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ESR's Newest Project: An Open Hardware/Open Source UPS (ibiblio.org)
An anonymous reader writes:
Last month Eric S. Raymond complained about his choices for a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply), adding that "This whole category begs to be disrupted by an open-hardware [and open-source] design that could be assembled cheaply in a makerspace from off-the-shelf components, an Arduino-class microcontroller, and a PROM...because it's possible, and otherwise the incentives on the vendors won't change." It could be designed to work with longer-lasting and more environmentally friendly batteries, using "EV-style intelligent battery-current sensors to enable accurate projection of battery performance" (along with a text-based alert system and a USB monitoring port).
Calling the response "astonishing," Raymond noted the emergence within a week of "the outlines of a coherent design," and in an update on GitLab reported that "The response on my blog and G+ was intense, almost overwhelming. It seems many UPS users are unhappy with what the vendors are pushing" -- and thus, the UPSide project was launched. "We welcome contributors: people with interest in UPSes who have expertise in battery technology, power-switching electronics, writing device-control firmware, relevant standards such as USB and the DMTF battery-management profile. We also welcome participation from established UPS and electronics vendors. We know that consumer electronics is a cutthroat low-margin business in which it's tough to support a real R&D team or make possibly-risky product bets. Help us, and then let us help you!"
There's already a Wiki with design documents -- plus a process document -- and Raymond says the project now even has a hardware lead with 30 years experience as a power and signals engineer, plus "a really sharp dev group. Half a dozen experts have shown up to help spec this thing, critique the design docs, and explain EE things to ignorant me." And he's already touting "industry participation! We have a friendly observer who's the lead software architect for one of the major UPS vendors." Earlier Raymond identified his role as "basically, product manager -- keeper of the requirements list and recruiter of talent" -- though he admits on his blog that he's already used a "cute hack" to create a state/action diagram for the system, "by writing a DSL to generate code in another DSL and provably correct equivalent C application logic."
He adds to readers of the blog that if that seems weird to you, "you must be new here."
Calling the response "astonishing," Raymond noted the emergence within a week of "the outlines of a coherent design," and in an update on GitLab reported that "The response on my blog and G+ was intense, almost overwhelming. It seems many UPS users are unhappy with what the vendors are pushing" -- and thus, the UPSide project was launched. "We welcome contributors: people with interest in UPSes who have expertise in battery technology, power-switching electronics, writing device-control firmware, relevant standards such as USB and the DMTF battery-management profile. We also welcome participation from established UPS and electronics vendors. We know that consumer electronics is a cutthroat low-margin business in which it's tough to support a real R&D team or make possibly-risky product bets. Help us, and then let us help you!"
There's already a Wiki with design documents -- plus a process document -- and Raymond says the project now even has a hardware lead with 30 years experience as a power and signals engineer, plus "a really sharp dev group. Half a dozen experts have shown up to help spec this thing, critique the design docs, and explain EE things to ignorant me." And he's already touting "industry participation! We have a friendly observer who's the lead software architect for one of the major UPS vendors." Earlier Raymond identified his role as "basically, product manager -- keeper of the requirements list and recruiter of talent" -- though he admits on his blog that he's already used a "cute hack" to create a state/action diagram for the system, "by writing a DSL to generate code in another DSL and provably correct equivalent C application logic."
He adds to readers of the blog that if that seems weird to you, "you must be new here."
Shouldn't we be working on an open hardware/open source FedEx instead?!
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There's already a product that does this, it's been around for years. Actually there are lots and lots of things like this out there.
The killer isn't designing the thing, that's relatively straightforward ("relatively" meaning you need a couple of experienced EEs, 6-12 months, and $50K or so to get the kinks worked out). What's not straightforward is getting it manufactured in quantity and UL rated. Open source works OK for software where the "manufacturing" cost is zero and there's no need for any safety certification, but less well for anything else.
1) skip the fucking usb. Go with network. Or at least allow a usb/network adapter. 2) it is long past to have a direct dc line from battery to going past computer power supply. Converting from DC to AC and back is so inefficient. Instead have 48V connector and let power supply take it down. 3) ideally, rack mountable.
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
The insurance company is not going to give a shit if I was super careful in putting it together.
Oh wow, American insurance companies only cover you if you use normal off the shelf gear in ways specified by the manufacturer? Do you not have accidents in America or something? Why do you even bother having insurance if it only covers the situations where you're least likely to need it?
Already exists, it's called OpenUPS and NUC-UPS. In fact OpenUPS is pretty close to what ekr is proposing, only it already exists as a finished product. Guess he didn't do much Googling before he came up with his one...
OpenUPS2 and NUC-UPS can only provide about 60W, maybe 100W peak for short periods. And they are DC only, so you can't run your workstation monitor from them making saving your work and shutting down a bit tricky. ESR specifically says he wants to run a 150W monitor from it.
Those little things are great for low power DC servers, but useless for workstations.
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
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