METMOTEC™ Meter-Modem AMR Newsletter (Issue 1) February 2012

Tele2 Series Modems are suitable for these meters:• Elster Metering: A1700 (with meter RS232 module)• Itron: ACE6000 (needs meter RS232 port and special cable)• Itron: ACE SL7000 (needs meter RS232 port and special cable)• Secure Meters/PRI: Premier Meter• Actaris/Schlumberger: Indigo+• Ampy-Email/L+G: EM5100 & EM5300• Cewe: Prometer (with meter RS232 port)• GEC/ABB: PPM-Poly-Phase Meter (needs special cable)

Other meters can be supported. METMOTEC provide the special interfacing and engineering for, but not limited to, the following:• PRI: CALMU• Elster/ABB: Alpha Meter• Itron: ACE6000/DC4• L+G/Siemens: ZmG

“Tele2Modems – A Real Alternative in I&C Meter Modems”

Reintroduction to market with new pricing and rental options SIM-card deals and international roaming-SIMs

The Tele2Mobile GSM/GPRS Modem

Tele2 Series Modems used in certain types of energy e�ciency improvement systems will qualify for the Government's Enhanced Capital Allowance Scheme (UNITED KINGDOM only) which enable a business to claim 100% �rst-year capital allowances

Contact METMOTEC:To discuss your application and requirements.For prices and o�ers.To obtain modem samples for evaluation (free to meter ops, meter manufacturers & telemetry OEMs)To discuss custom solutions

Contact:

metmotec@metmotec.comCambridge, United Kingdom+44 (0)1223 581571

Good news for meter operators

It’s back!The Jekyll Electronics’ high reliability Tele2Mobile GSM/GPRS Modems for I&C electricity meters

It’s back with a new friend!The Tele2LAN Modem for Meter-to-Ethernet & Meter-to-Internet connection

METMOTEC™ Appointed world sales agent for Tele2 Series Modems for metering and utilities’ applications

Contact METMOTEC:To discuss your application and requirements.For prices and o�ers.To obtain modem samples for evaluation (free to meter ops, meter manufacturers & telemetry OEMs)To discuss custom solutions

Contact:

metmotec@metmotec.com Cambridge, United Kingdom+44 (0)1223 581571

Tele2Mobile GSM/GPRS Modem - Key Features

• Quad-band - GSM/GPRS/SMS compatible• Power output - 2W @ 850/900MHz – 4W @ 1800/1900MHz• Internal rechargeable battery supports low DC power output from host meters• Modem operates from input voltage 6 to 16V at 800mW supply (80mA at 10V)• ‘Host-independent’ operation• CSD rate up to 14.4Kbps (Modem battery supports up to 30 minutes CSD call time after 20 hour auto recharge from meter interface - Typical daily 30-minute profile reads require 2 minutes or less depending on data collection system and meter-protocol communication efficiency)• GPRS Class 1 - 9600bps (‘Always-On’ mode for Fixed-IP operation requires only 12mA standby current to support incoming connection from remote data collection systems)• Internal TCP/IP stack• Full auto-answer/auto-dial capability• True RS232 allows meter to modem/host interface cable up to 15 metres long• AT-compatible command set for modem set-up• DC power operation and no AC connection means installer safety, low cost & easy installation• Remote modem set up and diagnostic monitoring capability• Small size (60x55x25mm) and low weight (90g approx) = low transport cost

A Tele2Mobile model with low power sleep mode for telem-etry is available

About METMOTEC

METMOTEC™ is a trading name of an English private limited company providing marketing consultancy to AMR companies since 1994, which in 2010 also became a supplier of M2M network connection products under the METMOTEC brand. The company engineers and supplies custom M2M network connection solutions which include interfacing and battery packs for �eld modems and instruments.

About The IMC Group Ltd

IMC manufactures its own products providing direct control over quality assurance and delivery schedules. IMC produce and sell an extensive range of data-logger and alarm products that employ Jekyll GSM modem technology, so the company itself is dependent on highest possible quality modems as much as its customers. Learn more about The IMC Group and its range of products at www.the-imcgroup.com

Special modems from METMOTEC can be connected to meters via optical ports, such as on this PRI Premier meter

Automated production at The IMC Group factory in United Kingdom

Top: The Tele2LAN Modem. This product provides Meter-to-Ethernet serial connection and can also operate as a meter Webserver. It has Watchdog and Voltage Reset for reliable operation, features not found on some comparable devices. It is supplied in a plastic case for protection and safety.

‘Pocket Modem’ Format. The Tele2 range is based on a ‘pocket modem’ format around 60x55x25mm for personal computers of the early 1990’s applied to UK CoP5 electricity meters. This format is still an uno�cial industry standard for UK CoP5 and similar meters, most of which were designed to accommodate it physically and electrically.

“Pocket” Modems versus Panel-Mount and Rail-Mount Modems

Industrial modems come in diverse sizes, from various compact and pocket modems to ‘brick’ sized products (typically including a panel-mount format according to DIN 43857-5). Large panel-mount modems in general o�er little e�ective di�erence in communications features compared to compact and pocket modems. Panel-mount modems can be up to 16 times greater in volume than the Jekyll pocket modems and some have in-built AC/DC power supplies which require an electrician to install for safety reasons; they may have several types of alternative host interface (RS232, RS485, Current Loop etc) usually redun-dant in a given application; they may have additional connections for water and gas meters, for example, which can also be a redundant expense in single meter only cases. In fact, ‘small is better’ where the application is closely de�ned. Small size means: Easier �tting; less transportation costs; less components to fail; more environmen-tally friendly (less plastic and less power consump-tion); and lower price.

Why buy Tele2Mobile GSM Modems?Meter operators rely upon a relatively limited number of GSM modems suitable for I&C meters, some of which do not have all the features ideal for the metering environment. Other issues are product reliability with continuity of communication, operating lifetime, security & continuity of product supply, and dependable delivery. Jekyll o�er the following advantages to satisfy these concerns:

• Jekyll has been in the electronics business since 1984 and

since 2007 a part of The IMC Group Limited, a large and

successful electronics company

• Jekyll has supplied tens of thousands of GSM and PSTN modems in the

last 20 years.

• Customers have included leading European meter manufacturers and

meteroperators in UK and other countries

• The Tele2Mobile modem has a successful 10 year working track record

in electricity meter and remote telemetry installations

• Current users include major electricity meter operators in UK

• Top grade technical support from The IMC Group engineers

• Easy installation plus remote online support and management of

modems

• The Tele2Mobile is designed for reliable remote unattended operation

About ReliabilityModem reliability is a perennial issue for meter operators because of the di�cult operational and environmental conditions found in metering. I&C meter networks are characterised by many thou-sands of meters dispersed over a wide area, often in hard to access sites. Failures in such networks present signi�cant logisti-cal issues and disproportionate costs in attending to relatively low value equipment, or low revenue sites. Minimising modem communication failures is achieved by Jekyll through direct management of quality control in manufacture, and in design features that anticipate causes of failures in metering environ-ments. Tele2Mobile modems incorporate the following compre-hensive functions that ‘reset’ them, thus minimising non-communicative conditions:

• Voltage Reset – If the supply voltage to the modems drops below its working voltage the modem processor and circuit is held in Reset until the supply voltage has recovered

• Watchdog – If the modem processor crashes, the onboard watchdog will reset the processor

• Data Timeout – When in data mode if no data is received via its serial port for 120 seconds, the modem will terminate connection

• Carrier Timeout – If the carrier signal is lost while in data mode for longer than 40millisecs the modem will terminate network connection

• GSM Auto Re-Registration – GSM devices can lose network connection for a number of reasons, including network causes. On the Tele2Mobile there is an automatic, controlled ‘power- down’ function that disconnects the modem from the network. The modem then re-powers, reconnects to and re-registers with the GSM network. This is done daily to provide continuous network connection and stable operation.

METMOTEC™ is a Trademark ™ © Copyright METMOTEC™ 2012

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