Re: infinite messages from acpitz0

[Paul Goyette <paul%whooppee.com@localhost>]

Based on the ATZ_F_VERBOSE output generated by the patch I supplied, it 
looks to me like we are behaving exactly as we should!

On Thu, 24 Dec 2009, Frank Wille wrote:

> Ok. Here is the log:

(PG: Snipping only the acpitz0 stuff)

> Dec 24 00:18:44 nx6310 /netbsd: acpitz0 at acpi0 (TZ0): active cooling
>        level 0: 80.0C active cooling level 1: 70.0C active cooling
>        level 2: 60.0C active cooling level 3: 50.0C
> Dec 24 00:18:44 nx6310 /netbsd: acpitz0: zone temperature is now 53.0C
> Dec 24 00:18:44 nx6310 /netbsd: acpitz0: active cooling level 3

This is correct action - the temp meets or exceeds the level-3 active 
cooling threshold.  We have executed the tz's power-down routine for 
level 3 (I have no clue what actually gets turned off here, it is 
handled in the BIOS).

> Dec 24 00:19:04 nx6310 /netbsd: acpitz0: zone temperature is now 53.0C
> Dec 24 00:19:04 nx6310 /netbsd: acpitz0: warning over limit on 'temperature'

> Dec 24 00:19:34 nx6310 /netbsd: acpitz0: zone temperature is now 45.0C
> Dec 24 00:19:34 nx6310 /netbsd: acpitz0: normal state on 'temperature'
> Dec 24 00:19:34 nx6310 /netbsd: acpitz0: no active cooling level

OK, our cooling efforts were successful.  Whatever gets powered down by 
level-3 was enough to get the temperature to drop.  We turn everything 
back on.

> Dec 24 00:20:04 nx6310 /netbsd: acpitz0: zone temperature is now 50.0C
> Dec 24 00:20:04 nx6310 /netbsd: acpitz0: active cooling level 3
> Dec 24 00:20:04 nx6310 /netbsd: acpitz0: warning over limit on 'temperature'

Unfortunately, the temp has gone back up again, and has reached the 
threshold.  So we report it, and we go back into thermal-reduction power 
off mode again.

> Dec 24 00:20:34 nx6310 /netbsd: acpitz0: zone temperature is now 50.0C
> Dec 24 00:21:04 nx6310 /netbsd: acpitz0: zone temperature is now 45.0C
> Dec 24 00:21:04 nx6310 /netbsd: acpitz0: normal state on 'temperature'
> Dec 24 00:21:04 nx6310 /netbsd: acpitz0: no active cooling level
> Dec 24 00:21:34 nx6310 /netbsd: acpitz0: zone temperature is now 50.0C
> Dec 24 00:21:34 nx6310 /netbsd: acpitz0: active cooling level 3
> Dec 24 00:21:34 nx6310 /netbsd: acpitz0: warning over limit on 'temperature'
> Dec 24 00:22:04 nx6310 /netbsd: acpitz0: zone temperature is now 50.0C
> Dec 24 00:22:34 nx6310 /netbsd: acpitz0: zone temperature is now 45.0C
> Dec 24 00:22:34 nx6310 /netbsd: acpitz0: normal state on 'temperature'
> Dec 24 00:22:34 nx6310 /netbsd: acpitz0: no active cooling level
> Dec 24 00:23:04 nx6310 /netbsd: acpitz0: zone temperature is now 50.0C
> Dec 24 00:23:04 nx6310 /netbsd: acpitz0: active cooling level 3
> Dec 24 00:23:04 nx6310 /netbsd: acpitz0: warning over limit on 'temperature'
>
> Do you need more to get a picture, or is it enough? It's strange that
> the zone0 temperature jumps between 45C and 50C.

Well, not necessarily that strange.  As soon as the temp reaches the 50C 
threshold, we take action to manage the thermal load.  This is the whole 
point behind "active cooling".  The actions taken obviously work, since 
the temp quickly drops back down below the threshold.

The only thing strange I see is that the values are always EXACTLY 45C 
and 50C.  Never anything in between.  But that could simply be a result 
of the manufacturer's choice of sensor.  (You said earlier that this 
problem goes away when you are running on battery power instead of on 
mains;  what values do you get for acpitz0 under those conditions?)

I would suggest that perhaps you want to enable powerd (in rc.conf) and 
then tailor the entries in /etc/powerd/scripts to filter out the syslog 
messages from acpitz0.  (Without enabling powerd, these messages are 
logged directly by the kernel with no chance to filter them.)

But anyway, thanks for having this problem - it did enable me to find a 
couple other issues (one with acpitz and another with sysmon).  :)


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