Monitoring power via my UPS

I’ve set up a few MRTG config files and some simple shell scripts to graph the available data from my Compaq UPS via Nut. This will give a basic way to monitor the combined power consumption of everything that’s connected to the UPS. Currently this is everything in the rack plus the computer under my desk (and the peripherals on top). If you like graphs, you can see them on this site.

In addition to this method, I also have a plug-in power meter that can be used on individual items. It’s currently plugged into the incoming side of the UPS. For whole house power monitoring, the Wattson looks pretty good, but it’s not exactly cheap.

Filed under: Hardware, Monitoring, Software

RSS feed for comments on this post

TrackBack URI

7 Responses to “Monitoring power via my UPS”

  1. James812

    April 29th, 2008 at 7:11 pm

    Amazing work! Im so jelous with what you have done so far! Im in the first stage of planing for my home automation system. So all i have planned out is using X10 automation system and ill be desiging custom software for the server end. Ill also am buying 8 inch touch screens and a thin client computer with windows XPe or a linux based thin os to mount behind the monitor through the vesa mount. Theres still alot for me to think of how to stream audio and video through the house and how to intergrate security, home automation and heating in the control of one server or perhapes 2 servers.

    This though has given me new ideas to think of, so keep up the great work!

  2. killswtch

    May 5th, 2008 at 10:41 am

    Thanks James. It sounds like your projects are quite similar to mine, although I probably won’t do too much - if anything - along the lines of X10. Will you be writing about it as you go along?

  3. James812

    June 4th, 2008 at 1:17 pm

    Yes i probally will. Althought mines going to be windows based custom software i decided now. Im in the process of getting the equipment now. I have so far a 1U P4 Server, Cisco Catalyst 3524-XL-PWR and a 2912-XL switches, and a Cisco Aironet 1100 series wireless G accesspoint and a HP t5520 thin client for testing. Still need plenty of things to buy. I now have an idea how ill design the system. Each thin client computer has a touch screen for access control. Each thin client also has sensors attached to it such as RFID scanner, tempeture, humidity, light levels, cameras, door locks and such attached to it. Each thin client sends all this data to a centeral server to register this data so that all thin client can share this information. I still have not decided how ill go about disturbuting music and video. Possible ill just stream it to each thin client computer for each room on demand and have just Media Center clients for the TV. Ill post when i got more information and a link when i have the site setup.

  4. killswtch

    June 4th, 2008 at 5:11 pm

    Wow, that’s pretty impressive.

  5. James812

    June 6th, 2008 at 6:48 pm

    If anyone is looking for a cheap wall mount touch screen display i found one for only 299! It runs windows ce and can be programmed in C++, C# compact and VB.net compact. A great unit for programming your own interface for music, lighting and security needs.

    Thats what ill be using through out the rooms with the house.

  6. James812

    June 6th, 2008 at 6:49 pm

    my mistake i forgot the url for the wall mount touch screen its: http://www.eautomationpro.com/us/product/modl_1-2IZ84H.aspx

  7. killswtch

    June 6th, 2008 at 8:08 pm

    Cool. For anyone in the UK, that nice little wall mount can be bought from http://www.amplicon.co.uk/IPC/product/Panel-TPC-30T-3762.cfm for £199 - not quite at the exchange rate, but not bad.

    Unfortunately most of the walls are brick, so it would take a lot of work to get wallmount PCs installed, so I’ll be going for similar small touchscreens that can sit on a table or worktop.

Leave a Reply