i am going to throw at least three EEs out of windows over this

[solarbird]

that ups with all the voltage on the ground lead, the one we had to pull out of the server room because it was tripping the GFCI all the time

i am just

oh my god

i am dumb, like sack of hammers

like... hammer sack. hacky sack, but with hammers

i was looking at it today, trying to figure out good placement for my ground circuit modification and

the ground lead? the one with current on it? it's wrapped up in little loops in shrink insulation to save space

it's a decent number of loops, they used a lot of extra wire, i just thought it was a big ferrite but no

anyway, that big set of loops coiled up to save space, where does it live?

it lives next to the GIANT INDUCTIVE COIL AND INVERTER that is part of the power filtration circuit

like, _touching it_ close

and here i am, wondering why there is current on the ground lead

here i am, designing a circuit modification to block it

and here i am going no wonder it's so fucking variable by individual UPS because IT DEPENDS UPON WHERE THEY TIED UP THE EXTRA GROUND LENGTH DURING ASSEMBLY

i should say, in full transparency, that i haven't tested this yet and i don't even know if this will fix it but i'm pretty sure seeing INDUCTION on wire that is COILED UP NEXT TO AN INDUCTOR is a PRETTY GOOD CLUE for WHAT THEY DID WRONG

if this fixes it i don't even know what to think. other than hey, fixed ups?

oh my god.

Comments

[absynthe]

Charge them for your hours...

Also, congrats on finding (probably) the problem!

[jessie_c]

I don't think that you can call yourself dumb for expecting the people who built it to have an actual working understanding of electronics and for knowing that you don't put a coil of wire next to an inductor if you don't want induction to happen.

I mean, expecting basic competence from a company which purports to represent itself as a manufacturer of electronics is pretty standard.

[armiphlage]

Wow! That makes sense!

[marahmarie]

Good for you on figuring it out! I kinda figured you would. Can they be sued for this?

[solarbird]

Absolutely not? Induction is physics and the amount of current is not harmful. It's just not real compatible with a GFCI circuit. If they'd just stay up front that GFCI behaviour may be questionable I wouldn't even be mad. But they don't, and in fact say the opposite. So.

[marahmarie]

Hmmmm.

Well, seems for all the problems you've had over this, and at least one UPS return, if I recall correctly, there should be some recompense for all your time and trouble. Hope this fixes it for you, at least (want to see the next post on that)!