[sudo-discuss] front door computer offline (but working?)

Thu Sep 29 08:47:10 PDT 2016

the 120v outlet that powers the 13.75v supply is still extremely janky.
when you plug the cord in, it almost falls out of the outlet.
the outlet is also 6ft up on the wall so the weight of the cord makes it
even worse.

the power to the door system is the least stable outlet in the whole
building & it's powering the most crucial aspect.

On Thu, Sep 29, 2016 at 12:59 AM, Jake <jake at spaz.org> wrote:

> please do not install a UPS or battery system on the front door system.
>
> it already has one and has had one for the whole time it's been in that
> box on the wall.
>
> i meant to say this awhile ago when Robb first mentioned wanting to add a
> UPS, but I was not at a computer and able to respond.
>
> There is a 12-volt lead-acid battery in the cabinet on the wall, which is
> kept float-charging by a regulated 13.75 volt power supply in there.
>
> Connected to the 12-volt battery is a "car charger" dual USB socket, which
> takes the 12V from the battery down to 5 volts to two USB sockets.
>
> One of these sockets hosts a cord which powers the Beaglebone Black.
> The other socket feeds a cord which is supplying power to a USB hub, which
> connects the beaglebone to the magnetic stripe reader outside the door, and
> to the arduino which activates the electromagnetic door latch, and the
> speaker which makes happy and sad noises when people swipe their door cards.
>
> the arduino also monitors the voltage of the battery, and sudobot (our
> IRCbot) alerts sudoroom members if the battery voltage starts dropping,
> which is what happens if the AC power to the box gets unplugged.
>
> as you can see, another UPS will not help anything.  what we need is to
> eliminate the ethernet hub/switch between the reliable door computer, and
> the reliable server/internet infrastructure.
>
> this will be accomplished by routing the front door computer with the
> dedicated ethernet cable Marc mentioned, which has already been run.
>
> thank you,
> -jake
>
>
> On Wed, 28 Sep 2016, robb wrote:
>
> i didn't install the 12v ups, yet, as the switch is 5v/3a
>> might be easier to back the whole circuit w/ a 120v ups as the problem is
>> usually it getting unplugged.
>>
>> the outlet is about 6ft on the wall & i was thinking we could install
>> another outlet directly underneath w/o too much cutting.
>> incidentally, this is also the circuit that aqua viva uses to heat water &
>> may continue to get tripped.
>>
>> On Wed, Sep 28, 2016 at 12:26 PM, <hol at gaskill.com> wrote:
>>
>> One of these badboys is all we need assuming we can keep a lead acid
>>> battery charged nearby https://www.amazon.com/DROK-Converter-Step-down-
>>> Transformer-Regulator/dp/B00C66B3PM/
>>>
>>> If there's already a wire nest we could also deadbug a TO-220 package
>>> regulator into the fold.
>>>
>>> On 2016-09-28 12:07, hol at gaskill.com wrote:
>>>
>>> What is the input voltage to the switch, 7.5V?  I need to order some
>>> switching regulators, can get an extra one that meets power needs of
>>> switch
>>> if we want to run from lead acid battery.  Alternately could boost from a
>>> regular USB battery bank that stays plugged into a wall wart to top off.
>>>
>>> On 2016-09-24 17:47, robb wrote:
>>>
>>> i think those (myself included) who want a dedicated line should run it
>>> at
>>> our earliest convenience
>>>
>>> as to the power, wouldn't a ups be nice for between the wall outlet &
>>> door
>>> system?
>>>
>>> On Sat, Sep 24, 2016 at 5:25 PM, Jake <jake at spaz.org> wrote:
>>>
>>> last week I power-cycled the front door beaglebone black and its ethernet
>>>> interface started working again.  Before I did that, the ethernet port
>>>> was
>>>> not getting a link at all, even when connected to a known good cable.
>>>>
>>>> After the power cycle, its ethernet worked, but since I had not power
>>>> cycled the USB hub and magstripe reader, it was giving errors until i
>>>> rebooted it, and then it worked properly.
>>>>
>>>> well i spoke too soon, it just came back online by itself.
>>>>
>>>> The front door computer has a battery backup so that it can keep working
>>>> even if the rest of the world disappears.  But we won't find out about
>>>> it
>>>> losing power unless it has a connection to the internet.
>>>>
>>>> presently it goes through at least one hub on the way back to the server
>>>> area, and that hub does not have a battery backup, and apparently gets
>>>> unplugged regularly.
>>>>
>>>> I still think we should have a dedicated CAT5 ethernet run from the
>>>> front
>>>> door to the server rack, since this is such important infrastructure.
>>>>
>>>> thank you
>>>> -jake
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Mon, 19 Sep 2016, Marc Juul wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Eh it's pretty far and going through a floor and the timeless infinite
>>>>
>>>>> light room. Let's not run that again if we can help it. I'll go check
>>>>> on
>>>>> it
>>>>> in a bit. We could do a new run up to the public terminals and just
>>>>> join
>>>>> it
>>>>> to the existing wire from the doorputer to get a dedicated run.
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> marc/juul
>>>>>
>>>>> On Mon, Sep 19, 2016 at 8:02 PM, Jake <jake at spaz.org> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> the front door computer is still not on the network as far as i can
>>>>> tell.
>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> i haven't seen sudobot talk (in irc) about the front door since 9/13
>>>>>>
>>>>>> i'm assuming people are still able to use their cards to get in?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> we really need a dedicated CAT5 cable run from the front door computer
>>>>>> to
>>>>>> the server rack in sudoroom.  No hubs or switches along the way.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> -jake
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Sat, 17 Sep 2016, robb wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> reseated ethernet connections
>>>>>>
>>>>>> the bbb's ethernet port leds blink
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> i noticed the power cord is miserably connected to the wall & the
>>>>>>> ethernet
>>>>>>> run takes an unfortunate journey under the rug between sudo to stage
>>>>>>> door
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On Fri, Sep 16, 2016 at 1:35 PM, Jake <jake at spaz.org> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> the front door computer does not appear to be on the network.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> i'm guessing people are still using their cards to get in, but if
>>>>>>>> there's
>>>>>>>> a problem, for example if it gets unplugged from electricity and
>>>>>>>> switches
>>>>>>>> to battery backup, we will not be notified and will not know to send
>>>>>>>> help.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> can someone take a look at the ethernet situation over there and see
>>>>>>>> why
>>>>>>>> it's not getting back to the main network?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> -jake
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>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
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>>>>>>>>
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