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

hol at gaskill.com hol at gaskill.com
Thu Sep 29 09:59:09 PDT 2016


right angle would do it

On 2016-09-29 09:04, Jake wrote:
> that sounds like we should replace the plug on the end of the cord.
> 
> maybe a grounded one will fit more snugly, especially a right-angle
> plug so that the cord can hang straight down.
> 
> On Thu, 29 Sep 2016, robb wrote:
> 
>> 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
>>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>>>> sudo-discuss mailing list
>>>>>>>>>> sudo-discuss at lists.sudoroom.org
>>>>>>>>>> https://sudoroom.org/lists/listinfo/sudo-discuss
>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> sudo-discuss mailing list
>>>>>>>> sudo-discuss at lists.sudoroom.org
>>>>>>>> https://sudoroom.org/lists/listinfo/sudo-discuss
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> sudo-discuss mailing list
>>>>> sudo-discuss at lists.sudoroom.org
>>>>> https://sudoroom.org/lists/listinfo/sudo-discuss
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> sudo-discuss mailing list
>>>>> sudo-discuss at lists.sudoroom.org
>>>>> https://sudoroom.org/lists/listinfo/sudo-discuss
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>> 
>> 



More information about the sudo-discuss mailing list