User's Manual

THE PORTABLE INTERROGATOR User Guide
Revised July 2000
Page 29 of 63
In this case, the meter reading process begins again for this meter.
Reading TRACE Meters
Once either of the READ buttons have been pressed, or the touch screen has been pressed
in the customer and meter area, The Portable Interrogator 400 begins the reading process.
For TRACE meters, The Portable Interrogator 400 interrogates the transponder whose
serial number is shown on the Read Screen.
A number of possible results can occur when a transponder is interrogated.
• The transponder receives the transmission and sends its meter reading response,
which is received by The Portable Interrogator 400 successfully. The Portable
Interrogator 400 reports a successful reading.
• The transponder receives the transmission and sends its meter reading response,
but The Portable Interrogator 400 does not successfully receive it. The Portable
Interrogator 400 reports a bad response received.
• The transponder receives the transmission and sends its meter reading response,
but The Portable Interrogator 400 is too far away for the transmission to be
received given the current conditions. The Portable Interrogator 400 reports no
response received.
• The transponder is too far away to receive the transmission. As a result it does
not respond. The Portable Interrogator 400 reports no response received.
• The transponder receives the interrogation but has lost its programming or has not
yet been programmed. The transponder sends its current state as a response. The
Portable Interrogator 400 successfully receives the response and reports a Corrupt
Data response received.
Note that each successful meter reading response includes the meter reading and the
current Tamper status.
In the event that no response is received, one of two conditions has occurred.
• The Portable Interrogator 400 is too far away from the transponder for the
transponder to receive the interrogation signal.
• The transponder receives the interrogation signal from The Portable Interrogator
400 but, because The Portable Interrogator 400’s transmission power is greater
than the transponder’s, The Portable Interrogator 400 was not close enough to the
transponder to receive the signal.
In either of these cases, getting closer to the transponder and trying the interrogation
again may result in receiving the transponder’s response.