pdu — Low-level util for Power Distribution Units

Minimal Python package for controlling PDUs.
Currently includes a Telnet driver for Eaton EMAT-08 / EMAT-10 units and SSH drivers for DLI DC3 and WTI NPS Series units.

• Thread-safe send/receive

Features

• TCP protocol
• CRLF framing on write, read with configurable timeout.
• Helpers: outlet_on(n), outlet_off(n), outlet_status(n), get_atomic_value("model" | "version").
• List items: get_atomic_value("help")
• Safe to subclass or retarget to other PDUs

Requirements

• Python 3.8+ (tested on 3.8/3.10/3.12)
• pip, setuptools, wheel
• Network access to the PDU’s TCP ASCII control port through telnet
  • set up PDU to use telnet protocol (usually with port 23)
    • Access the Web interface and log in
    • Under Network and Security, select Global
    • In the Ports Settings panel, select Telnet from the drop-down list
    • Click "Save"
    • Open the System submenu in the Settings menu. In the Network Management Card panel, click "Restart network management card"
• Dependency: hardware_device_base (installed automatically via pyproject.toml)

Quickstart

Install (editable for development)

python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate        # Windows: .venv\Scripts\activate
pip install -U pip setuptools wheel
pip install -e .

Use the Eaton EMAT Telnet driver

from src.emat08_10 import EatonEMAT

# Create driver (3s read timeout)
pdu = EatonEMAT()

# Connect over Telnet (default port is 23)
assert pdu.connect(
  host="redeaton1",
  port=23,
  username="admin",
  password="your_password",
)

# Initialize pdu object (good to do first)
pdu.initialize()

# Turn outlet 3 ON
pdu.outlet_on(3)

# Get outlet 3 status
pdu.get_atomic_value("outlet_status3")

# Query outlet 3 status (reads PresentStatus.SwitchOnOff)
reply = pdu.outlet_status(3)
print("Status:", reply)

# Get all outlets' status
pdu.get_all_values("outlet_status")

# Device info
print("Model:", pdu.get_atomic_value("model"))  # PDU.PowerSummary.iPartNumber
print("Firmware Version:",
      pdu.get_atomic_value("version"))  # PDU.PowerSummary.iVersion

# Clean up
pdu.disconnect()

Use the DLI DC3 SSH driver

from src.dli_dc3 import Dlidc3

# Create driver
pdu = Dlidc3()

# Connect over SSH (port 22)
pdu.connect(
  host="dlipdu1",
  username="admin",
  password="your_password",
)
assert pdu.is_connected()

# Initialize pdu object (reads model, name, version, outlet names and states)
pdu.initialize()

# Turn outlet 3 ON
pdu.outlet_on(3)

# Query outlet 3 status (True = on, False = off)
print("Status:", pdu.outlet_status(3))

# Get outlet 3 state through the generic getter (outlet number is a suffix)
pdu.get_atomic_value("state3")

# Power-cycle outlet 3
pdu.outlet_cycle(3)

# Rename outlet 3
pdu.set_outlet_name(3, "Camera")
print("Name:", pdu.get_outlet_name(3))

# Lock outlet 3 so it can't be switched
pdu.lock_outlet(3)

# Device info (cached by initialize())
print("Model:", pdu.model)
print("Firmware Version:", pdu.version)

# Clean up
pdu.disconnect()

Use the WTI NPS SSH driver

The NPS is driven through its text command line (CLI) over SSH, which is enabled at the factory (default IP 192.168.168.168, username and password super). Section numbers (§) refer to the WTI User's Guide, Part No. 14527 Rev. C.

from src.wti_nps import WtiNps

# Create driver (5s read timeout)
pdu = WtiNps()

# Connect over SSH (port 22)
pdu.connect(
  host="wtipdu1",
  username="super",
  password="your_password",
)
assert pdu.is_connected()

# Initialize pdu object (reads unit info with /J * and the plug table with /S)
pdu.initialize()

# Switch outlets (/ON, /OFF, /BOOT); a list switches several at once
pdu.outlet_on(3)
pdu.outlet_off([1, 2])
pdu.outlet_cycle(4)

# Query outlet 3 status (True = on, False = off; re-reads /S)
print("Status:", pdu.outlet_status(3))

# Get outlet 3 state through the generic getter (outlet number is a suffix)
pdu.get_atomic_value("state3")   # also busy, name, boot_delay, default, priority

# All outlets, as a dict keyed by plug id
print(pdu.get_outlets())

# Set every outlet to its Power Up Default state (/DPL)
pdu.all_outlets_default()

# Device info (cached by initialize())
print("Model:", pdu.model)
print("Firmware Version:", pdu.version)
print("Temperature:", pdu.get_atomic_value("temperature"))

# Clean up (logs out with /X)
pdu.disconnect()

Notes:

• Telnet is not supported, since it sends the password in plain text.
• Switching commands add ,Y to skip the "Sure? (Y/N)" prompt (§12.2).
• The reply is read up to the CLI prompt (e.g. NPS>). If the Command Prompt scripting option (§7.1.5) has been changed, pass prompt_pattern= to WtiNps().
• In Automated Mode (§7.1.5.3) the unit doesn't show the status screen after switching, so call get_outlets() to refresh the cached outlet table.
• The guide shows the /S and /J * screens only as images, so their parsers are best guesses and have not been checked against a real unit yet.
• Not yet implemented: setting plug names (so set-plug-names doesn't support WTI yet), plug groups, current metering (/M) and alarm status (/AS).

Set plug names from a config file

Installing the package also installs a set-plug-names command. It sets the outlet (plug) names on either supported PDU type from a YAML config file:

type: emat08_10        # or dli_dc3
host: redeaton1
port: 23               # optional, default 23
username: admin        # optional, default admin
password: secret       # optional; prompted for if omitted
plugs:
  1: Camera
  2: Filter wheel
  3: Spare

Only the plugs listed are changed. Plug numbers are 1-based.

set-plug-names pdu.yaml

The command prints OK or FAILED for each plug. It exits with status 0 if every plug was set, 1 if any plug failed, and 2 if the config file could not be read or the PDU could not be reached.

Leave password out of the file to be prompted for it, so it isn't stored in plain text.

The same thing can be done from Python:

from pdu.set_plug_names import set_plug_names

results = set_plug_names("pdu.yaml")   # {1: True, 2: True, 3: True}