Weird connectivity issues with a generic ViewPower UPS

[hmv47]

Weird connectivity issues with a generic ViewPower UPS

[hmv47]

I experimented a bit more, with the latest 2.8.2 version
/usr/local/ups/bin# nut-scanner

Scanning USB bus.
No start IP, skipping NUT bus (old connect method)
Scanning NUT simulation devices.
[nutdev-usb1]
	driver = "nutdrv_qx"	# alternately: blazer_usb
	port = "auto"
	vendorid = "0665"
	productid = "5161"
	product = ""
	# bus = "001"
	# device = "009"
	# busport = "001"

/usr/local/ups/bin/nutdrv_qx -a nutdev-usb1 -u root -DD

Network UPS Tools - Generic Q* USB/Serial driver 0.36 (2.8.2)
USB communication driver (libusb 1.0) 0.47
   0.000000	[D1] upsdrv_makevartable...
   0.000116	[D1] Using USB implementation: libusb-1.0.21 (API: 0x1000105)
   0.000586	[D1] Built-in default or configured user for drivers 'nobody' was ignored due to 'root' specified on command line
   0.000625	[D1] Network UPS Tools version 2.8.2 (release/snapshot of 2.8.2) built with gcc (Ubuntu 7.5.0-3ubuntu1~18.04) 7.5.0 and configured with flags: --with-usb
   0.000662	[D1] debug level is '2'
   0.002415	[D1] Succeeded to become_user(root): now UID=0 GID=0
   0.002484	[D1] upsdrv_initups.
---- irrelevant data snipped------
   0.271853	[D2] Checking device 5 of 6 (0665/5161)
   0.272680	[D1] nut_libusb_open get iManufacturer failed, retrying...
   0.273499	[D1] nut_libusb_open get iManufacturer failed, retrying...
   0.274462	[D1] nut_libusb_open get iManufacturer failed, retrying...
   0.275727	[D2] - VendorID: 0665
   0.275763	[D2] - ProductID: 5161
   0.275786	[D2] - Manufacturer: unknown
   0.275807	[D2] - Product:           
   0.275828	[D2] - Serial Number: unknown
   0.275850	[D2] - Bus: 001
   0.275873	[D2] - Bus Port: 001
   0.275894	[D2] - Device: 009
   0.275918	[D2] - Device release number: 0002
   0.275939	[D2] Trying to match device
   0.276023	[D2] Device matches
   0.276044	[D2] Reading configuration descriptor 1 of 1
   0.276127	[D2] Claimed interface 0 successfully
  28.512102	[D2] claim: cannot process experimental.series
  29.514398	[D2] claim: cannot process experimental.series
  30.529203	[D2] claim: cannot process experimental.series
  39.586403	Device not supported!
  39.586430	Device not supported!
  39.586445	upsnotify: failed to notify about state 4: no notification tech defined, will not spam more about it

/usr/local/ups/bin/blazer_usb -a nutdev-usb1 -u root -DD

Network UPS Tools - Megatec/Q1 protocol USB driver 0.18 (2.8.2)
   0.000000	[D1] Using USB implementation: libusb-1.0.21 (API: 0x1000105)
   0.000418	[D1] Built-in default or configured user for drivers 'nobody' was ignored due to 'root' specified on command line
   0.000437	[D1] Network UPS Tools version 2.8.2 (release/snapshot of 2.8.2) built with gcc (Ubuntu 7.5.0-3ubuntu1~18.04) 7.5.0 and configured with flags: --with-usb
   0.000453	[D1] debug level is '2'
   0.002098	[D1] Succeeded to become_user(root): now UID=0 GID=0
---- irrelevant data snipped------
   0.265418	[D2] Checking device 5 of 6 (0665/5161)
   0.266363	[D1] nut_libusb_open get iManufacturer failed, retrying...
   0.267379	[D1] nut_libusb_open get iManufacturer failed, retrying...
   0.268371	[D1] nut_libusb_open get iManufacturer failed, retrying...
   0.269661	[D2] - VendorID: 0665
   0.269691	[D2] - ProductID: 5161
   0.269702	[D2] - Manufacturer: unknown
   0.269711	[D2] - Product:           
   0.269720	[D2] - Serial Number: unknown
   0.269729	[D2] - Bus: 001
   0.269742	[D2] - Bus Port: 001
   0.269751	[D2] - Device: 009
   0.269766	[D2] - Device release number: 0002
   0.269779	[D2] Trying to match device
   0.269849	[D2] Device matches
   0.269864	[D2] Reading configuration descriptor 1 of 1
   0.269935	[D2] Claimed interface 0 successfully
   0.269991	Please note that this driver is deprecated and will not receive
new development. If it works for managing your devices - fine,
but if you are running it to try setting up a new device, please
consider the newer nutdrv_qx instead, which should handle all 'Qx'
protocol variants for NUT. (Please also report if your device works
with this driver, but nutdrv_qx would not actually support it with
any subdriver!)

   0.270022	[D2] Trying megatec protocol...
   1.284908	[D2] blazer_status: short reply
   1.284952	[D2] Status read 1 failed
   2.299748	[D2] blazer_status: short reply
   2.299788	[D2] Status read 2 failed
   3.314571	[D2] blazer_status: short reply
   3.314613	[D2] Status read 3 failed
   3.314625	[D2] Trying mustek protocol...
   4.316911	[D2] blazer_status: short reply
   4.316955	[D2] Status read 1 failed
   5.319252	[D2] blazer_status: short reply
   5.319296	[D2] Status read 2 failed
   6.333919	[D2] blazer_status: short reply
   6.333969	[D2] Status read 3 failed
   6.333993	[D2] Trying megatec/old protocol...
   7.336315	[D2] blazer_status: short reply
   7.336361	[D2] Status read 1 failed
   8.338677	[D2] blazer_status: short reply
   8.338722	[D2] Status read 2 failed
   9.341011	[D2] blazer_status: short reply
   9.341057	[D2] Status read 3 failed
   9.341069	[D2] Trying zinto protocol...
  10.355664	[D2] blazer_status: short reply
  10.355709	[D2] Status read 1 failed
  11.358003	[D2] blazer_status: short reply
  11.358048	[D2] Status read 2 failed
  12.360362	[D2] blazer_status: short reply
  12.360409	[D2] Status read 3 failed
  12.360421	No supported UPS detected
  12.360856	upsnotify: failed to notify about state 4: no notification tech defined, will not spam more about it

So at this point I'm pretty sure it's a hardware issue. ViewPower on Windows also works only intermittently.

[desertwitch]

I usually recommend trying with another USB cable and/or another USB port as well to rule out the easiest replacements.
Some UPS do behave better on USB 2.0 ports, for instance, and broken cables have also sometimes led to such problems.

Another thing worth looking into can be if there's any software-based USB power saving mechanisms in place that could force hibernate the USB connection to your UPS which might not like that (I've seen this happen with powertop for example).