nanog mailing list archives
Re: WW: Colo Vending Machine
From: Brielle Bruns <bruns () 2mbit com>
Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2012 19:48:56 -0700
On 2/17/12 5:17 PM, Sven Olaf Kamphuis wrote:
I still long for the day when someone makes a true 16550 based USB to serial adapter... Some of the stuff I need to reprogram at the shop at times does not like the cheapie chips that are most common - I've bricked an APC network manager card at least once for that specific reason...says more about the apc network manager card... if it can't handle rs232 properly... well... (or, from what i understand from this, doesn't have checksums on its firmware files or doesn't check them ;)
:PI totally agree that the APC network cards are... for lack of a better term, a steaming pile. Unfortunately, when you have quite a few older UPSs and PDUs with old cards like the AP9606 that are still in service...
I work pretty heavily these days in repair, refurbishment, and upgrading of legacy equipment from various fields - changes of career can be fun and rewarding, and in this case, a bit more relaxing from not being on call 24/7.
When the vendor is long gone, replacement parts are scarce, and everything is serial based, you learn pretty quick that quirks and timing issues can wreck and trash a controller. Usually equals the junking of whole pieces of machinery or expensive replacement parts.
So, while some people have messaged me off list giving me grief for suggesting it, I have my reasons for desiring such a 'strange beast'.
In the meantime, I've got a passive ISA backplane, a collection of 286, 386, and higher proc boards, and misc ISA serial boards (why oh why did some vendors use RS-485 on some controllers???).
<rant>On an unrelated side note and not directed at you... I read messages on this list at times, and I have to wonder if some people here forget where they came from when they first started out in the field or building their own company.
Sometimes, its not possible to just replace or upgrade things in active service just because they are older, or because they are quirky. Yeah, its easy to say, "switch vendors!", but in reality, we all know that is far from the truth.
I guess its easy lose sight of the fact that there's alot of companies and groups that don't have the luxury of million dollar budgets... or even tens of thousands in budget... Or run what they do as a hobby or charity.
</rant> -- Brielle Bruns The Summit Open Source Development Group http://www.sosdg.org / http://www.ahbl.org
Current thread:
- RE: Colo Vending Machine, (continued)
- RE: Colo Vending Machine Sven Olaf Kamphuis (Feb 17)
- RE: Colo Vending Machine Erik Soosalu (Feb 17)
- RE: Colo Vending Machine Sven Olaf Kamphuis (Feb 17)
- Re: WW: Colo Vending Machine Leo Bicknell (Feb 17)
- Re: WW: Colo Vending Machine Jonathan Lassoff (Feb 17)
- Re: WW: Colo Vending Machine Bryan Irvine (Feb 17)
- Re: WW: Colo Vending Machine Mike Gatti (Feb 21)
- Re: WW: Colo Vending Machine Jens Link (Feb 17)
- Re: WW: Colo Vending Machine Sven Olaf Kamphuis (Feb 17)
- Re: WW: Colo Vending Machine Brielle Bruns (Feb 17)
- Re: WW: Colo Vending Machine Sven Olaf Kamphuis (Feb 17)
- Re: WW: Colo Vending Machine Brielle Bruns (Feb 17)
- Re: WW: Colo Vending Machine Justin M. Streiner (Feb 17)
- Re:WW: Colo Vending Machine Ken Gilmour (Feb 17)
- RE: Colo Vending Machine George Bonser (Feb 17)
- RE: Colo Vending Machine Sven Olaf Kamphuis (Feb 17)
- Re: Colo Vending Machine Jason Baugher (Feb 17)
- Re: Colo Vending Machine Randy Bush (Feb 17)
- Re: Colo Vending Machine Leigh Porter (Feb 17)
- Re: Colo Vending Machine George Carey (Feb 17)
- Re: Colo Vending Machine George Herbert (Feb 17)
- Re: Colo Vending Machine George Herbert (Feb 17)