PowerTab™ User Guide Copyright © 2011, Energy Aware Technology Inc. All rights reserved.
Table of Contents 1. Introduction 4 2 . PowerTab Basics 6 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Your PowerTab’s power modes Charging your PowerTab Joining a ZigBee Smart Energy network Leaving a ZigBee Smart Energy network Navigating your PowerTab screens Signal strength and battery charge indicators 3 . Using Your PowerTab 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.
4 . Troubleshooting/FAQ 18 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.
1 Introduction The PowerTab is an In-Home Display (IHD) that provides real-time feedback on your electricity consumption. The display communicates wirelessly with the smart electricity meter outside your home.
Insert Battery into PowerTab Magnet Button DC Power Adapter Jack Button Green Light Yellow Light Red Light LCD Screen PART 1 – Introduction 5
2 PowerTab Basics This section provides information on the primary functions of your PowerTab. 2.1 Your PowerTab’s power modes Your PowerTab has three power modes: On, Off, and Sleep. To turn your PowerTab on, press either or . Turn your PowerTab off by pressing and holding for three seconds. A confirmation screen will appear. Press again (“Yes”) to approve the shutdown. Note: Your PowerTab is unable to receive text messages from your service provider when it is off.
Wake the PowerTab from sleep by pressing or , or by plugging it in. 2.2 Charging your PowerTab To charge your PowerTab, first ensure the battery is installed, then connect the power adapter to the DC power adapter jack and plug your PowerTab into a power outlet. Note: Leaving your PowerTab plugged in for extended periods of time will adversely affect its battery life. To maximize battery life, unplug your PowerTab when it's finished charging and allow it to fully discharge before recharging.
2.3 Joining a ZigBee Smart Energy network When your PowerTab is not joined to a network, it will display the following screen: To commission your PowerTab, follow the procedures supplied by your service provider. Typical procedures will require the use of the display’s Extended Unique Identifier (EUI-64) and its install code, both displayed on the No Network screen. When the commissioning process is complete, join the network by holding and for three seconds at the No Network screen.
Your PowerTab may take up to 5 minutes to complete the network joining process. 2.4 Leaving a ZigBee Smart Energy network Warning: Involvement from your service provider will be required to recommission your PowerTab when you want to join a ZigBee Smart Energy network again. In general, you should only leave the network if you are moving, or if you were specifically asked to do so by your service provider. To remove your PowerTab from your meter’s network: 1. Turn the device off 2. Turn the device on 3.
2.5 Navigating your PowerTab screens The main screens of your PowerTab are arranged in a loop. Navigate through the screens by pressing or . The Message screen is only available when there is at least one active message. Additional message screens will be included in the loop when there are multiple active messages.
2.6 Signal strength and battery charge indicators The battery icon in the top-right corner of your PowerTab screen shows an approximation of its remaining charge. When connected to external power, the battery icon will animate to show that your PowerTab is charging. When your PowerTab has finished charging but is still plugged in, a plug is displayed in the middle of the battery icon. The vertical bars in the top-left corner of your PowerTab screen show the strength of its connection to the network.
3 Using Your PowerTab Your PowerTab provides you with feedback that will enable you to better understand your electricity bills and manage your consumption. This section explains a few ways in which you might use your PowerTab. 3.1 Viewing your current electricity use To view your home's current rate of electricity consumption, navigate to the Current Use screen on your PowerTab shown below using the or button.
number at the bottom of the screens show the current price you are being charged for each kilowatt-hour of electricity consumed. 3.2 Tracking your electricity use over time To view your home’s total electricity consumption over a fixed period of time, navigate to either of the Running Total screens on your PowerTab shown below using the or button. In the screen on the left, the large number shows the cost of your accumulated electricity consumption in dollars.
much time has elapsed since the last reset. If you want to see how much you spend on electricity during a certain event or time period, reset the total and then check it once the event is done. 3.3 Receiving messages from your service provider If your service provider has sent you a message, it will appear on its own screen. An example message is shown below. Messages will remain viewable on your PowerTab until they expire (configured by your service provider). Expired messages are not retrievable.
acknowledgment expires before you've acknowledged it, it will no longer be possible to send an acknowledgement for that message. 3.4 Viewing the date and time The PowerTab is also capable of displaying the current date and time on its dedicated date & time screen shown below. Time information is synchronized to your meter and does not need to be entered manually. 3.
When a new or unacknowledged message is available on your PowerTab, the lights will show this by simultaneously blinking once every 7 seconds. The lights will continue to blink until you have acknowledged this message or changed to another display screen. When no new messages are present, the lights will indicate the current relative cost of electricity.
Pulsing Light “_ _ _” Blinking Light “‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐” Description Green None Off-Peak price in effect Yellow None Mid-Peak price in effect Red None On-Peak price in effect None Red Green Yellow Off-Peak price in effect Mid-Peak price upcoming within 5 minutes Red Green On-Peak price in effect Off-Peak price upcoming within 5 minutes CPP in effect PART 3 – Using your PowerTab 17
4 Troubleshooting/FAQ Solutions to most of the problems you might encounter with your PowerTab are described in this section. 4.1 If your PowerTab fails to join a network If your PowerTab displays "No networks found" after you attempt to join your meter's network, your PowerTab may not be in wireless range of your meter. Try moving closer to your meter and attempt joining again. If this does not solve the issue, it may be necessary to recommission the PowerTab.
Between reconnection attempts, the following screen indicates how much time is remaining before the PowerTab’s next automatic retry. You may force an immediate reconnection attempt at any time by pressing or . The connection interruption may have occurred because: • Your PowerTab is not within wireless range of your meter.
Try moving your PowerTab closer to the meter or away from large obstacles. • Your meter’s network has gone down due to a power outage or due to being serviced by a field technician. 4.3 If your PowerTab will not turn on If your PowerTab will not turn on in response to a button-press, its battery may be dead. Try connecting the power adapter to the DC power adapter jack and plug your PowerTab into a power outlet. 4.
4.5 If you need to change the battery Your PowerTab uses a rechargeable Nickel-Metal Hydride AA battery. CAUTION: Only rechargeable, Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries may be used in the PowerTab. DO NOT USE ANY OTHER CELL CHEMISTRIES WITH YOUR POWERTAB.
You should not replace the battery with anything other than those listed here: • • • • • Energizer rechargeable NiMH battery, 2300mAH – 2600mAH Duracell rechargeable NiMH battery, 2300mAH – 2600mAH PowerEx rechargeable NiMH battery, 2300mAH – 2600mAH Sanyo rechargeable NiMH battery, 2300mAH – 2600mAH Rayovac rechargeable NiMH battery, 2300mAH – 2600mAH 4.6 Your Running Total does not match your electricity bill Your PowerTab is intended for feedback purposes only and is not a billing tool.
4.8 Your current use value does not change when you turn on/off a light Some electrical loads are too small to register a change in your meter's current electricity use value. For example, Compact Florescent Light bulbs (CFLs) draw very little electricity and may not cause a change on your PowerTab's Current Use screen. 4.9 Your service provider sent you a message, where did it go? Your service provider sends messages with a pre-set expiration time. Once a message has expired it can no longer be viewed.
5 Appendix 5.1 Safety Instructions To ensure your PowerTab is used safely, please read these Safety Instructions and the rest of this User Manual thoroughly before using the product. • The PowerTab contains a magnet. Do not place your PowerTab directly on credit cards, computers, or other pieces of electronic equipment, as this may cause damage. • Do not attempt to repair your PowerTab or DC power adaptor yourself.
• Do not drop your PowerTab or cause any sudden impact to it. • Take care when handling a damaged LCD display as the liquid crystals can be harmful to your health. If any fluid does leak from your PowerTab’s LCD, immediately wash with soap and water. 5.2 Product Specifications Communications • Frequency Band: 2.4GHz • Radio Output Power: 20dBm • Protocol: IEEE 802.15.4 Size • • • • and Weight Length: 28 mm (1.10 inches) Width: 108 mm (4.25 inches) Height: 79 mm (3.11 inches) Weight: 134 grams (4.
5.3 FCC Compliance FCC Class B Part 15 This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: • This device may not cause harmful interference, and • This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. Changes or modifications not expressly approved by Energy Aware Technology Inc. may void the user's authority to operate the equipment.
est autorisée aux deux conditions suivantes: (1) l'appareil ne doit pas produire de brouillage, et (2) l'utilisateur de l'appareil doit accepter tout brouillage radioélectrique subi, même si le brouillage est susceptible d'en compromettre le fonctionnement. FCC/IC RF Exposure Statement This equipment complies with FCC radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment.
5.4 Manufacturing Information Designed by Energy Aware Technology Inc. 134 Abbott Street, Suite 604 Vancouver, BC V6B 2K4 Made in Canada in an ISO 9000-2008 certified facility. PowerTab is a trademark of Energy Aware Technology Inc.
