Suppose you have an APC UPS and have just purchased a battery pack to go with it. Connecting the battery pack is pretty straightforward, but did you know you need to tell your UPS that an additional battery pack has been installed? Setting this in your UPS, optimizes the usage of the entire battery capacity.

Configuration using PowerChute

If you are using PowerChute software, and have connected the UPS to a computer using serial, USB or network interface, you will be able to set this parameter in the software.

Configuration using Network Management Card

1. Log into the management card using your web browser (default user and password: apc).
2. Navigate to UPS, and inside Configuration, select General.
3. Set the correct battery pack number and click on the Apply button to save it.

Configuration using HyperTerminal (or PuTTY with serial support)

If you are unable to use either PowerChute and don't have a network management card, you can use a serial console to change the battery pack.

1. Hook up a computer to the UPS via a serial cable. If you don't have a serial port on your computer, it may be possible to use a USB to serial converter, although I never tested it.
2. Start up either HyperTerminal or PuTTY (with serial support).
   Port settings are: 2400 baud, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity, flow control is Xon/Xoff. When using HyperTerminal, make sure FIFO buffer is not set.
3. When connected, you will not be greeted by a prompt of sorts. Typing in Shift + Y should show the letters SM in the terminal window.
4. Press > to see the current battery pack count. If no battery packs were installed, it should say 0.
   Pressing + will add one pack to the count, - will substract the count by one. If you have multiple packs, press + several times to add them all. When finished, press > again to check the count.
5. When finished, you can simply close the window (or end the connection in HyperTerminal).

Notice

A SU48RMXLBP battery pack is a large capacity pack. For each of these, you should add not one but two to the battery pack counter.