Troubleshooting a Computer...

[Teken]

Yes-- in the pic it is laying on the MB-- I had unplugged it after trying... no beeps of any kind. :/

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You got me thinking though....

My BI computer is on a APC UPS along with the POE switch, router, and cable modem. It records powerline irregularities...
Looks like I had a 5 second blackout

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Looking further.... there was an undervoltage event between 4 and 12 weeks ago. I don't know for certain when the machine died.... but it could have been more than 4 weeks ago...

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What brand and model is the UPS? I ask because lots of the cheaper (economical) consumer grade UPS’s will either remain on the 120 VAC line or will kick in their AVR system.

In most cases whether it be 120 VAC / AVR the cheaper UPS systems have a very wide voltage range.

Many state 90 - 130 VAC when in fact when measured will allow the AC line to drop to 80 VAC and the upper limit to 135 VAC!

A brown out (Voltage Sag) is one of the most dangerous conditions that can exist along with a creeping (Voltage Rise) that exceeds 130 VAC. When voltage sags current increases in highly regulated PSU’s.

This is why it’s important to use electronics that state a multi voltage - wide operational range. Having said that, there are many situations where you want a tightly regulated PSU / components as you know they will operate at the highest efficiency.

 

[sdkid]

What brand and model is the UPS? I ask because lots of the cheaper (economical) consumer grade UPS’s will either remain on the 120 VAC line or will kick in their AVR system.

In most cases whether it be 120 VAC / AVR the cheaper UPS systems have a very wide voltage range.

Many state 90 - 130 VAC when in fact when measured will allow the AC line to drop to 80 VAC and the upper limit to 135 VAC!

A brown out (Voltage Sag) is one of the most dangerous conditions that can exist along with a creeping (Voltage Rise) that exceeds 130 VAC. When voltage sags current increases in highly regulated PSU’s.

This is why it’s important to use electronics that state a multi voltage - wide operational range. Having said that, there are many situations where you want a tightly regulated PSU / components as you know they will operate at the highest efficiency.

it is a very inexpensive APC unit-- Back-UPS ES 550G-- so it likely does not have the tolerances found in expensive units. That APC unit is not serving the computer that died-- it is protecting my BI server-- but it recorded the brownout conditions that I believe killed the motherboard in this other computer. The BI machine survived btw...

 

[SpacemanSpiff]

it is a very inexpensive APC unit-- Back-UPS ES 550G-- so it likely does not have the tolerances found in expensive units. That APC unit is not serving the computer that died-- it is protecting my BI server-- but it recorded the brownout conditions that I believe killed the motherboard in this other computer. The BI machine survived btw...

Looks as though that model does not have any AVR capabilities that @Teken had referred to. Hard lesson I learned many years ago, do not skimp on UPS. Any uninterruptible power supply used for electronics without AVR is a waste of money.

 

[sdkid]

Looks as though that model does not have any AVR capabilities that @Teken had referred to. Hard lesson I learned many years ago, do not skimp on UPS. Any uninterruptible power supply used for electronics without AVR is a waste of money.

Output is rated at 115 +/- 8%


Elsewhere, I found the rated input voltage sensitivity before kicking in protection... 92 volts. Since it DID kick in, we know the voltage was at least that low....

 

[SpacemanSpiff]

Merely identifying that not all UPS's are created equal. AVR technology is a feature in the 'line interactive' type UPS models. The added benefits, among many, are it's ability to respond to a wide range of input voltage fluctuations in the way it conditions the UPS output, even if the threshold for switching to full battery power is not met. 'Standby' type UPS's like the 550 are still quite capable, but do not have the added benefits AVR brings.

 

[sdkid]

Merely identifying that not all UPS's are created equal. AVR technology is a feature in the 'line interactive' type UPS models. The added benefits, among many, are it's ability to respond to a wide range of input voltage fluctuations in the way it conditions the UPS output, even if the threshold for switching to full battery power is not met. 'Standby' type UPS's like the 550 are still quite capable, but do not have the added benefits AVR brings.

I bought that unit several years ago after a lightning strike (or surge?) took out 2 cameras. I thought it would be better than a surge strip. I may have to look at a new one-- will definitely look at units that use AVR tech...

 

[SpacemanSpiff]

I bought that unit several years ago after a lightning strike (or surge?) took out 2 cameras. I thought it would be better than a surge strip. I may have to look at a new one-- will definitely look at units that use AVR tech...

And several years later, your BI machine is still running