RF-TWACS Based AMR System Application Notes Revision 1 a product of Distribution Control Systems, Inc. Confidential and Proprietary Copyright 2001- 2003. All Rights Reserved PROPRIETARY NOTICE The information contained in this document is private to Distribution Control Systems, Inc., St. Louis, Missouri (DCSI). This information may not be published, reproduced, or otherwise disseminated without the express written authorization of DCSI.
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RF-TWACS Based AMR System COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL DCSI CUSTOMER PRODUCT SPECIFICATION TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 AUDIENCE............................................................................................................................................................... 1 2 INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................................................... 1 2.1 2.2 2.3 BASIC CONCEPTS ........................................
RF-TWACS Based AMR System COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL DCSI CUSTOMER PRODUCT SPECIFICATION This page intentionally left blank May 30, 2003 iv Application Notes – Rev.
RF-TWACS Based AMR System COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL DCSI CUSTOMER PRODUCT SPECIFICATION 1 AUDIENCE This document is intended for use by customers of the RF-TWACS based AMR System, and covers the basic principles, description of the hardware units and explanation of operational features of DCSI’s RF solution. Additional details are available in individual product and system level specification documents. 2 INTRODUCTION 2.
RF-TWACS Based AMR System COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL DCSI CUSTOMER PRODUCT SPECIFICATION Figure 1 – Front View of the Remote Meter Transceiver RMTR Figure 2 – Electric Meter Transceiver (EMTR) board with dipole antenna and four-pin connections to the EMA May 30, 2003 2 Application Notes – Rev.
RF-TWACS Based AMR System COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL DCSI CUSTOMER PRODUCT SPECIFICATION The installer has the latitude to create any workable network on site, and is able to confirm that it functions prior to leaving the site. A hand- held radio tool called the HandHeld Transceiver (HHTR) is available to support installation, configuration, change-outs and other field operations. An HHTR is shown in Figure 3. Figure 3 – Hand-Held Transceiver (HHTR) Front View Frequencies between 902 MHz and 928 MHz are used.
RF-TWACS Based AMR System COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL DCSI CUSTOMER PRODUCT SPECIFICATION battery life. They also assembly RF data packets that contain a unique transmitter serial number, the present reading, diagnostic information, and error-detection codewords. A block diagram of the system can be seen in Figure 4 below. CCE SCE Telephone or Radio Voice Grade Channel Powerline TWACS E UHF Radio Link ( (( ) )) EMTR and Transponder in the electric meter housing.
RF-TWACS Based AMR System COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL DCSI CUSTOMER PRODUCT SPECIFICATION Figure 5a Figure 5b Figures 5a and 5b – a) Rear view of the RMTR without cover showing the battery. b) RMTR board showing the RF circuitry, folded dipole, microcontroller and reed relay. Finally at the bottom of the hierarchy is the remote metering device (gas or water) from which data is obtained.
RF-TWACS Based AMR System COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL DCSI CUSTOMER PRODUCT SPECIFICATION either a pulser or dial encoder. The RMTR is external to the gas or water meters, and for adequate radio coverage must be mounted elevated above the ground, possibly on a wall. Product Related Terms CCE, Central Communication Equipment. Also referred to as the “Master Station”, the current model sold to customers is called TWACS Net Server (TNS). EMA, Electronic Metering Assembly.
RF-TWACS Based AMR System COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL DCSI CUSTOMER PRODUCT SPECIFICATION must alternately share. (The same unit cannot simultaneously transmit on one frequency while receiving on another). This causes all two way communication to be half duplex. FSK, Frequency Shift Keying. Modulation technique where‘1’/’0’ transmission occurs by means of frequency shifting. One frequency is used to represent the logical ‘1’ and a different frequency to represent the logical ‘0’.
RF-TWACS Based AMR System COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL DCSI CUSTOMER PRODUCT SPECIFICATION value of a dyna mically moving register into a static register. Both the “present read” and “frozen read” represent shifted readings. Total Consumption (TC), Is the total amount of consumption registered by the device since installation. Rollover of the count (to zero) may occur at some point during the life of the product. Units of measure vary by service and model. STU, Serial Time Unit.
RF-TWACS Based AMR System COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL DCSI CUSTOMER PRODUCT SPECIFICATION As can be seen, EMTRs never request a link; they are always acceptor transceivers. By contrast, RMTRs never grant a link; they are always requestor transceivers. The HHTR, since it must be able to communicate with both EMTRs and RMTRs, can act as either an acceptor transceiver (with an RMTR) or a requestor transceiver (with an EMTR).
RF-TWACS Based AMR System COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL DCSI CUSTOMER PRODUCT SPECIFICATION Figure 7 - EMT-3 C-MP board hosting the Centron’s LCD/Metering Components and the EMTR RF Board Figure 8 – Schlumberger Centron + EMT-3 C-MP Assembly May 30, 2003 10 Application Notes – Rev.
RF-TWACS Based AMR System COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL DCSI CUSTOMER PRODUCT SPECIFICATION 4.2.1.1 Initial Installation and Change-outs The installation of a Centron meter that is integrated with the EMT-3C-MP TWACS module is handled like any ordinary meter change-out. The installer must record the final reading of the meter that is removed, replace it with a Centron meter that is outfitted with a TWACS module, record the customer number, date, initial reading, and meter serial number.
RF-TWACS Based AMR System COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL DCSI CUSTOMER PRODUCT SPECIFICATION Data Flow: Data Format: Modulation: Coding: Data Rate: Data Encryption: Maximum Packet size: Max. Packet Transmission time: Asynchronous, half duplex. 8N1 FSK Manchester encoding (3200 bps) 1600 bps DCSI proprietary method #1 Complies with FCC rules. Complies with FCC rules. 4.2.2.2 Initial Installation and Change-outs When an RMTR is installed, it must be configured for operation.
RF-TWACS Based AMR System COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL DCSI CUSTOMER PRODUCT SPECIFICATION The transmission of data from the RMTR to the EMTR follows this sequence: 1. The RMTR wakes up once an hour and attempts to create a session with an EMTR in order to upload readings and tamper information. The RMTR attempts to create a session on a quiet channel using a low-power amplifier-gain.
COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL DCSI CUSTOMER PRODUCT SPECIFICATION RF-TWACS Based AMR System Timeout occurs, or ACK received from a disallowed EMTR/, or ACK is addressed to a different RMTR/ Sleep Timeout or “COMPLETION”/ NAK received/ retry packet Command received from EMTR / transmit more data Awaken with message/ “Dotting” Valid Session “ACK” received from allowed EMTR / send acknowledgement confirming link is established. Figure 9 – State Diagram for the RMTR 4.2.2.
RF-TWACS Based AMR System COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL DCSI CUSTOMER PRODUCT SPECIFICATION Coding: Data Rate: Data Encryption: Maximum Packet size: Max. Packet Transmission time: Manchester encoding (3200 bps) 1600 bps DCSI proprietary method #1 Complies with FCC rules. Complies with FCC rules. 4.2.3.2 Initial Installation and Change-outs The intent of this section is to provide general guidelines for the initial installation and subsequent troubleshooting and replacement of EMTR units.
RF-TWACS Based AMR System COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL DCSI CUSTOMER PRODUCT SPECIFICATION The session normally ends with a disconnect command. The session abnormally ends whenever a packet exchange fails and the retry mechanism is exhausted. Maintenance Session (with an HHTR) The HHTR maintains control of the session and can exchange (read and write) any allowable data with the EMTR. The session concludes under HHTR control and ends with a disconnect command.
COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL DCSI CUSTOMER PRODUCT SPECIFICATION RF-TWACS Based AMR System HRTS – HRTS functionally equivalent installation tool HHTR Configuration: Interface RS232 Logic level inverted (True / False) Keypad beep (Enabled / Disabled) I/O port (Indicator / Control) Power Configuration: LED backlight timer Power off timer Battery / charging status Information: Firmware Revision and Password Protected FCC Compliance Code Device Self Test RF specs: Same as the EMTR / RMTR Display: LCD Keypad
RF-TWACS Based AMR System • • • COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL DCSI CUSTOMER PRODUCT SPECIFICATION Transceiver equipment diagnostics Installation Data Collection Other applications 4.2.4.2.1 RMTR Configuration The RMTR must be either factory or field configured prior to successful operation.
RF-TWACS Based AMR System ( (( COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL DCSI CUSTOMER PRODUCT SPECIFICATION )) ) ( (( )) ) Metering Mechanism Pulser or Dial Encoder EMA EMTR RMTR ((( )) ) HHTR Figure 12 – Setup for Insertion of an RMTR unit to the Network The HHTR must know the serial number of any old RMTR that must be removed from the network, the S/N of the new RMTR, and the S/N of the EMTR.
RF-TWACS Based AMR System COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL DCSI CUSTOMER PRODUCT SPECIFICATION There are many different ways to evaluate a site. Some are listed below: 1. The HHTR may be used to harvest engineering data from an EMTR which has collected a history of previous RF communications with a particular RMTR. The Engineering Data register is an 8 bytes register that allows assessment of the radio link quality.
RF-TWACS Based AMR System 4.3 COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL DCSI CUSTOMER PRODUCT SPECIFICATION RF-TWACS System Software – Central Communication Equipment 4.3.1 Data Available From Meters The system is designed to supply a total consumption reading from each meter that has been frozen at a specific time of day on a daily basis. Furthermore, the system can deliver at any time, an “on-demand” or “Present” total consumption reading for each meter.
RF-TWACS Based AMR System COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL DCSI CUSTOMER PRODUCT SPECIFICATION 4.3.3.4 Timing The “Present” total consumption reading (updated hourly) is available at any time. The Daily Frozen total consumption reading is available for 23 hours during the day. The CCE must give the RCE time to move the frozen read up to the EMA. For this reason, harvest of the frozen reading must not begin until one hour after the service freeze time.
RF-TWACS Based AMR System COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL DCSI CUSTOMER PRODUCT SPECIFICATION transponders organizes data in a series of “register files.” Each register- file is a series of ports with consecutive (and therefore calculable) addresses. 4.4.1.2.
RF-TWACS Based AMR System COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL DCSI CUSTOMER PRODUCT SPECIFICATION appropriate scaling factor. The installer must also indicate the number of dials on the meter. The CCE can use this information to recreate the dial face reading as it is in the field. 5 CCE SUPPORT a. If any type of RMTR or appropriate EMTR installation (or change-out) occurs, the installer is required to update the Acquisition Table in the EMTR.
RF-TWACS Based AMR System COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL DCSI CUSTOMER PRODUCT SPECIFICATION frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation.
