[GTALUG] computer hardware testing tools.

[D. Hugh Redelmeier]

Thanks for more description of your device problems.

I take it that a "sudden spark in speach" is a click or a pop.  That's not 
going to be part of the signal from serial port.

Garbled text sent to your synthesizer needs more analysis.  That also 
isn't a typical serial signal error caused by power.  Computers with bad 
power mostly crash.

Does your synth log the input anywhere?  Can you go back and review what 
the input was when the output was garbled?

I'm not expert in UPSes.  I think that any under $100 are quite limited in 
capacity.  My guess is that $200 would get you one of suitable capacity.

Here's an inexpensive one that would work but only for very small loads 
(like a modem):
<https://www.amazon.ca/SCHNEIDER-ELECTRIC-APC-Protector-BE425M/dp/B01HDC236Q/ref=sr_1_5>
I think that has hard to replace batteries too.

There are a lot of things to know about UPSes.

- is the output waveform a square wave, a rough approximatin of a sine 
  wave, or a sine wave?  Some devices care and some don't.

- what kind of power filtering / conditioning does the unit provide?

- how much wattage (affects the load you can put on it)

- how much capacity does it have?  (affects how long devices can run 
  during a blackout)

| From: Karen Lewellen via talk <talk at gtalug.org>
| To: D. Hugh Redelmeier <hugh at mimosa.com>, GTALUG Talk <talk at gtalug.org>
| Cc: Karen Lewellen <klewellen at shellworld.net>
| Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2023 08:48:52 -0400 (EDT)
| Subject: Re: [GTALUG] computer hardware testing tools.
| 
| The feedback  term was provided by one of the folks helping me troubleshoot.
| How I am tracking this is  based on what happens to my  reading edge, which
| has its own set of diagnostic tools.
| The errors are serial port related, sudden sparks in speech, garbled text sent
| to  my synthesizer, which seem to coincide with say someone  making a power
| change upstairs.
| I am on my second computer experiencing the problem,  with the edge itself
| perfectly fine.
| Since power flow is the only factor I can influence, and I am having other
| power issues elsewhere in the space, I want to address that first to the best
| of my ability.
| So, let me translate this into short term or mid term options.
| Keeping in mind that I must install any choice myself are there say on amazon
| Canada,
| 1. a UPS unit less than $100 that  is small, just for my office stuff that I
| can simply plug in, without knowing anything about the circuits?  or
| B, a better quality surge protector  / power bar, that might help short term,
| again below $100?
| thanks,
| Kare