This Short Presentation Demonstrates How the SCADAmetrics EtherMeter and Radio-Read Filter Can Be Used To Read A Water Meter In Parallel With the Water Utility's AMR Endpoint.

1. Jim Mimlitz
SCADAmetrics
Cooperative Meter Sharing
Between the Water Utility
and Commercial Water Customer
© 1995-2015 COPYRIGHT
SCADAMETRICS
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

2. Latest Technology Solves The Common Problems Involved With
Connecting Flow Meters To SCADA, Telemetry, & Building Automation Systems.
• Revenue-Grade Total/Flow Using Standard AMR Protocols.
Sensus, Neptune, Elster Meter Communication Protocols w/ Auto-Detect.
Most Major Meter Brands Are Compatible.
Pulse-Counting Errors Eliminated, Pulse-Synchronization No Longer Required.
Reverse Flows are Detectable/Alarmable For Many Meters.
• RRF Splitter Device Enables Data Sharing Between
Water Utility and Commercial Water Customer
Allows Commercial Customers To Better Manage Their Water Consumption
By Monitoring The Same Metering Data As The Water Utility.
Does Not Interfere With Water Utility AMR System.
• Comm To Automation System Using Standard Protocols
MODBUS® Via Serial and Ethernet Ports, Allen Bradley DF1, Allen Bradley EtherNet/IP™,
Can Communicate With Vast Majority of Commercial and Industrial Automation Systems.
• Integrated Networking
Industrial Networking Protocols: MODBUS®/TCP/UDP and Allen Bradley EtherNet/IP™.
Web Server, Remote Configuration/Management Via Telnet
• No Manual Pulse Synchronizations Required
Even After Power Outage Or Cut Cable
© 1995-2015 COPYRIGHT
SCADAMETRICS
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Key Advantages… SCADAmetrics
EtherMeter
Radio-Read Filter

3. Ensuring The Commercial Customer Meter Reading System
Does Not Interfere With the DEP AMR System.
• Collision Avoidance: I don’t have specific engineering information on how Aclara’s unit would handle a
collision, but I would expect it would be interpreted as a one-time read error or checksum error, followed by a
retry. I anticipate that all MTU’s would handle it that way.
• Wide Sample Periods: A key is to smooth coexistence is to ensure that the EtherMeter does not attempt to
read the water meter at too-short sample periods. I would recommend no less than 600-sec sample periods.
Please note that we could pre-program all NYC-destined EtherMeters for such a default. And with a sufficiently
long sample period, the odds of collision are very slim; and if the rare collision is followed by a successful retry,
the result would be transparent to DEP.
• History: Approximately 500 Radio-Read Filter Units installed throughout the USA and Canada with many
types of MTU (probably many are Aclara), and we have not heard complaints of compatibility or collision
problems.
• NYC Test Case: Some months ago, an RRF was installed by Mosto Tech under permit at the 1675 Broadway
property, and there have been no Aclara MTU compatibility complaints from either DEP or the property owner.
• Montreal Case: In 2015, after extensive compatibility testing, the City of Montreal (Quebec, CA) approved
the EtherMeter and Radio-Read Filter as the only City-approved system for water meter co-reading.
• Behavior Under Loss-of-Power: The DEP/Aclara MTU is connected to the “Normally-Closed” Contacts; and
therefore its connection will be kept alive under all Loss-of-Power events. Consequently, the EtherMeter
connection will be uncoupled during these times.
© 1995-2015 COPYRIGHT
SCADAMETRICS
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Concerns Addressed… SCADAmetrics

4. RRF is a 2-Pole Solid-State Switch
RRF Actuation Is From a 5VDC Control Signal From the EtherMeter
Actuation Occurs 1000ms Before EtherMeter Read, and Halts
Immediately Following Read.
Entire Read Process Takes Approximately 1.750 s.
Radio-Read Filter Operating Sequence…

5. EtherMeter AMR Endpoint
RRF
Water Meter
with Absolute Encoder Signal Output

6. EtherMeter AMR Endpoint
RRF
Water Meter
with Absolute Encoder Signal Output

7. EtherMeter AMR Endpoint
RRF
Water Meter
with Absolute Encoder Signal Output

8. Jim Mimlitz
SCADAmetrics
St. Louis, Missouri
636.405.7101
scadametrics.com
© 1995-2015 COPYRIGHT
SCADAMETRICS
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
SCADAmetrics