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ManualsBrandsAclara Technologies ManualsFlowmetersWater Meter Transponding Unit (MTU)

Table Of Contents

A product of

Aclara Technologies LLC

Confidential and Proprietary

PROPRIETARY NOTICE

This document contains information that is private to Aclara Technologies LLC, an Ohio limited liability company, and/or that is private to

Aclara Meters LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (individually or collectively “Aclara”). This information may not be published,

reproduced, or otherwise disseminated without the express written authorization of Aclara.

Any software or firmware described in this document is furnished under a license and may be used or copied only in accordance

with the terms of such license.

DISCLAIMER

The information in this document is subject to change without notice and should not be construed as a commitment by Aclara. Aclara

assumes no responsibility for any errors that may appear in this document.

No responsibility is assumed for the use or reliability of software on equipment that is not supplied by Aclara.

Metrum Cellular, STAR, Synergize, and TWACS are registered trademarks of Aclara Technologies LLC.

Summary of content (16 pages)

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A product of Aclara Technologies LLC Confidential and Proprietary Copyright 2020 Aclara. All Rights Reserved. PROPRIETARY NOTICE This document contains information that is private to Aclara Technologies LLC, an Ohio limited liability company, and/or that is private to Aclara Meters LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (individually or collectively “Aclara”). This information may not be published, reproduced, or otherwise disseminated without the express written authorization of Aclara.
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Technical Brief FCC/ISED Compliance This product/device has been tested and certified to be in compliance with all appropriate requirements of both the FCC and ISED. Any changes or modification to this product/device, or the use of any antenna other than the one provided by or authorized with expressed written approval by Aclara Technologies LLC may void the user's authority to operate this product/device.
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Technical Brief Introduction The Aclara RF™ network is an advanced metering infrastructure or AMI that allows for meter readings to be transmitted directly to a utility along with various system performance and diagnostic information. It allows for unmanned reading of water and gas meters. It is currently deployed in more than 700 utilities worldwide.
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Technical Brief Users may find additional information on water MTUs in the Water MTU Field Guide, Y20376-TRD. Refer to the MTU Installation Instructions Technical Brief, Y20355-TEB for more information on MTU installations. All Aclara RF ™ MTUs in a single AMI system use a unique FCC-licensed frequency for one-way transmission of readings. The frequencies we use fall in the range of 450-470 MHz.
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Technical Brief DCUs The DCU acts as an intermediary device. It gathers readings from MTUs and transmits those readings, as well as system diagnostic information such as signal strength and battery power, back to AclaraONE. This data may be encrypted for additional security, though encryption is not necessary. This interface to AclaraONE is known as the backhaul, and it is typically via cellular data service, though other technologies such as Wi-Fi, fiber optics, and Ethernet can also be used.
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Technical Brief AclaraONE® The AclaraONE headend, is the central control for the entire system. Most utility clients think of AclaraONE as the web portal that allows them to view readings, monitor consumption and system health, and generate reports from the data it contains. Behind the scenes, it consists of four components or servers. These servers may be on a single machine in a small Aclara RF™ AMI system, or they may be on multiple machines in a larger system.
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Technical Brief RF Check The new RF Check feature in the MTU programming software allows for better reliability in confirming the level of RF communication between the MTU and nearby DCU(s). This feature uses both RF frequencies to test the signal strength between both devices. This ensures a more accurate test to aid those in the field who want to confirm a proper and complete installation before leaving the work site. MTU Encryption/Authentication On-Demand 1.
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Technical Brief Remote Disconnect Device (RDD) A Remote Disconnect Device (RDD) is a valve that can be activated by a user to alter the flow of water to the meter.
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Technical Brief Remote Disconnect Device (RDD) MTU Meter 8 On-Demand 1.
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Technical Brief The following tables provide wiring connections for the MTU to the meter and for the MTU to the RDD, respectively. MTU to Meter Wiring Connections MTU Meter Wire Color Black Black Red Red Green White MTU to RDD Wiring Connections MTU RDD (option 1) RDD (option 2) Wire Color Black Black Purple Red Red Blue White Green or White Orange Using the RDD The status of an RDD consists of all the information the RDD is able to report to an external source.
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Technical Brief This can be read by the MTU Programmer. This information can also be sent to AclaraONE with a periodic status message or in response to an On Demand Read Request. Valid RDD states are: • Open • Closed • Partial Open • In Motion RDD Actuation Commands are: • Open • Close • Partial Open • Sediment Turn NOTE The RDD’s valve can be made to change positions by either a command from the MTU Programmer or from AclaraONE via the On-Demand Functionality.
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Technical Brief 2. To view battery information about an MTU, follow the menu path AclaraONE > STAR > Equipment > MTUs to view the MTUs window. 3. Click the link in the MTU ID column to view the MTU detail window. On-Demand 1.
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Technical Brief 4. Click the Battery Voltage tab on the left side of the window to view battery voltage details.
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Technical Brief NOTE To maintain a 20-year battery life, an MTU shall be stored for less than a cumulative week above 60° C. The voltage reported through AclaraONE is taken from the MTU’s monthly health message. It is important to note that the MTU sends a “Last Gasp” alarm immediately before its battery falls below acceptable operational levels. After sending the “Last Gasp” alarm the MTU places itself in ship mode, which means it will no longer transmit, receive, take meter readings, etc.
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Technical Brief 4. In the Port 2 Device panel, click View Details. 5. Click Remote Connect / Disconnect to view the Remote Connect / Disconnect window. From here you can issue RDD commands. 14 On-Demand 1.