Powelectrics IN4MA Metron-p User manual

© 2007 Powelectrics Ltd. 1
IN4MA Metron-p
Pulse counting GSM/GPRS Telemetry Solution
Technical Manual and Specification
Revision 0.99p-b
August 2008
Powelectrics Ltd
Sandy Hill Park
Sandy Way
Tamworth
Staffordshire
B77 4DU
United Kingdom
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
www.powelectrics.co.uk
[email protected]
Proprietary Notice:
The information in this document is subject to change without notice. Company or product names
mentioned in this document may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective
companies.
All rights reserved. Neither the whole nor any part of the information contained in this publication
may be reproduced in any material form except with the written permission of Powelectrics Ltd.
This publication is intended only to assist the reader in the use of the product. Powelectrics Ltd.
shall not be liable for any loss or damage arising from the use of any information in this publication,
or any error or omission in such information, or any incorrect use of the product.
© 2007 Powelectrics Ltd. 2
METRON FIRMWARE REVISION HISTORY
Version Date Comments
0.99 13/07/2007 Metron P introduced to Metron range
This version of the Metron has a plug in board fitted into the D type connector on the front of
the main circuit board. This additional board incorporates the real time clock with a battery
backup. When the main battery is connected the real time clock draws it power from this, but
when power is removed the small on board battery takes over and this has a life of 4 years.
© 2007 Powelectrics Ltd. 3
Technical Manual and Specification..........................................................................1
WARNINGS .........................................................................................................................................4
OVERVIEW..........................................................................................................................................7
NAVIGATION BASICS ........................................................................................................................7
GETTING STARTED ...........................................................................................................................8
CONNECTIONS.................................................................................................................................10
CONFIGURATION.............................................................................................................................13
Programming Specification.............................................................................................................14
Important points to note..................................................................................................................14
The text message format.................................................................................................................14
Command Number 1 – Programming the phone book .................................................................15
Command Number 2 – Configuration of the system settings......................................................15
Command Number 4 – Changing the password............................................................................16
Command Number 5 – Clearing the configuration........................................................................17
Command Number 6 – Requesting Configuration and Status.....................................................17
Important points to note..................................................................................................................18
Reset Confirmation text message format ......................................................................................19
© 2007 Powelectrics Ltd. 4
WARNINGS
Safety
Read carefully these instructions and notes before powering IN4MA Metron. For each
situation please follow the specific instructions.
The Metron is a low power radio transmitter and receiver. When it is powered, it will send and
receive radio frequency (RF) signals.
Operating the Metron close to other electrical equipment such as television, phone, radios
and personal computer, may cause interference.
DO NOT CONNECT ANYTHING TO THE 9 PIN D TYPE
CONNECTOR ON THE FRONT OF THE BOARD
WITHOUT PRIOR APPROVAL FROM POWELECTRICS
LIMITED.
Interference
The Metron, like all wireless devices, is subject to interferences that may reduce its
performance.
Road Safety
Do not use the Metron while driving. In case of use on cars, it is necessary to check that
electronic equipment is shielded against RF signal. Do not place the Metron over the air bag
or in the air bag deployment area.
Hospital Safety
Do not use the Metron near health equipment, especially pacemaker and hearing aids, to
avoid potential interferences. The Metron is a not mobile phone; do not use it in direct contact
with the human body. Switch it off in hospitals, and in any other type of medical centre.
Hospitals or health care facilities may be using equipment that could be sensitive to external
RF energy.
Explosive Materials
Do not use the Metron in refueling points, near fuel or chemicals. Do not use the Metron
where blasting is in progress. Observe restrictions, and follow any regulation or instruction.
Do not use the Metron in direct contact with the human body; do not touch the antenna if not
necessary when the Metron is powered. Use approved accessories and batteries only. Do not
connect incompatible products.

© 2007 Powelectrics Ltd. 5
Battery Information and safety
Do not use if the battery casing appears damaged
Do not attempt to recharge the battery
Do not short circuit
Only use supplied battery with the IN4MA Metron
The battery is a high energy density sealed battery containing dangerous (Lithium) and
deleterious (Thionyl Chloride) materials. For this reason, improper handling of the battery
could lead to distortion, leakage, overheating, explosion, fire, or generation of
irritating/corrosive gases, causing bodily injury or equipment trouble. Please observe the
following instructions to prevent accidents.
Do not use if you suspect any damage to the casing, cabling or connector.
Do not connect to a Metron when the programmer is connected.
Be careful not to drop – if dropped please do not use.
Do not short circuit the battery – if you suspect this possible then disconnect and do not use.
Do not apply heat to the battery.
Do not expose the battery to open flames.
Never disassemble the battery.
Never deform the battery.
Do not reverse polarity the battery – take extra care to ensure connections are the right way
round.
Do not connect 2 or more batteries together.
Do not store the batteries in direct sunlight.
Store batteries in non conductive trays (e.g. plastic, wood or cardboard).
Do not use near water.
Do not have rings on your fingers when handling batteries, otherwise wear insulating gloves.
First aid measures:
Only in case of contact with internal components of the battery:
Skin contact: flush with plenty of water
Eye contact: flush with plenty of water (eyelids held open)
Inhalation: breath fresh air and give oxygen or artificial respiration by specialist people
Ingestion: drink much water and consult a doctor
Fire fighting measures:
Evacuate the building and leave it to the professionals. Advise the fire fighters that there
are batteries in the building and the advice is to use extinguishers type D, Lith-X, DO NOT
USE WATER in case of battery leakage
Special hazards: irritating vapour
© 2007 Powelectrics Ltd. 6
Special protective equipment: wear protective clothing, use self-contained breathing
apparatus with filtered cartridge type ABEK
Leakage measures
In case of break of a battery, all the people must go away from the place where the
incident happened and come back only after the dissolution of the irritating gas.
Broken batteries or battery packs must be covered with sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) or dry
sand, place them in approved container and dispose in accordance with local regulation.
Disposal
Please return batteries to Powelectrics for disposal. Ensure suitable packaging in used. Do
not use air freight.
Replacing the Battery
The battery used in the Metron must be supplied by Powelectrics Ltd. Its warranty will be void
if any other battery is used as it may damage the Metron or cause it to malfunction.
To remove the battery, simply remove the plug from the PWR socket – Do not pull on the
connecting wires. The battery can now be easily pulled from the retaining clip. Push the new
battery into the retaining clip centrally, and then reconnect the plug to the socket on the
Metron board.
© 2007 Powelectrics Ltd. 7
OVERVIEW
This document describes all the functions, features and interfaces of the IN4MA Metron
telemetry device.
Applications
A few of the applications that this device has been designed for include:
Remote meter reading
Remote people counting
Summary of Technical Features
Ability to interface with up to four pulse signals
On-board wetting voltage
Typically > 2 year battery life (check)
LCD Display to help with on-site setup
Tri-band operation
As the Metron is a battery powered device it has been designed in such a way to extend this
life to a maximum. This means during normal operation the display will be off, the sensors
excitation will be off and the GSM engine will be powered down. As required these are
switched on by the processor and when finished with they are switched off.
GENERAL DECRIPTION OF OPERATION
Normally the unit will be ‘asleep’ with just the processor running, providing a wetting voltage
of 3.6 volts. When the Metron needs to communicate over the mobile phone network it will
power up the GSM module (this takes a minute or 2 as the module needs to register onto the
network – it’s like switching on your mobile phone). Whilst the modem is powered it can
receive messages for changing the configuration. The LCD screen shows the actions the
Metron is performing.
The Metron will send text messages to your mobile phone, or Gateway (our internet based
reporting and alarm handling solution). The Metron can send messages periodically.
NAVIGATION BASICS
A common method is used throughout the menu system for navigation.
To move up within a menu – You must use the top button to the left of the screen (UP) to
move up if you are navigating in a menu.
To move down within a menu – You must use the bottom button to the left of the screen
(DOWN) to move down if you are navigating within a menu.
To select an item on a menu – You must press the central button to the left of the screen
(ENTER) for less than one second to select an item if you are within a menu.
To go to the previous menu – You must press the central button to the left of the screen for
more than one second to return to the previous menu. You should continue to hold until the
previous menu appears.
To return to the previous menu when displaying information – If the Metron is just
displaying information, you can return to the previous menu by simply pressing the central
button to the left of the screen briefly.
© 2007 Powelectrics Ltd. 8
GETTING STARTED
1. Open the packaging Cut the seals from the box and open the cardboard lid
2. Remove the lid Using a large Phillips screwdriver, remove the four screws
fastening the plastic lid to the enclosure and remove the lid
3. Fit the SIM card Remove the four outer screws from the circuit board and tilt the
circuit board 90 degrees to the right
Carefully remove the antenna cable from the circuit board – do
not use excessive force.
Slide the SIM card into the SIM card holder. The final position is
drawn onto the circuit board.
Re-attach the antenna cable and
fasten the circuit board using
the four outer screws.
4. Power up the unit Visually inspect the battery and cable condition to ensure no
damage. If in doubt do not use. Place the battery into the clip
and connect the power connector.
5. Program the unit The Metron can only be programmed by sending text messages.
The Metron config is not compatible with this version of the
Metron.
You can only send one command at a time.
Each command must be sent via text message to the correct
number for the Metron.
Please go to the Programming Specification section to
define the text messages you want to send to the Metron
and send from your mobile phone.
On the Metron - Press the (ENTER) button to ‘wake up’ the
Metron, go to ‘System’ and then go to ‘Get Config’. The display
should read ‘Waiting for Messages..’ after it has established
You must wait until each of the text messages sent has been
received and successfully interpreted – It will display ‘Success’
or ‘Invalid Command’ in each case.
When all the messages have been received, press and hold the
central button until you are returned to the main menu. If you
leave the unit unattended for 20 minutes it will go into sleep
mode.

© 2007 Powelectrics Ltd. 9
6. Connect inputs & test For each input that you have programmed, connect the required
sensor and navigate to the relevant input settings. Choose the
‘Read Now’ option to see
a real time scaled reading from the
sensor.
Volt free contact connections
ENSURE THE DIP SWITCHES ARE ALL SET TO 0-10V
7. Put the Metron to sleep
Return to the main menu then press and hold the central button
until it displays ‘Sleeping..’. The Metron will now be operational.
© 2007 Powelectrics Ltd. 10
CONNECTIONS
Serial Port
Into here is fitted a plug in board which contains the real time clock
PWR
This socket should only be used for connecting the battery to the board. It is polarised – It
should be impossible to connect the power incorrectly. Ensure that a secure connection is
made. When you remove the connector, do not pull using the wires as this may impair the
electrical connection.
DIL Switch
Each of the 4 (labelled 1, 2, 3 and 4) switches in this bank should be set according to the type
of sensor used on the appropriate channel, either 4-20mA or 0-10V. The bottom position is 0-
10V, while the top position is 4-20mA. If there is no sensor connected, it does not matter
which position the corresponding switch is set to. For this version of the Metron the dip
switches must be set to 0-10V.
INPUT 1, 2, 3 and 4
Each sensor or connected input has its own plug and corresponding socket. On each socket,
three connections are available.
0V
This is the 0V / -Ve connection for the channel, although they are all common to each other.
+V
This will provide the supply voltage to the channel. This is configurable to either 21V or 3.6V.
It is important that the load on this does not exceed the specifications.
IN
This is the input for the channel – This will accept 0-10V
Note: It is important that the channel used for the sensor excitation and the sensor inputs are
the same. The connection to ground is not channel dependant.
PUSHBUTTONS
These are used in conjunction with the display in order to access and navigate the menu
system.
© 2007 Powelectrics Ltd. 11
INSTALLATION
The Metron comes pre-assembled with the appropriate battery fitted, but not connected.
To achieve optimum performance from the unit, it is advised that the following guidelines are
followed during the installation:
•To achieve optimum signal strength, the Metron must be mounted upright, with the
label reading the correct way up
•Large metal objects that are in the transmission path of the Metron may hinder the
performance
•Check that the glands are tightened and any blanking plugs are fitted tightly. The
inside of the unit must remain dry, as water ingress may damage the Metron.
ANTENNA
The Metron comes with an antenna attached. The system has been designed to gain
optimum signal strength to the mobile phone network but it is possible to use an external
antenna. The Metron presents an SMA type connector for the antenna and the cable can be
connected into the enclosure via one of the glands.
SIM CARD
The SIM card holder is located beneath the circuit board and can only be accessed by
removing the circuit board. The circuit board is removed by unscrewing the 4 outer Alan
screws. These screws need to be removed in order to gain access to the SIM card holder.
When removing the circuit board, remove the antenna cable carefully with a firm grip.
Check with your GSM provider if your SIM is enabled for data and fax traffic, if not ask them
for this service, they will give you other two numbers (one for data calls and the other for fax
calls). If you are using ‘pay as you go’ ensure that you have credit on your SIM, and that you
do not have a minimum usage to maintain operation.
© 2007 Powelectrics Ltd. 12
Menu Item Function
Unit Info D
isplays the Unit Name and the Firmware Version. The firmware version may
be requested if you contact Powelectrics for support.
Transmit time What time each day the unit will transmit data.
Diagnose A self diagnostic function that allows the user to deter
mine if there are any
problems and where they may lie. For each of the checks, it will return ‘Pass’
or ‘Fail’.
SIM: This checks to see if the SIM card is present and if the SIM card has PIN
protection.
REG: This checks for correct network registration
. If it is on the home network
or on a roaming network and is connected correctly, it will return ‘Pass’.
SIG: This checks the signal strength and returns ‘Pass’ if the signal is strong
enough for the Metron to operate reliably.
IMEI #: The IMEI number is displayed for your reference.
Check Signal
This feature logs onto the network and monitors the signal strength. It displays
the signal (0 –
31 or 99) and an interpretation of this so you can evaluate if the
signal will be adequate or not.
No Signal: The
re is extremely little or no signal available to the Metron. It will
be unable to operate in these circumstances.
Very Poor: There is a poor signal available to the Metron and the ability to
operate successfully may vary according to weather conditions.
Marginal: There is a signal available that can generally allow reliable operation
of the Metron.
Signal OK: The signal is well above operational levels.
Excellent: The signal is very good –
optimum conditions for successful Metron
operation.
Note: If yo
u do not have a SIM card present in the Metron, this function will still
operate but instead will read the signal strength of the strongest operator
signal present.
Get Config
To configure the Metron via text message, you must first put the Metron into
co
nfiguration mode. By selecting ‘Get Config’, it will do this and interpret any
text messages that are received.
Phone book - SMS
When selecting the SMS Phonebook, it will display the four numbers that are
present in the Metron phonebook. If a number has n
ot been programmed, it
will show ‘No Number’ by the corresponding entry.
Input 1, 2, 3, 4 When selecting any of the inputs, it will bring up a sub-
menu that directly
corresponds to the input that has been selected.
Input Tag This will display the name th
at has been given to the input. It will also confirm
that the input is enabled.
Scaler The scaling factor for this pulse input
Reset or Roll over
Tells you if the unit is to reset after it has transmitted data or whether it is to roll
over and continue counting
Read Now The pulse count value for this channel is displayed –
this is the ‘raw value’
before the prescaler is applied. This reading is scaled just before transmission.
(check)
Set time Allows you to set the time locally on the unit

© 2007 Powelectrics Ltd. 13
CONFIGURATION
The Metron is configured by sending it different text messages. Please refer to the relevant
section within this manual.
SPECIFICATION
General: Number of Channels: 4
Battery Life: Typically > 2 Years
Battery Included: Yes
Connectors: 3 Pin 3.81mm Pitch / Sensor
SMA Antenna Connector
2.54mm Molex Power Connector
9 Way D-Type Male (internal use only)
Warranty: 12 Months RTB
Form Factor: Enclosure: IP67 Rated, Polycarbonate
Dimensions: 180 x 130 x 76 (mm)
Weight: ~ 0.7 Kg
Electrical: Operating Frequency: 900/1800/1900Mhz
Supply: 3.6V @ 0.5A
Excitation Supply: ~ 3.6V @ < 120mA
Power consumption
(Sleep): ~ 610µA
Power consumption
(Active): ~ 6mA
Power consumption
(Modem): ~ 12 – 250mA
Input Impedance: 33KΩ(0-10V)
Max input frequency 10 Hz (minimum 50 millisecond pulse width)
Maximum cont 4294967295
Environmental: Temperature: -15 to +45 ºC
Humidity: 20 to 80% non-condensing
BATTERY LIFE
The Metron-P draws 0.610mA in sleep mode. Switching on the display, the sensors or the
modem increase the current draw and therefore reduces battery life. Each text message
takes approximately 0.000875 AH. The battery capacity is 14.5AH.
Typical battery life is 1 year.
© 2007 Powelectrics Ltd. 14
Programming Specification
Important points to note
Valid characters are 0-9, a-z, A-Z, +, -, _and .
Spaces are allowed but not recommended (they are ambiguous), use _ instead
All text messages and names are case insensitive.
.is used as the separator, and is also used to end the command.
The Metron does not use phone number identification as an authorisation method.
The security for the Metron is a single three digit password.
The text message format
The format of a text message to program the Metron is shown below. [ and ] are not literal
characters, they enclose a description of what is expected. There may be more than one
parameter, but this is dependant on the command being issued.
[password].[command number].[parameter].
Every text message sent to the Metron will only be processed if it begins with the correct
three digit password. If this is not the case, no action will be taken.
The default password is ‘oli’.
The command numbers are as followed.
Command Number Description
1 This is used to program the phone book
2 This is used to configure the system settings
3 This is used to configure the inputs
4 This is used to change the password
5 This is used to reset the system to factory settings
6 This is used to request the configuration and status
© 2007 Powelectrics Ltd. 15
Command Number 1 – Programming the phone book
Description
This command will set up to four of the phone book entries on the Metron.
Format
[password].1.[phonenumber1].[phonenumber2].[phonenumber3].[phonenumber4].
Example text message
oli.1.+447712345671.+447712345672.+447712345673.+447712345674.
Parameters
Parameter Description Limitations
Phone number The phone number of a device to
transmit to The phone numbers can be up to 4 to 14 digits in length, including ‘+’
Notes
You must include the country code e.g. +44.
If you need to set fewer than four phone book entries, use the same format but omit the desired
numbers. For example:
oli.1.+447712345671.+447712345672.
The numbers are programmed into the phonebook in order
Command Number 2 – Configuration of the system settings
This command will configure the system settings on the Metron.
Format
[password].2.[unit name].[transmit time] .[temperature
enabled].[formatting].
Example text message
oli.2.pump house.23.0.0.
Parameters
Parameter Description Limitations
Unit name A unique name that identifies the
particular Metron This cannot be more than 20 digits in length
Transmit time The hour at which the Metron will
transmit the readings This must be a whole number between 0 and 23Minutes
0 = midnight, 23 = 11pm
Temperature Enabled
Whether the temperature is
transmitted within the text message
or not
0 = disabled
1 = enabled
Formatting This dictates the formatting of the
text messages – allows it to be used
in conjunction with the Gateway
Must be 0 or 2
0 = Standard ‘User’ Formatting
2 = Use Gateway (Internal use only)
© 2007 Powelectrics Ltd. 16
Notes: The formatting option is for use exclusively with Powelectrics Gateway. If you select Gateway
functionality, only phone number 1 will be used.
Command Number 3 – Configuration of the Inputs
Description
This command will configure the inputs on the Metron
Format
[password].3.[input number].[input name].[prescaler].[reset or
rollover].[units].
Example text message
oli.3.1.level 1.0.litres.
Parameters
Parameter Description Limitations
Input number The number of the input that you
want to configure Must be 1, 2, 3 or 4
Input name A name to identify the input This cannot be more than 20 digits in
length
Prescaler The number of counted pulses is
divided by this value. So if Prescaler
= 2, 100 pulses is reported as 50
units.
Must be between 0 and 32767
Reset or Rollover Once transmitted the Metron can
either reset the counter to zero or it
can simply continue counting
0 = Reset
1 = Rollover
Units A word to identify the units of
measure
This cannot be more than 10 digits in
length (check)
Notes
You will need to send a single instance of this command for each input you would like to program
(specifying the input number)
Command Number 4 – Changing the password
Description
This command will change the password
Format
[password].4.[new password].
Example text message
oli.4.pow.
Parameters
Parameter Description Limitations
New password This is the password that will replace
the current password It cannot be more than 3 digits in length

© 2007 Powelectrics Ltd. 17
Notes
Once you have set this password, the new password will come into effect immediately
Command Number 5 – Clearing the configuration
Description
This command will reset all settings on the Metron, including the system password (returns to the default
password)
Format
[password].5.
Example text message
oli.5.
There are no parameters
Notes
Powelectrics can remotely reset your Metron if you have forgotten the password. Contact Powelectrics
for more information.
Command Number 6 – Requesting Configuration and Status
Description
This command will prompt the Metron upon the next Transmit Interval to send the current configuration
and status to the device that has sent the command using SMS messaging
Format
[password].6.
Example text message
oli.6.
There are no parameters
Notes
It will only respond when the Metron reaches its next Transmit Interval
It will send the SMS message only to the device that sent the command.
© 2007 Powelectrics Ltd. 18
Text Message Format
Important points to note
The Metron does not use phone number identification as an authorisation method.
The security for the Metron is a single three digit password.
The Metron P will send a text message once a day at the pre-programmed time.
When the message is sent the Metron P stays awake for 40 seconds so it can recei
ve any new commands you have sent it.
How the formats are described.
[ and ] are not literal characters, they enclose a description of what will be sent, for example:
[reading]
Description
Every time the transmit time is reached, the Metron will transmit the readings from all of the
inputs that are enabled. If a particular input is not enabled, the name and reading of the
input will simply be omitted.
Formatting Modes
The formatting of the text message is dependant on the formatting mode in the system
settings. Only 1 format can be used.
‘User’ Formatting
LOG: [unit name]
[input 1 name]: [reading] [units]
[input 2 name]: [reading] [units]
[input 3 name]: [reading] [units]
[input 4 name]: [reading] [units]
‘User’ Example
Metron pulse counter: unit name
Meter 1 gas: 512345 m3
Meter 2 water: 167789 litres
Meter 3 elec: 75667 kwh
Meter 4 misc: 123 litres
Gateway Formatting
log,,[input 1 name],[reading]:[input 2 name],[reading]:[input 3
name],[reading]:[input 4 name],[reading]
Gateway Example
log,,meter 1,50.34:meter 2,23.01:meter 3,45.00:meter 4,64.83:22.125
© 2007 Powelectrics Ltd. 19
Reset Confirmation text message format
Description
When the unit has been remotely reset, a confirmation will be sent to the number issuing the
command
Formatting
Reset Successful
Notes
If the remote reset has not been successful for any reason, there will not be a confirmation of
any kind.