Silicon M1 Max (64G x 1TB) running Sequoia 15.4.1, connected to APC SMT1500 via USB-A to USB-C cable to one of the Thunderbolt ports on the back of the M1. I have also tried an APC USB-A to Ethernet (serial) cable plugged into the appropriate ports.
I have tried multiple cables, restarted both the Mac and the UPS, ensured the UPS USB port is active via its settings and still get no UPS options in Energy.
APC documents say there is no Mac version of their control software and direct me to the Apple Support document listed above.
Any clues or tips as to how to move forward would be most appreciated.
I have an APC UPS connected to my MPB M1 Pro on macOS 15.4.1. I’m not sure what sort of options you’re looking for, but all the information I get on the status of the UPS is in the Battery icon in the menubar. When I’m connected to the UPS, the icon changes form (slightly), and clicking on it gives me some brief status details on the unit. The only other reference I’ve seen is in the Battery control panel, where a “UPS level” percentage is added to the right of the normal battery status message at the very top of the panel.
Strange. I’ve got an APC SMT-1500C connected to my M4 mini via a USB cable from the UPS to a hub to the Mac. When I go to the Energy panel, there’s a UPS button:
If you don’t find it there, then check the USB connections. Make sure you are using the right kind of cable. APC seems to use a non-standard USB connection, requiring a proprietary cable that has a type-A connector on both ends. If you use any cable other than the one that comes with the unit, it will probably not work.
I spent quite a while chatting with an APC support rep and it has been quite some time since I interacted with someone who not only knew nothing about Macs and was happy with that. After his first two suggestions were for a cable that had a DB-9 connection at one end and I replied for the second time that neither the computer nor the UPS had a DB-9 socket, he asked what kind of computer I was using. Of course, all details of the computer and the UPS were listed in the opening message, but he clearly didn’t read it.
He then said “APC doesn’t support Macs”. When I pointed out that an APC support page said they support Mac hardware, not Mac PowerChute software and referred him to the USB cable you had mentioned, he said, “yeah that will work” and closed the chat.
So, I have ordered the (hopefully) appropriate APC branded USB-A to USB-A cable off of eBay and I’ll test it when it arrives. Again, thanks for your help.
As a result of this thread, I looked at my APC BackUPS 1500, which seems to have an ethernet port labeled Data on the back. Dangling next to it was a cable with an ethernet plug (is that RJ-45?) at one end and a USB-A connector on the other end. (I assume the cable came with the UPS and I fiddled with it when the UPS was new.) I hooked it up to my MBA M3 running macOS 15.5 (actually to the TB hub) and found I don’t seem to have any option related to the UPS.
At the top, on the line just below Battery, there is a report that the UPS level is 100%. And the icon in the menu bar has changed, but again I see no option related to the UPS.
APC seems to use a lot of proprietary cables. Both serial (for older models) and USB (for newer ones). I would love to know why they don’t want to use a simple USB type-B (or type-C) port. Do they really care that much about preventing use of third-party cables?
Your original post says you have an SMT-1500, but when I look at its product page, including pictures and manuals, that seems to show a standard USB-B port. But that’s clearly not what you’ve got.
My SMT-1500C (product page) shows that the back panel has an RJ45 Ethernet jack, a proprietary RJ45 serial port and a proprietary USB type-A port which requires a proprietary A-to-A USB cable. When I bought my unit, it came with that cable, which works for me.
Can you share the specific model number? With that, you can look up the manual and get the details.
In the absence of this information, here’s the product page for a BX1500M. It shows a proprietary RJ-type jack labeled for both serial an USB. The manual shows a proprietary USB cable that mates with this jack. It looks like you have this cable.
And that cable is clearly working. Your first photo shows the UPS level at the top of the battery settings panel. And the status bar shows it as well.
As for why you’re not seeing the page I showed, I assume that’s because you are on a laptop. I would guess (but don’t know for sure) that macOS is going to combine the status of the UPS and the status of the internal battery and let you configure one set of low-power settings for both.
And this isn’t too surprising. For a laptop, macOS doesn’t have to care about the UPS’s state because it will always have the internal battery to fall-back on. The UPS is only going to be charging your battery, not running the computer.
Still, it would be nice if you has some kind of monitoring beyond showing its level/charging status.
Happy to share: BN1500M2. FWIW, I cannot find that alphanumeric sequence anywhere on the unit; it came from notes that I made when I received it. (And I commend myself for being so OCD that I made such notes.) The manual, of course, is for multiple models, so it would not have helped. Sheesh.
Yes. Also, I like the battery icon in the menu bar better without the UPS connected, but could just be because I’ve come to regard change for the sake of change with distaste.
Thank you for the references that you provide in this and many other of your posts. Sometimes I follow them, often I don’t, but I am gratified that you make the information available.
OP here. My official APC USB-A to USB-A cable Model 940-0504 arrived today, purchased for $15 off of eBay.
Plugged the cable into the USB-A port on the back of the UPS and an open USB-A port on a hub and the UPS immediately appeared in USB sub-section of System Information and the UPS Options button appeared in the Energy sub-section of System Settings.
Thanks for all the help offered here to help me reach a successful conclusion.
