Universal Data Collection Set

Universal Meter Data Collection Equipment Set UFT01

In apartment buildings, it is always necessary to collect information from numerous electricity and water meters, often also from heat and gas meters. Meter manufacturers and data interfaces may be different, but all data should nevertheless be available in a joint automated system. The meter information collection solution presented in this document is universal, supporting all common meters using wire and radio connections, simultaneously being adaptable to different number of meters of all types.

The four most common ways of transmitting data are:

• Mbus (up to 250 meters theoretically possible on one wire pair (bus), the actual maximum number depends on the used equipment)

• Modbus (up to 247 meters theoretically possible on one wire pair (bus), the actual maximum number depends on the used equipment)

• Wireless Mbus (wMbus) – the wireless solution (868 MHz in Europe), over a 1000 meters in one coverage area

• Impulses (current consumption is expressed by the number of pulses sent, such as 1 imp / Wh, it is necessary to bring a separate pair of wires to the reader from each meter)

The Uniflex Systems data acquisition solution is universal, supporting all of the above-mentioned methods of communication simultaneously.

The possible number of meters in the minimum set depends on the protocol supported by the meters:

• Modbus – 246 meters (the number of devices in the set does not decrease when not in use)
• Mbus – up to 100 meters on a line
  • when not using Mbus meters, one 17.5 mm wide Mbus Line Unit and a 24V Power Supply can be excluded from the set
  • in case of a larger quantity of meters, line modules (for separate line segments) can be added without the need to add additional power supplies (up to 500 meters)
• wMbus – up to 1000 meters, the size of the reception area is determined by the use of repeaters
  • If you do not use wMbus, the wMbus receiver module can be removed from the set
  • Radio Signal Repeaters are available with battery or for external (DC or AC) power
  • Repeaters can be sequentially connected (branch length up to 3 repeaters)
• Pulses – up to 16 channels per controller
  • It is possible to add 16-channel expansion modules to increase the number of counter channels
  • When using pulse inputs, it should be noted that
    • a separate cable pair must be carried to each meter
    • pulses arriving during controller power failure will be lost
  • If necessary, pulse counting modules can be dispersed
    • the communication link between the extension module and the controller is either RS485 or LAN

The number of all of the meters in the system (above) can be increased by adding respective expansion or line adapter modules.

The controller of the equipment set can be equipped with one of two software versions – a basic solution and an improved version. The basic solution does not require an Internet connection, but its capabilities are accordingly limited. The basic solution can be upgraded to the advanced version for an additional fee.

In the basic solution, one can read the current data from the meters and download the monthly reports from the controller using a web browser. In addition, the current data is always available in JSON format. The latest data sent by every meter is also available in XML format.

In the advanced solution, it is possible to send an automatic monthly report both in text and CSV format to a specified email address. Furthermore, it is possible to link the solution to a local or cloud-based building automation or monitoring system.

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