMP slot. One alternative is different carrier boards, with the NanoKVM parts attached to the carrier board. Then, the NanoKVM can use power from the UPS and use an internal comm port for communication.
These carrier boards would be much simpler in design, one per type of slot: APC, Cyber Power, etc…
I don’t see why NUT, SNMP server and a web based GUI can’t be supported at the same time. It is not like their is a lot of activity…
The only problem with external mounting, is that you need both USB, (or serial), to the UPS and power. While PoE is a possibility, it would make more sense to get it straight from the UPS. Except that most UPSes don’t have USB power ports. That is changing.
Note that I would guess the USB port for communications acts as a device port only. Not supplying power.
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Er, thanks but no thanks!