APCTEST(8)		  BSD System Manager's Manual		    APCTEST(8)

NAME
     apctest — apcupsd(8) test program

SYNOPSIS
     apctest

DESCRIPTION
     apctest is a program that enables the running of certain low-level tests
     to check the operation of the attached simple signalling American Power
     Conversion Corp (APC) UPS and to check that your apcupsd(8) configuration
     is correctly setup and can establish communication with the UPS.

     For an APC UPS operating in APC smart protocol mode, apctest enables the
     reading and programming of the values of the UPS EEPROM configuration
     variables as well and the performing of a battery runtime calibration. It
     also  provides a simple TTY chat mode which allows direct interaction
     with the UPS via the APC smart protocol.  For details of this protocol
     and the available commands, refer to the detailed "APC Smart Protocol"
     section in the apcupsd manual.

     IMPORTANT: Before running apctest

     ·	 Check that the UPSCABLE, UPSTYPE and DEVICE configuration directives
	 in the apcupsd.conf(5) configuration file have been set appropri‐
	 ately; and

     ·	 Shutdown apcupsd if it is running. You cannot run both apcupsd and
	 apctest at the same time.

     When run, apctest displays a menu of options which are different depend‐
     ing on whether the UPS is connected to a USB port or to a serial port.
     For a serial port connection, there are two different menus depending on
     whether the UPS is operating in APC smart protocol mode or simple sig‐
     nalling mode - this also depends on which cable is used to connect to the
     UPS. If a simple signalling cable is used to connect to a Smart-UPS, the
     UPS will only be able to operate in simple signalling mode.

     apctest saves a transcript of the session to the file apctest.out in the
     directory from which the program was called. Its content is useful for
     debugging purposes.

USB PORT
     When using a UPS connected to a USB port (eg Back-UPS RS 1500), the fol‐
     lowing menu options will appear:

   Option 1) Test kill UPS power
     Performs a power down of the UPS into hibernate mode.

   Option 2) Perform self-test
     Performs an immediate self-test (switches to battery power to do so).

   Option 3) Read last self-test result
     Displays the last self-test result.

   Option 4) View/Change battery date
     Displays the current battery replacement date and optionally allows you
     to change it - useful when the battery is replaced so that you can accu‐
     rately keep track of its age.

   Option 5) View manufacturing date
     Displays the date the UPS was manufactured.

   Option 6) View/Change alarm behavior
     Sets the delay period before the UPS starts sounding its alarm when the
     utility power is lost.

   Option 7) View/Change sensitivity
     Changes how sensitive the UPS is to the utility power quality and voltage
     fluctuations - (H)igh, (M)edium or (L)ow. The higher the sensitivity, the
     faster the UPS will switch to battery power or activate SmartBoost/Smart‐
     Trim (features that avoid using battery power provided the under/over
     voltage is within 12% of nominal).	 This setting should normally be set
     to High unless the UPS switches to battery power frequently, in which
     case a less sensitive setting will preserve UPS batteries... if the con‐
     nected equipment can tolerate the power quality.

   Option 8) View/Change low transfer voltage
     Sets the low voltage level at which the UPS switches to battery or acti‐
     vates SmartBoost.

   Option 9) View/Change high transfer voltage
     Sets the high voltage level at which the UPS switches to battery or acti‐
     vates SmartTrim.

   Option 10) Perform battery calibration
     This performs a battery runtime calibration. This can only be performed
     if your battery is charged to 100% of capacity.  The runtime calibration
     discharges the UPS battery to approximately 25% of capacity. The exact
     percentage depends on the UPS model.

     The advantage of doing this calibration is that the UPS will recalibrate
     the remaining runtime counter that it maintains and therefore report a
     more accurate estimated runtime.  As batteries age, they tend to hold
     less charge, so the UPS's internal runtime counter may not be accurate
     after several years.

     It is recommended that battery runtime calibration be performed annually.
     Performing it too often shortens the lifetime of the UPS batteries.

   Option 11) Test Alarm
     This option will cause the UPS alarm beeper to sound for several seconds.

   Option 12) View/Change self-test interval
     This option allows you to change the time interval between automatic UPS
     self-tests.

   Option Q) Quit
     Exits from the program.

SERIAL PORT (SMART PROTOCOL MODE)
     When using a UPS operating in APC smart protocol mode (eg a Smart-UPS)
     the following menu options will appear:

   Option 1) Query the UPS for all known values
     Selecting this option probes the UPS for all EEPROM configuration vari‐
     able values known to apctest and displays them in rather raw format. This
     output can be useful for providing technical support if you are having
     problems with the behaviour of the UPS or apcupsd(8).

   Option 2) Perform a Battery Runtime Calibration
     This performs a battery runtime calibration. This can only be performed
     if your battery is charged to 100% of capacity.  The runtime calibration
     discharges the UPS battery to approximately 25% of capacity. The exact
     percentage depends on the UPS model.  apctest can optionally abort the
     calibration if it detects that the battery charge is below 10%.

     The advantage of doing this calibration is that the UPS will recalibrate
     the remaining runtime counter that it maintains and therefore report a
     more accurate estimated runtime.  As batteries age, they tend to hold
     less charge, so the UPS's internal runtime counter may not be accurate
     after several years.

     It is recommended that battery runtime calibration be performed annually.
     Performing it too often shortens the lifetime of the UPS batteries.

   Option 3) Abort Battery Calibration
     This option aborts an in progress battery runtime calibration.

   Option 4) Monitor Battery Calibration progress
     Allows restarting of the monitoring of a battery runtime calibration.

   Option 5) Program EEPROM
     Allows the programming of the values of a Smart-UPS's EEPROM configura‐
     tion variables.

     Choosing this option presents a sub-menu of programming options which are
     detailed below.

     Option 1) Print EEPROM values

	     Prints the value of all EEPROM configuration variables known to
	     apctest.

     Option 2) Change Battery date

	     Changes the battery date - useful when the battery is replaced so
	     that you can accurately keep track of its age.

     Option 3) Change UPS name

	     Changes the UPS name - use no more than 8 characters to name the
	     UPS.

     Option 4) Change sensitivity

	     Changes how sensitive the UPS is to the utility power quality and
	     voltage fluctuations - (H)igh, (M)edium or (L)ow. The higher the
	     sensitivity, the faster the UPS will switch to battery power or
	     activate SmartBoost/SmartTrim (features that avoid using battery
	     power provided the under/over voltage is within 12% of nominal).
	     This setting should normally be set to High unless the UPS
	     switches to battery power frequently, in which case a less sensi‐
	     tive setting will preserve UPS batteries... if the connected
	     equipment can tolerate the power quality.

     Option 5) Change alarm delay

	     Changes the delay period before the UPS starts sounding its alarm
	     when the utility power is lost.

     Option 6) Change low battery warning delay

	     Changes the remaining runtime minutes at which the UPS will send
	     the low battery signal. When the UPS internally calculates that
	     the specified number of minutes remains before battery power will
	     be exhausted, it sends the low battery warning.

     Option 7) Change wakeup delay

	     Changes the delay before the UPS restores power to connected
	     equipment when the utility power returns after shutting down in
	     hibernate mode.

     Option 8) Change shutdown delay

	     Changes the delay for which the UPS waits before shutting off
	     power to the connected equipment after being commanded to power
	     down in hibernate mode.

     Option 9) Change low transfer voltage

	     Changes the low voltage level at which the UPS switches to bat‐
	     tery or activates SmartBoost.

     Option 10) Change high transfer voltage

	     Changes the high voltage level at which the UPS switches to bat‐
	     tery or activates SmartTrim.

     Option 11) Change battery return threshold percent

	     Changes the battery charge percentage required after power down
	     in hibernate mode before to the UPS will restore power to con‐
	     nected equipment on the return of utility power.

     Option 12) Change output voltage when on batteries

	     Changes the nominal voltage output when the UPS is running on
	     battery power.

     Option 13) Change the self test interval

	     Changes or disables the automatic self-test interval.

     Option 14) Set EEPROM with configuration file values

	     This option allows the bulk programming of the EEPROM configura‐
	     tion variables from the values contained in the /etc/apcupsd.conf
	     configuration file.  Refer to the "APCTEST EEPROM CONFIGURATION
	     DIRECTIVES" section of the man page for apcupsd.conf(5)

     Option 15) Quit

	     This option exits back to the previous (main) menu.

   Option 6) Enter TTY mode communicating with UPS
     This option allows direct interaction with the attached UPS using the APC
     smart protocol commands.

     WARNING: Take special care what commands you enter because it is possible
     to cause the UPS to suddenly shutdown or, in the worst case, modify the
     UPS in such a way as to permanently disable it. Do NOT experiment with
     unknown or unsupported commands. Caveat Utilitor!

   Option 7) Quit
     Exits from the program.

SERIAL PORT (SIMPLE SIGNALLING MODE)
     When using an APC UPS operating in simple signalling mode the following
     menu options will appear:

   Option 1) Test 1 - normal mode
     The test result depends on the model of UPS and type of cable being used.
     Refer to the "Using apctest on Serial-Line UPSses" section in the apcupsd
     manual for details.

   Option 2) Test 2 - no cable
     The test result depends on the model of UPS and type of cable being used.
     Refer to the "Using apctest on Serial-Line UPSses" section in the apcupsd
     manual for details.

   Option 3) Test 3 - no power
     The test result depends on the model of UPS and type of cable being used.
     Refer to the "Using apctest on Serial-Line UPSses" section in the apcupsd
     manual for details.

   Option 4) Test 4 - low battery (requires Test 3 first)
     The test result depends on the model of UPS and type of cable being used.
     Refer to the "Using apctest on Serial-Line UPSses" section in the apcupsd
     manual for details.

   Option 5) Test 5 - battery exhausted
     The test result depends on the model of UPS and type of cable being used.
     Refer to the "Using apctest on Serial-Line UPSses" section in the apcupsd
     manual for details.

   Option 6) Test 6 - kill UPS power
     The test result depends on the model of UPS and type of cable being used.
     Refer to the "Using apctest on Serial-Line UPSses" section in the apcupsd
     manual for details.

   Option 7) Test 7 - run tests 1 through 5
     This option has apctest guess which cable should be used with the
     attached UPS.

   Option 9) Quit
     Exits from the program.

FILES
     /etc/apcupsd/apcupsd.conf default configuration file

     apctest.out transcript of the apctest session

SEE ALSO
     apcupsd.conf(5), apcupsd(8).

     The HTML apcupsd manual installed on your system or available online at
     http://www.apcupsd.org/

AUTHORS
   This page
     Trevor Roydhouse (current)
     Robert Huff

   Software
     Adam Kropelin (current Project Manager and Code Maintainer)
     Kern Sibbald (former Project Manager and Code Maintainer)
     Riccardo Facchetti (former Project Manager and Code Maintainer)
     Andre M. Hedrick (Project Founder and former Code Maintainer)

   Contributors
     An enormous number of users who have devoted their time and energy to
     this project -- thanks.

apctest v3.14.6		       January 10, 2009		       apctest v3.14.6
