Re: Looking for power metering equipment...

2004-01-15 Thread Scott McGrath


Concur with you need wattage not amperage.  There is a 'relatively' cheap 
method of doing this however local electrical codes may put a damper on 
this type of project.

You put a current transformer on each branch circuit.  A 'typical' current 
transformer will generate 1Millivolt per Milliampere.  You then install a 
A/D board in a PC and write a simple application to query each channel of 
the A/D.  or purchase a commercially available SMNP datalogger.


Scott C. McGrath

On Thu, 15 Jan 2004, David Lesher wrote:

 
 Speaking on Deep Background, the Press Secretary whispered:
  
  
  Question: We are looking for something that sits in the PDUs or branch
  circuit-breaker distribution load centers, that, on a branch-circuit by
  branch-circuit basis, can monitor amperage, and be queried by SNMP.
  
  Considering there are several hundreds of circuits to be monitored, cheap
  and featureless (all we need is amperage via SNMP) is fine.
 
 You really want wattage. The power factor of switched supplies
 is far from unity.
 
 Take a look at http://www.quadlogic.com/transmeter1.html
 
 Also, recall you sell each watt twice -- once to heat up
 a chassis, and a 2nd time for the HVAC to cool it.
 
 
 
 
 -- 
 A host is a host from coast to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
  no one will talk to a host that's close[v].(301) 56-LINUX
 Unless the host (that isn't close).pob 1433
 is busy, hung or dead20915-1433
 



Re: Looking for power metering equipment...

2004-01-15 Thread David Lesher

Speaking on Deep Background, the Press Secretary whispered:
 
 
 
 Concur with you need wattage not amperage.  There is a 'relatively' cheap 
 method of doing this however local electrical codes may put a damper on 
 this type of project.
 
 You put a current transformer on each branch circuit.  A 'typical' current 
 transformer will generate 1Millivolt per Milliampere.  You then install a 
 A/D board in a PC and write a simple application to query each channel of 
 the A/D.  or purchase a commercially available SMNP datalogger.
 

I assume Alex is looking for a boxed solution. If not concur
it's Not Rocket Science [TM-ClickClack] to build a system. You
can do the voltage sensing safely. {My too-early AM thinking is
that there will be too little phase shift in an unloaded Voltage
Transformer to worry about.}

You'd need a VT per panel leg, but a CT per branch circuit.




-- 
A host is a host from coast to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
 no one will talk to a host that's close[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead20915-1433


Re: Looking for power metering equipment...

2004-01-15 Thread Richard J. Sears

Hi Alex,

We monitor almost 400 20amp and 30amp 110V and 208V circuit breakers in
our data center in San Deigo. We utilize a system called Data Trax which
is tied into our Remote Power Panels and monitoring gear made by a
company called Invensys. Our power comes from our UPSs, ties into
redundant PDUs and then hits the RPPs where we pick up load with
inductive donuts. 

In our case, the Data Trax system alerts us is the usage goes over a
certain amperage that we set. As we sell 1/3 cabinets and only allow
customers 5.33 amps, we set those to alert (via e-mail, trap and visual
warning in my NOC) when those customers go over 5 amps. On standard 20
amp circuits, we alert at 15 amps. The customer is also notified at the
same time via e-mail so they can take corrective action.

We utilize the same system to monitor our DC plants as well.

The system works very well for us. Hope this helps a bit. Let me know if
I can answer any other questions.

http://www.invensys.com/

On Thu, 15 Jan 2004 01:33:52 -0500 (Eastern Standard Time)
Alex Rubenstein [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 
 
 Preamble: We run a colocation center. We sell power to customers.
 
 Question: We are looking for something that sits in the PDUs or branch
 circuit-breaker distribution load centers, that, on a branch-circuit by
 branch-circuit basis, can monitor amperage, and be queried by SNMP.
 
 Considering there are several hundreds of circuits to be monitored, cheap
 and featureless (all we need is amperage via SNMP) is fine.
 
 Looked at things like Square-D PowerLogin stuff, but thats very pricey,
 and does about 30x what we need.
 
 Pointers? URLs? Experiences?
 
 Thanks.


**
Richard J. Sears
Vice President 
American Digital Network  

[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.adnc.com

858.576.4272 - Phone
858.427.2401 - Fax


I fly because it releases my mind 
from the tyranny of petty things . . 


Work like you don't need the money, love like you've
never been hurt and dance like you do when nobody's
watching.



Re: Looking for power metering equipment...

2004-01-15 Thread doug

I'd like to find some small, cheap ammeters.  I only need a readable
analog dial for current, no SNMP or anything fancy.  I'd like to be able
to hardwire one to each individual circuit going into the racks.

Anyone know a candidate?

Thanks,

Doug


Re: Looking for power metering equipment...

2004-01-15 Thread Mark E. Mallett

On Thu, Jan 15, 2004 at 11:17:56AM -0500, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
 I'd like to find some small, cheap ammeters.  I only need a readable
 analog dial for current, no SNMP or anything fancy.  I'd like to be able
 to hardwire one to each individual circuit going into the racks.
 
 Anyone know a candidate?

As odd as it sounds: Radio Shack makes some little wattmeters that can
show current, wattage, voltage on its single outlet, for something
like $20-$30 (I forget, I bought one a year or so ago to play around
with).  Digital readout though, not analog.  One annoying thing:  no
reset button for the cumulative stats, only powercycle will clear it.

mm


Re: Looking for power metering equipment...

2004-01-15 Thread Mark E. Mallett

On Thu, Jan 15, 2004 at 11:40:54AM -0500, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
 Do you know a model number?  I can't seem to find anything like this on
 radioshack.com.

(cc'd to nanog ..)

Shoot, I should have looked first.  I can't find it either.  I found
the note from January 2003 where I heard about it, and it said:


http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLGcategory%5Fname=CTLG%5+F008%5F021%5F003%5F000product%5Fid=63%2D1152

or just go to radioshack.com and search for watt meter (two words)
under test equipment orwhatever..

it says they're sold out online, so I don't know if they discontinued
it after not getting a lot of sales.

The last sentence is foreboding.

Sorry about that.

mm


RE: Looking for power metering equipment...

2004-01-15 Thread Ejay Hire

Repairclinic.com has the Kill-a-watt meter for ~40.00.  Goes
up to 15 amps, but requres a unplug-plug making it
questionable for data center use.

http://www.repairclinic.com/0081.asp?RccPartID=1012487Acc=1

-e 


 -Original Message-
 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
On 
 Behalf Of Mark E. Mallett
 Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2004 10:59 AM
 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
 Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
 Subject: Re: Looking for power metering equipment...
 
 
 On Thu, Jan 15, 2004 at 11:40:54AM -0500,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
  Do you know a model number?  I can't seem to find
anything 
 like this on
  radioshack.com.
 
 (cc'd to nanog ..)
 
 Shoot, I should have looked first.  I can't find it
either.  I found
 the note from January 2003 where I heard about it, and it
said:
 
 

http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLGca
te

gory%5Fname=CTLG%5+F008%5F021%5F003%5F000product%5Fid=63%2D
1152
 
 or just go to radioshack.com and search for watt meter
(two words)
 under test equipment orwhatever..
 
 it says they're sold out online, so I don't know if
they 
 discontinued
 it after not getting a lot of sales.
 
 The last sentence is foreboding.
 
 Sorry about that.
 
 mm



Re: Looking for power metering equipment...

2004-01-15 Thread Laurence F. Sheldon, Jr.

Mark E. Mallett wrote:
 
 On Thu, Jan 15, 2004 at 11:40:54AM -0500, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
  Do you know a model number?  I can't seem to find anything like this on
  radioshack.com.
 
 (cc'd to nanog ..)
 
 Shoot, I should have looked first.  I can't find it either.  I found
 the note from January 2003 where I heard about it, and it said:
 
 
 http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLGcategory%5Fname=CTLG%5+F008%5F021%5F003%5F000product%5Fid=63%2D1152
 
 or just go to radioshack.com and search for watt meter (two words)
 under test equipment orwhatever..
 
 it says they're sold out online, so I don't know if they discontinued
 it after not getting a lot of sales.
 
 The last sentence is foreboding.
 
 Sorry about that.

A second or two asking Google fetched up more answers than I am
interested in sifting, but here is one:

http://www.americananalog.com/an_edgewise_mtr.htm


Looking for power metering equipment...

2004-01-14 Thread Alex Rubenstein


Preamble: We run a colocation center. We sell power to customers.

Question: We are looking for something that sits in the PDUs or branch
circuit-breaker distribution load centers, that, on a branch-circuit by
branch-circuit basis, can monitor amperage, and be queried by SNMP.

Considering there are several hundreds of circuits to be monitored, cheap
and featureless (all we need is amperage via SNMP) is fine.

Looked at things like Square-D PowerLogin stuff, but thats very pricey,
and does about 30x what we need.

Pointers? URLs? Experiences?

Thanks.