User's Manual

COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL
RF-TWACS Based AMR System DCSI CUSTOMER PRODUCT SPECIFICATION
May 30, 2003 Application Notes – Rev. 1 4
battery life. They also assembly RF data packets that contain a unique transmitter serial
number, the present reading, diagnostic information, and error-detection codewords.
A block diagram of the system can be seen in Figure 4 below.
( ( ( ) ) ) ( ( ( ) ) )
Figure 4 – Block Diagram for DCSI’s RF based AMR System
3 SYSTEM NOMENCLATURE
The nomenclature normally employed for the TWACS product line needs a little
clarification at this point.
The Remote Communication Equipment (RCE) is called an Electronic Metering
Assembly (EMA) in this instance, and is not simply a single electronic module that has
been retrofitted to an existing electric meter, but it also includes a radio transceiver
(EMTR) with its own microcontroller and is powered by the electric meter.
External to the electric meter, and connected to the gas or water meters, is another DCSI
radio transceiver module (RMTR). It houses a battery, folded dipole antenna, RF
circuitry, RF engine code, microcontroller, and cable to the remote metered device.
Please refer to Figures 5a and 5b.
E
Water
SCE
CCE
Powerline TWACS
Telephone or
Radio Voice Grade
Channel
RMTR Transceivers
EMTR and
Transponder in the
electric meter
housing.
UHF Radio
Link
Gas