Neptune R450 Reference guide

R450™ System New Customer Guide

R450™ System New Customer Guide

This manual is an unpublished work and contains the trade secrets and
confidential information of Neptune Technology Group Inc., which are not to be
divulged to third parties and may not be reproduced or transmitted in whole or
part, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical for any purpose,
without the express written permission of Neptune Technology Group Inc. All
rights to designs or inventions disclosed herein, including the right to
manufacture, are reserved to Neptune Technology Group Inc.
The information contained in this document is subject to change without notice.
Neptune reserves the right to change the product specifications at any time
without incurring any obligations.
Trademarks Used in This Manual
ARB is a registered trademark of Neptune Technology Group Inc. 
R450 System is a trademark of Neptune Technology Group Inc. 
N_SIGHT R450 is a trademark of Neptune Technology Group Inc.
Windows XP is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Windows Vista
is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
SQL Anywhere are registered trademarks of Sybase, Inc.
Other brands or product names are the trademarks or registered trademarks of
their respective holders.
Copyright © 2008- 2013
Neptune Technology Group Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
R450™ System
New Customer Guide
Literature No. NC R450 System 01.13
Neptune Technology Group Inc.
1600 Alabama Highway 229
Tallassee, AL 36078
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Contents
R450 System New Customer Guide iii
1Introduction
About This Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Typographical Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
N_SIGHT R450 Host Software Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Guaranteed Systems Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Project Personnel Responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Responsibilities of the Utility Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Responsibilities of Data Project Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
Responsibilities of R450 DC Installation Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Responsibilities of MIU Installation Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Responsibilities of Neptune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
General Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Toll-Free Customer Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Length of Software Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Equipment Repair. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Ordering Additional Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Additional Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
2R450 System Overview
R450 System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
System Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
N_SIGHT R450 Host Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3

iv R450 System New Customer Guide
Contents
R450 DC Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
R450 System Wide Area Network (WAN) Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
R450 DC - Network Coverage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
R450 Meter Interface Unit (MIU). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
N_SIGHT R450 Host Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Account Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Mapping Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
General Terminology and Explanation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Standard Industry Terms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
R450 System Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
3Customer Requirements
N_SIGHT R450 Host Software Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
System Requirements – Client PC Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
System Requirements – Server Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
*Information Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Additional System Requirements and Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Meter Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
R450 DC Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Electrical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Environmental Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Mechanical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
R450 DC Footprint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Safety Approval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Customer Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Server/System Setup and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Small Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) for Emails. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8

Contents
R450 System New Customer Guide v
Remote Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
GPRS Requirements, if Applicable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
GPRS Considerations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Ethernet Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Ethernet Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
4Implementation Steps for R450 System
Step One: Prior to Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Step Two: Customer Profile Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Step Three: Install and Power the R450 DCs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Step Four: Schedule Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Step Five: Onsite System Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
N_SIGHT R450 Training for System Operator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Customer Service Personnel Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Step Six: Implementation of Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Forms Required. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Onsite Visits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Followup Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
5Propagation Analysis
Propagation Analysis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
After the Form is Completed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
FCC Licensing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3

vi R450 System New Customer Guide
Contents
6CIS/N_SIGHT R450 Interaction
CIS and N_SIGHT R450 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Number of Dials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Pulling Reads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Pushing Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
ARequired Form
One Required Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1
BPropagation Analysis Request Form
Propagation Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-1
CN_SIGHT R900 v4 File Format
Default Record Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Record Type Hierarchy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Sample Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Record Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Header Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Field Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-28

Contents
R450 System New Customer Guide vii
DDirect Data Input into N_SIGHT R450 Database
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Data Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Pictures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Options - CSV File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Instructions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Index

Notes:
viii R450 System New Customer Guide
Contents

Figures
Figure Title Page
R450 System New Customer Guide ix
2.1 R450 System Flow Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
3.1 R450 System Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
A.1 Sample Customer Profile Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-2
B.1 Sample Propagation Analysis Page 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-2
B.2 Sample Propagation Analysis Page 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-3

Figures
x R450 System New Customer Guide
Notes:

R450 System New Customer Guide ix
Tables
Table Title Page
2.1 WAN Technology Alternatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
3.1 Server Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
C.1 Legend for v4 Record Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-2
C.2 Record Type Hierarchy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-3
C.3 Company Record Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-11
C.4 Route Record Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-12
C.5 Premise Details Record Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-13
C.6 Alternate Premise Detail Record Format1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-14
C.7 Premise Notes Record Formats (Optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-17
C.8 Meter Detail Record Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-18
C.9 Order Status (Export file only) Record Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-21
C.10 Read Detail Record Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-22
C.11 ERT Detail Record Formats (Optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-25
C.12 Route Trailer Record Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-26
C.13 Vehicle Detail Record Format (Export file only). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-27
C.14 Company Trailer Record Format (Optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-27

xR450 System New Customer Guide
Notes:
Tables

R450 System New Customer Guide 1-1
Chapter 1 Introduction
The R450™ System New Customer Guide is designed to prepare your
utility company for the R450 System.
This chapter provides you with an introduction to the implementation
process. It explains the focus of the guide, the pre-implementation per-
sonnel responsibilities, and general information on system support.
About This Guide
This guide provides you with basic information to help you get started
with the implementation process. It is designed to be used by the Utility
Manager and Billing Programmer to explain the steps that must be com-
pleted before on-site training can begin.
Typographical Conventions
Before you begin reading this guide, it is important to understand the
typographical conventions used in the documentation. The following
kinds of formatting in the text identify special information.
All small caps Refers to keys
Example: ENTER, ALT, TAB
All bold initial caps Refers to field names, buttons, and functions.
Example: Device field, OK button, or File menu
Lower case bold Refers to the exact keystrokes you enter. What you
type is always shown in lower case letters.
Example: Type neptune in the Device field.

Introduction
1-2 R450 System New Customer Guide
N_SIGHT R450 Host Software Compatibility
Neptune is committed to backward compatibility with its innovative
new product development.
Guaranteed Systems Compatibility
All T-10 water meters are guaranteed to be adaptable to our ProRead™
AutoDetect, E-Coder®, TRICON®/S, TRICON/E®3, and Neptune 
R450 System without removing the meter from service.
In addition, all Neptune ARB®Utility Management Systems™ are com-
patible with current production Neptune ProRead and Sensus ICE abso-
lute encoders and legacy Neptune (ARB III-V) and Sensus (ECR II)
absolute encoders.
The R450™ meter interface unit (R450 MIU) is compatible with Nep-
tune ARBV, ProRead and E-Coder encoders and Sensus ECR II and ICE
(ECR III) encoders. When Neptune's E-Coder is connected to the R450,
the high resolution 8-digit meter reading and E-CoderPLUS data (inter-
mittent leak, continuous leak, reverse flow, and zero consumption) are
transmitted.
Additionally, the R450 MIU is compatible with the acoustic leak (sen-
sors from various vendors and can provide the utility with a means of
detecting water leaks on distribution lines.
Project Personnel Responsibilities
Responsibilities of the Utility Manager
The following list describes the responsibilities of the Utility Manager
who is the primary contact at the utility between the utility staff, the util-
ity billing programmer, and the Neptune support staff.
• Determine the site selection and accessibility for the Neptune
R450™ Data Collector (R450 DC).
• Work with Neptune in obtaining the necessary FCC license.
• Set up the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), if applicable.

Introduction
R450 System New Customer Guide 1-3
• Assess the RF 450 antenna tower access, including the power and
costs of renting.
• Designate a manager for each of the following:
- Data Project
- Collector Installation
- MIU Installation
• Manage the MIU installations in the most efficient way:
- Internally
- One route at a time
- One zone at a time
- Randomly.
• Determine how data will be entered into the N_SIGHT R450 host
software.
• Determine the implementation schedule to be used:
- When to conduct the site survey
- When to install the MIUs
- When to install the software
- When to train personnel.
Responsibilities of Data Project Manager
The following list describes the responsibilities of the Data Project
Manager who works with the Utility Manager to effectively enter the
data into the N_SIGHT R450 host software.
• Be sure the personal computer (PC) that will host the 
N_SIGHT R450 host software meets the requirements specified
in N_SIGHT R450 Host Software Requirements on Page 3-1.
• Create Users.
• Create Customer (one per site).
• Create Collectors.

Introduction
1-4 R450 System New Customer Guide
Responsibilities of R450 DC Installation Manager
The following list describes the responsibilities of the R450 DC Installa-
tion Manager who works with the Utility Manager and the professional
installers to efficiently set up the R450 DCs for use with the
R450 System.
• Know the requirements and specifications of the R450 DC as out-
lined in R450 DC Specifications on Page 3-6.
• Work with the Utility Manager in selection of the site for the R450
DCs.
• Select the professional installers for the project.
• Become very familiar with the installation guidelines and proce-
dures outlined in the R450 Data Collector Installation and Mainte-
nance Guide, Part Number 12835-001.
• Review instructions for installation with the professional installers.
• Oversee the installation of R450 DCs.
• Test the operation of the R450 DCs.
Responsibilities of MIU Installation Manager
The following list describes the responsibilities of the R450 MIU Instal-
lation Manager who works with the Utility Manager and the profes-
sional installers to efficiently set up the R450 MIUs to send and receive
data from the R450 DCs.
• Know the meter requirements and specifications of the R450
MIU as outlined in Meter Requirements on Page 3-5.
•Perform the propagation studies for the specified area.
• Select the professional installers for the project.
• Become very familiar with the R450 MIU Quick Install Guide, Part
Number 12856-001.

Introduction
R450 System New Customer Guide 1-5
• Review instructions and procedures for installation with the install-
ers as outlined in the R450 MIU Installation and Maintenance
Guide, Part Number 12857-001.
• Oversee the installation of R450 DCs.
• Test each R450 MIU installed to be sure it transmits to the 
R450 DC.
Responsibilities of Neptune
Neptune works with the Utility Manager in obtaining the necessary FCC
license. Neptune secures a license based on a frequency determined for
the best coverage area and then transfers it to the utility upon request.
In addition, the Neptune Systems Implementation Specialist works with
the following personnel at the utility to ensure that all aspects of the
project have been successfully completed and that all required utility
personnel have been properly trained on the system.
• Utility Manager
• Data Project Manager
• R450 DC Installation Manager
• R450 MIU Installation Manager
General Information
Toll-Free Customer Support
For toll-free Customer Support, please dial [phone]. Your call
will be directed to the appropriate person.
Length of Software Warranty
The length of the standard software warranty is one year from the ship
date unless a maintenance contract was included in the bid or original
order. Please contact your local Neptune sales representative or distribu-
tor for pricing on extended maintenance agreements.

Introduction
1-6 R450 System New Customer Guide
Equipment Repair
If your equipment requires repair, please contact our Customer Support
representatives in order to obtain a Returned Material Authorization
(RMA) number. You can reach our support representatives by calling
[phone], emailing a request to [e-mail], or fax-
ing a request to [phone]. Please be able to describe the nature of
the problem, supply a serial number, and provide a contact name and
telephone number for additional information.
Ordering Additional Equipment
Please contact your local Neptune sales representative or distributor for
prices on additional equipment. This information may also be obtained
from the Customer Service Department by calling the toll free number
[phone].
Additional Training
Once your order is processed, a Neptune Systems Implementation Spe-
cialist will contact you and schedule a tentative training date. Training
schedules are subject to change if implementation phases are not com-
pleted.
Additional training is offered as refresher courses. Please contact your
local Neptune sales representative or distributor for pricing information.
Any item that is returned for any reason must be accompanied by an RMA
number. Any return without an RMA will be delayed in processing.