RTSensors-2 FAQ

Last Update: July 24th 2006

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1. What is RTSensors?
2. I need help to install RTSensors
3. Can I set a constant fan speed with RTSensors?
4. Which hardware is supported?
5. How do I know which hardware is in my motherboard?
6. How can I get my hardware supported?
7. What the hell is a fan divisor?
8. What are PWM and PWM clock divisors?
9. My fans are not slowing down. What is wrong?
10. My fans work fine for a moment, but when fan speed is going down, some readings are too big or false, why?

1. What is RTSensors?

RTSensors is a fuzzy logic control application which allows the user to set
safe margins for temperature and fan speed. In a whole view, the application
tries to slowdown your system fans to the minimum configured speed, while the
temperature is inside the safe range.

2. I need help to install RTSensors

For 2.4 Kernels:
1. Get the patches for lm_sensors.
2. Compile and install lm_sensors drivers and library (make / make install).
(You may need to update i2c drivers here)
3. Get RTSensors-2
4. Compile and install RTSensors-2
5. Edit the config file (vi /etc/.rtsensorsrc)
6. Run the daemon as root (rtsensorsd &)
7. Run the GUI (rtcon or rtgui)

For 2.6 Kernels:
1. Get the patches for your kernel.
2. Compile and install your kernel drivers (do it as modules, they can be updated easily)
3. Get the patches for lm_sensors.
4. Compile and install lm_sensors library (make user / make user_install).
5. Get RTSensors-2
6. Compile and install RTSensors-2
7. Edit the config file (vi /etc/.rtsensorsrc)
8. Run the daemon as root (rtsensorsd &)
9. Run the GUI (rtcon or rtgui)

3. Can I set a constant fan speed with RTSensors?

Short answer; YES.
Long answer; The configuration file allows the user to enable or disable
the intelligent control system and set a constant speed.
Check the configuration file for details.

4. Which hardware is supported?

Theoretically speaking, RTSensors works with every hardware monitor
supported by lm-sensors *and* libsensors. However, lm-sensors and
libsensors are not focused in fan control but sensor readings.
Thats why some drivers and library code must be 'improved' to
allow control of system fans.

5. How do I know which hardware is in my motherboard?

Install lm-sensors and run sensors-detect.
If lm-sensors is installed and configured, you can run the command "sensors"
to see which hardware monitors have been detected in your system.

6. How can I get my hardware supported?

Email me providing your hardware monitor model and a datasheet if
it is avaliable.

7. What the hell is a fan divisor?

See http://www.lm-sensors.org/browser/lm-sensors/trunk/doc/fan-divisors

8. What are PWM and PWM clock divisors?

PWM stands for pulse width modulation. Some hardware monitors allow
selection/division of the frequency signal that drives the modulation.
Some other hardware monitors changed the PWM output for DC amplified output;
however that output is (for convenience) also called 'PWM'.
Hardware monitors featuring DC ouput can be recognized because they lack PWM CLOCK divisors.

9. My fans are not slowing down. What is wrong?

Several problems arise when trying to control fan speed and most of them are
related to motherboard design.
a) When trying to control PWM fan output, increasing PWM clock divisor
may help. However, some motherboards lack well designed fan count sense, and
you may experience *bad readings* when the PWM clock divisor is set to a
large value.

10. My fans work fine for a moment, but when fan speed is going down, some readings are too big or false, why?

You might be experiencing *bad readings*. These bad readings are recognized by
*huge* fan speed readings. Bad readings can be avoided by
     1)Selection of a higher 'minimum fan speed' in your configuration file
     and
     2)Setting a lower PWM clock divisor.
Hence, if you see *huge* false readings, you should try one
of the stated solutions.

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