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    Simple fan speed control for the Firebox X750e

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    • S
      Steve Evans
      last edited by

      After some experimentation I found that the Pentium 5 M, which is good for 100 degC, is easy to cool to 64 degC at under max fan speed and at Gbps load. I've therefore modified the daemon script to attempt to maintain that. I've also put in a check for bogus temperatures as if mbmon fails I don't want to cook my CPU!

      #!/bin/sh
      # Regulate the CPU temperature to the set temperature. The green
      # front panel LED will flash green if the fan speed is being raised
      # to control the temperature and will be set green once the desired
      # temperature is achieved.
      
      # Target temperature
      target=64
      min_temp=40
      gain=5
      delay=2
      
      # Initial fan setting
      fan=20
      
      # Loop, adjusting the fan speed
      while true
      do
      	#mb_temp=`mbmon -I -T1 -c1 | cut -d '.' -f 1`
      	cpu_temp=`mbmon -I -T2 -c1 | cut -d '.' -f 1`
      
      	# Drop out if the temperature looks bogus to prevent overheating
      	if [ $cpu_temp -lt $min_temp ]
      	then
      		/usr/local/bin/WGXepc -f ff > /dev/null
      		/usr/local/bin/WGXepc -l red_flash > /dev/null
      		break
      	fi
      
      	difference=$(($cpu_temp-$target))
      
      	# Indicate if the temperature is too high or low
      	if [ $difference -gt 0 ]
      	then /usr/local/bin/WGXepc -l green_flash > /dev/null
      	else
      	/usr/local/bin/WGXepc -l green > /dev/null
      	fi
      	fan=$(($fan+($gain*$difference)))
      
      	# Limit max fan control to 255
      	if [ $fan -gt 255 ]
      	then fan=255
      	fi
      
      	# Limit min fan control to 0
      	if [ $fan -lt 5 ]
      	then fan=5
      	fi
      
      	# Adjust the fan speed
      	/usr/local/bin/WGXepc -f `printf "%x\n" $fan` > /dev/null
      
      	# Display the temperatures and fan setting
      	#echo CPU:$cpu_temp MB:$mb_temp fan:$fan
      
      	# Sleep allowing for heat-soak
      	sleep $delay
      done
      

      Steve

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      • stephenw10S
        stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
        last edited by

        @Steve:

        I've also put in a check for bogus temperatures as if mbmon fails I don't want to cook my CPU!

        Good job. Did you read the other similar thread?
        http://forum.pfsense.org/index.php/topic,63240.0.html

        It seems as though mbmon will eventually fail or the SuperIO chip eventually locks into some odd mode. I added an option to WGXepc to read the temperature directly (mbmon reads every sensor value every time) but it didn't help.

        Fortunately it fails to 127°C so the fans just go to max.

        I'll be interested in your results from this. It could be just a bad SuperIO chip or thermistor in Bigramon's box.

        Steve

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        • S
          Steve Evans
          last edited by

          Hi Steve,

          Your new WGXepc is reading temperature just fine using

          WGXepc -t | sed '1,2d'
          

          I'll let you know if it goes wrong!

          Steve

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          • S
            Steve Evans
            last edited by

            This has been working reliably for some time, so having just updated to 2.1 and re-applied this fix I though I might as well post a complete set of files.

            Rename the attachment to lose the .png suffix and decompress. You'll find the following files. Copy them to the directory shown. Ensure that the sh files and WGXepc are executable.

            | Filename | Target Directory |
            | fanctrl.sh | /usr/local/etc/rc.d |
            | fanctrld.sh | /usr/local/sbin |
            | functions.inc.php | /usr/local/www/includes |
            | system_information.widget.php | /usr/local/www/widgets/widgets |
            | WGXepc | /usr/local/bin |

            Start the fan control thus, or simply reboot:

            # /usr/local/etc/rc.d/fanctrl.sh
            

            You should hear the fans slow considerably. The daemon will try to maintain the set temperature of 64 degC. After some experimentation I found this to work well.

            Credit is due here to stephenw10 for the WGXepc utility. Note that he's produced a couple of versions, and you need this one as it reports temperature.

            The php scripts will read the CPU temperature and display it on the dashboard as the attached image.

            Steve

            ![Screen Shot 2013-09-22 at 16.36.26.png](/public/imported_attachments/1/Screen Shot 2013-09-22 at 16.36.26.png)
            ![Screen Shot 2013-09-22 at 16.36.26.png_thumb](/public/imported_attachments/1/Screen Shot 2013-09-22 at 16.36.26.png_thumb)
            WatchGuardX750e.zip.png

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            • chpalmerC
              chpalmer
              last edited by

              Thanks Steve!  Working great here.  :)

              Triggering snowflakes one by one..
              Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-4590T CPU @ 2.00GHz on an M400 WG box.

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              • F
                frosty
                last edited by

                Should running WGXepc -f display the current fan speed that is set by the script? I had been running the fans around 60 and figured this would be a better way to control the cooling. When I started the fan control the fans shot up in speed and seemed to stay there. Temps were running around 50ish with the fans on 60. They weren't much lower after starting the script and never seemed to adjust down.

                Its quite possible I did something wrong.

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                • chpalmerC
                  chpalmer
                  last edited by

                  Everything except instructions on how to make the files executable are on this page in case it got confusing…

                  It wont hurt to try it again.  Id install the filemanager package and use that to verify files...

                  https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php/topic,66129.msg366219.html#msg366219

                  https://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/PfSense_on_Watchguard_Firebox#Controlling_hardware_with_WGXepc

                  You should barely be able to hear the fans.

                  Triggering snowflakes one by one..
                  Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-4590T CPU @ 2.00GHz on an M400 WG box.

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • S
                    Steve Evans
                    last edited by

                    @chpalmer:

                    Everything except instructions on how to make the files executable are on this page in case it got confusing…

                    It wont hurt to try it again.  Id install the filemanager package and use that to verify files...

                    https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php/topic,66129.msg366219.html#msg366219

                    https://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/PfSense_on_Watchguard_Firebox#Controlling_hardware_with_WGXepc

                    You should barely be able to hear the fans.

                    With the temperature at 50 the fans will be reduced to the minimum speed if everything was installed correctly. Did you make the scripts executable?

                    Steve

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                    • F
                      frosty
                      last edited by

                      @Steve:

                      @chpalmer:

                      Everything except instructions on how to make the files executable are on this page in case it got confusing…

                      It wont hurt to try it again.  Id install the filemanager package and use that to verify files...

                      https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php/topic,66129.msg366219.html#msg366219

                      https://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/PfSense_on_Watchguard_Firebox#Controlling_hardware_with_WGXepc

                      You should barely be able to hear the fans.

                      With the temperature at 50 the fans will be reduced to the minimum speed if everything was installed correctly. Did you make the scripts executable?

                      Steve

                      Chmod +x on both .sh files and WGXepc. I tried chmod 0755 as well.

                      I guess I should first start by saying I'm trying this on a Firebox X550e. I assume the hardware is similar enough for this to work. The box has only been up and running for a couple of days now and I had WGXepc working and controlling the fans manually until I saw this thread today and figured I'd try it.

                      I installed the files again and this time when I ran /usr/local/etc/rc.d/fanctrl.sh it didnt change the manual fan speed of 55 I had previously set. The first time I tried this the fans shot up to ff and stayed there. They are now running at 55 without any change, at least according to WGXepc -f. I assumed, which might be the problem, that running that command after fanctrl.sh would show you the current fan speed. I have not noticed a drop in fan speed sound since running fanctrl.sh.

                      I have not tried a reboot as of yet.

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                      • chpalmerC
                        chpalmer
                        last edited by

                        If you pull up the widget does it show the temperature or something else?

                        edit=  Ill say that I tried to make it work with the copy of WGXepc that I had which I thought was the same and found it was wrong.

                        Use the copy that comes in Steves zip file.

                        Triggering snowflakes one by one..
                        Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-4590T CPU @ 2.00GHz on an M400 WG box.

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • F
                          frosty
                          last edited by

                          @chpalmer:

                          If you pull up the widget does it show the temperature or something else?

                          edit=  Ill say that I tried to make it work with the copy of WGXepc that I had which I thought was the same and found it was wrong.

                          Use the copy that comes in Steves zip file.

                          It shows the temperature.

                          I tried the version I had installed as well and it said that WGXepc could accept multiple values or something along those lines. I figured that might be the problem so I used the one in the zip file before my first post just to make sure.

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                          • chpalmerC
                            chpalmer
                            last edited by

                            Are you still using commands in shellcmd or other to set fan speeds manually?

                            Triggering snowflakes one by one..
                            Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-4590T CPU @ 2.00GHz on an M400 WG box.

                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • F
                              frosty
                              last edited by

                              @chpalmer:

                              Are you still using commands in shellcmd or other to set fan speeds manually?

                              Nothing in shellcmd currently. I set it manually at the command line after first trying the fanctrl.sh command and the fan shot up to ff. But its only been set at the command line.

                              I did try setting it back to ff manually and running fanctrl.sh with no noticeable drop in speed. I didnt look to see if there was a "reset to factory" for the fan speed.

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                              • stephenw10S
                                stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                                last edited by

                                Try running WGXepc -t to read the temperature.
                                If you look at the thread I linked earlier you'll see that the SuperIO chip (which has the sensor) has a habit of erroneously reporting 125C after some time. If you haven't rebooted that box for while it could just be reporting wrong.

                                Steve

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                                • F
                                  frosty
                                  last edited by

                                  @stephenw10:

                                  Try running WGXepc -t to read the temperature.
                                  If you look at the thread I linked earlier you'll see that the SuperIO chip (which has the sensor) has a habit of erroneously reporting 125C after some time. If you haven't rebooted that box for while it could just be reporting wrong.

                                  Steve

                                  I checked that earlier and it was the same as the gui/widget and mbmon. Firewall has only been up 3 days but I'll give it a reboot and see what happens.

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                                  • F
                                    frosty
                                    last edited by

                                    Reboot did the trick, thanks for the help. Probably should have tried that first.

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                                    • S
                                      Steve Evans
                                      last edited by

                                      Just spotted the error. In my post I had the following instruction to start the fan control:

                                      # /usr/local/etc/rc.d/fanctrl.sh
                                      

                                      This is wrong. It should be:

                                      # /usr/local/etc/rc.d/fanctrl.sh start
                                      

                                      You can stop the daemon, and return the fans to full speed with the following:

                                      # /usr/local/etc/rc.d/fanctrl.sh stop
                                      

                                      Sorry about that.

                                      Steve

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                                      • F
                                        frosty
                                        last edited by

                                        I actually tried this

                                        # /usr/local/etc/rc.d/fanctrl.sh stop
                                        

                                        but didnt notice a change which makes sense because it sets the fans back to full speed where they already where.

                                        Thanks for putting this together, I like it better than manually setting the fan speed.

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                                        • stephenw10S
                                          stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                                          last edited by

                                          Any idea what speed the fans average out at when the script is running?
                                          I guess it would be very dependent on ambient temperature and cpu load but it would be interesting to hear any anecdotal evidence.

                                          Steve

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                                          • S
                                            Steve Evans
                                            last edited by

                                            Mine's sat at the minimum as per the constants at the top of the /usr/local/sbin/fanctrld.sh script

                                            target=64
                                            min_temp=40
                                            gain=5
                                            delay=2
                                            min_fan=15
                                            

                                            thus:

                                            [2.1-RELEASE][root@pfsense]/root(8): /usr/local/bin/WGXepc -f
                                            Found Firebox X-E
                                            Fanspeed is f
                                            

                                            It does rise during activity.

                                            I'm nervous about setting min_fan any lower as I don't really want to stop the fans altogether.

                                            Steve

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