Modern metering devices, whose operation is based on wireless technologies, greatly improve the process of managing energy equipment, they allow you to quickly respond, even remotely, to critical events recorded by metering devices. Representatives of such devices are acquisition controllers and data transmission devices.
There are devices of various types and manufacturers, but all of them are designed to solve problems related to the collection, accumulation and transmission of data, as well as remote control. They are already widely used for remote monitoring of power equipment, in automation systems as part of ASTUE, in fire and security systems, for monitoring remote objects such as stations of cellular operators, pumping stations and other power facilities.
The real-time clock available in the controllers, the presence of memory for archive information, their ability to maintain communication via Ethernet, RS-232 and RS-485 interfaces, as well as a GSM /GPRS modem such as ecgl, allow them to play the role of not only a communication adapter, but and a component that allows you to comprehensively solve the problems of dispatching and accounting systems.
They are capable of polling several external devices in order to transmit the received data according to a given schedule or in on-line mode. Monitor current parameters and respond to deviations from the norm, while one device can monitor many control zones and perform many actions on recorded events.
All the capabilities and abilities of the controllers can be assessed knowing their main functions, which include:
- Automatic collection of the necessary measurement information from devices connected to the controller and its archiving;
- Transfer of current indicators and archived event records;
- Independent transition to a backup communication channel;
- Ability to work on the Internet;
- Information transmission via GSM network
- Responding to critical events that have occurred
Typically, the device is a board that houses a power supply, a microcontroller, a GSM /GPRS modem, an RS-232 and RS-485 interface node, a storage device, SPI and CAN, and USB. The board is placed in a durable plastic case, outside of which there are interface connectors for connecting the appropriate cables and LED indication showing the work on one or another communication channel.
