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  1. Using the laboratory
    1. Demo content
      1. Powering up the system
      2. WAN / internet
      3. Mirroring the monitor
      4. Performing the measurements
    2. Powering on systems
    3. Troubleshooting
    4. Configurations
    5. Purpose

Using the laboratory

Demo content

Powering up the system

  • Turn on the two 12V channels for the switches
  • Make sure that the network icon appears on the controller machine
  • Turn on the 18V channel for the odroid
  • Wait 1-2 minutes, try to connect with 'ssh odroid'
  • If you look at the 18V power consumption, the power should first fluctuate and stabilize
  • If not, there is some issue booting the odroid
  • Also make sure the DC cable is tightly connected to the odroid (accessible from the backside of the rack)

WAN / internet

  • If you need internet connection, the lower of the small switches is for WAN
  • Use the browser to check the WAN connection status (e.g. 192.168.1.1 and root:root)
  • The WAN connection only works if the WAN DCHPD does not provide leases with 192.168.1.XXX addresses

Mirroring the monitor

  • The controller PC has two outputs, DP and HDMI
  • Connect the DP to the display on top of the rack
  • Connect the HDMI cable (output port from the KVM switch) to the other receiver
  • You can also split the HDMI signal to multiple devices
  • Start the GNOME system settings and configure the mirroring mode for display if it has not been applied yet

Performing the measurements

  • Make sure you can log in to the SUT (ssh odroid)
  • Open a new terminal, ssh to the odroid, and start ./controller.sh
  • The odroid is now listening to connections
  • Start a new terminal and the lab software (./measure.sh)
  • Start a third terminal for triggering the measurements
  • You can end the measurements by pressing ctrl-c in the ssh terminal
  • You can end the measurements by pressing enter in the lab software terminal

Powering on systems

There are three types of units in the rack

  • Power always on

    • Power monitors
    • Managed switch

  • Power connected, manual power on

    • Displays
    • SFF PCs
    • Server PC

  • Power controlled by the power meters

    • Rpis
    • Odroids
    • Switches
    • Routers

Troubleshooting

Cannot receive data from power meters / no power to the SUT.

  • Check that the meter's display is on.
    1. The wire between the meter and the PSU might be loose / broken
    2. The wire between the PSU and the PDU might be loose / broken
    3. The PSU might be broken (try another PSU)
    4. The meter might be broken (try another meter)
  • Turn on logging (green document icon in the top right corner)
  • Check the serial link settings in the meter's GUI (e.g. 115200 bps)
  • Check the serial link settings in PowerGoblin's settings
  • IMPORTANT! Check that the voltage is correct
  • Check that there is power consumption according to the meter's display
    1. The channels are disabled by default after booting (the two buttons in the middle of the device control the left and right channels)
    2. The wire between the meter and the SUT might be loose / broken
    3. The SUT might be damaged - try powering it directly with its standard PSU
  • Try rebooting the meter

Configurations

The PowerGoblin manual contains examples of configurations.

If you'd like to document your custom configuration, send a pull request in GitLab. For external users it's easiest to contact jmjmak@utu.fi.

Purpose

The starting point for the design of the measurement laboratory was to define its purpose. The laboratory was built primarily to measure the energy consumption of software under different conditions and for the various devices and their interconnections associated with the operation of the software system. A secondary objective was to develop the processes and practices to organize measurements in a practical way using this equipment.

In the design, we explored different types of equipment, as well as the measurement of equipment at the component level and different forms of energy use (DC, AC, battery, different voltage levels). The meters also differed in the quantities they measured (current (I), voltage (V), power (P), energy (E), integrating and direct measurement).

Physically the lab consists of a portable rack setup on wheels. If needed, the laboratory unit can be moved to a lecture hall in the research facilities in the Agora building of the University of Turku.

The section Evaluation of hardware meters discusses the criteria for purchasing laboratory equipment and the purpose of the techniques in more detail.