Adding power control

Development
1

Hello!

I have a http://www.ni.com/sv-se/support/model.crio-9063.html embedded computer which lacks a remote “power on/off” network interface. (Needed for maas to be able to power it on/off)

The computers power is controlled by short-circuting a jumper on the power-supply unit which turns the unit on.

My question is if you know of a means to add a secondary device that will be able to control the circuit. Very much like a simple network attached relay.

(I’m also trying to communicate with the supplyer, but I thought to ask here aswell.)

2

Hi Erik, did you consider to buy a rack PDU like APC AP7900B? MaaS supports the APC device to power on/off so the APC device could power on/off your embedded computer if your embedded computer could power on immediately right after power resume.

Or, you may search for wake-on-Lan patch[1] for MaaS and imitate how the patch was implemented[2], and then create your own customized power control device of your MaaS.

[1] The wake-on-Lan feature was removed since MaaS 2.0. The reason is shown here https://bugs.launchpad.net/maas/+bug/1589140
[2] For example, https://github.com/yosefrow/MAAS-WoL-driver . The patch may or may not work. It depends on your MaaS version.

2 Likes
3

This is great advice and its definetly a way forward for me. I wonder if you know of a smaller device to power-control only a smaller device? After all, this is an “embedded” device and the PDU here will be tripple the size ot the rest of the system itself.

Thank you so much!

4

hi tail, I’ve to try to use that on last release of Maas. I’ve tried to use this patch on Maas 2.5 but nothing. I’ve received this issue.

5

If you don’t like the size of PDU, you may consider to make a simple one on your own. A common solution is Python + raspberry PI to control a relay over GPIO. The relay could power on/off for your embedded device.

You could still need to implement a patch to add a power control component to your MaaS. Good luck!

6

Hi I didn’t make any patch work on MaaS v2.5 (yet). I am glad to share my experience if I make it someday in the future.