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AMR: Electricity Meter

AMR: Electricity Meter Solutions from Texas Instruments

Block Diagram


AC/DC PWM MSP430 RFID Solutions RF Front End RF Transceiver RX Amp System Power TMS320F28xx Flexible PLC Controller 32-Bit DSP TX Amp Wired Interface cc25xx Zigbee, SoC, Radio, MCU

Design Considerations

For AMR (and AMI) to become truly pervasive it needs to provide more than a reduction in meter reading costs. Optimization for Asset tracking, dynamic pricing, tamper notification, outage management, supply automation, load profiling and network diagnostics are critical elements for the success of this infrastructure. This drives the move from Mechanical Meters towards Static (electronic) meters for all major utilities (Electricity, Water, Gas, Heat).

Currently, meters can be read manually, touch-read (handheld device with a wand or probe), Radio, Bus, Power Line, Modem, or GSM/Satellite. The drivers behind each choice are cost, existing infrastructure, and local regulations. In some regions the usage charge for a radio frequency band is higher than the cost of manual reading, or the local grid may not support communication over the power line (PLC).

In any case, the trend is towards AMR increases the electronics content of the meter itself, and AMI drives a networked infrastructure for all metering. A complete implementation could include power line communication to the electricity meter, and low power wireless communication from the electricity meter to other utility meters. Low power wireless communication to the major loads in the home/business (AC, Heaters, Refrigeration, etc) and would also allow dynamic setting control during power plant peak loading.

Given the need for very low power consumption, microcontrollers like the MSP430 are ideal for any metering application. An advanced electronic meter requires an MCU that offers precise measurements over a wide dynamic range, programmable Flash, non-volatile storage, real-time clock function, flexible display and AMR-enabled communications features. The MSP430 family offers up to up four 16-bit independent sigma-delta converters and programmable gain amplifiers along with specific integrated e-metering modules such as the ESP engine or 32x32 hardware multiplier allowing for easy, high performance metering calculations Utility Metering

TI’s F28x controller platform provides a cost-effective means to implement PLC technology. Along with advanced DSP cores, the controllers integrate robust peripherals such as analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), timers and pulse-width-modulation (PWM). F28x controllers offer a unique combination of 150 MIPS of 32-bit control-optimized performance, system integration and microcontroller- (MCU) like ease-of-use. This high level of system integration simplifies design and keeps control systems compact and cost-efficient. MCU-like instructions and on-chip flash memory enables rapid prototyping.

Range, network configuration and power consumption are important factors when selecting a Low Power Wireless (LPW)solution. Range is affected by output power, sensitivity and selectivity, which in turn impact the jamming of other signal sources and the ability to distinguish the desired signal from local interferers. Point to Point, Star or Mesh Network choices not only impact these elements, but also the standards and frequency ranges chosen. TI’s LPW/Chipcon product family offers the performance and flexibility needed for Metering AMR and AMI applications.

For the electricity meter, power for the electronics can be derived from the single to 3-phase power lines. For other utilities, the meter would either need to be attached to a power source or leverage an internal battery. In some regions it may also be possible to use rechargeable batteries and small solar cells to recharge them during the day. In order to do this effectively, high efficiency power and battery management devices are necessary.

Application Notes

  • DN000 - Design Note Overview (Rev. K) (swra120k.htm, 8 KB)
    18 Aug 2008 Abstract
  • DN113 CC111xFx CC243xFx CC251xFx SPI Interface (swra223.htm, 8 KB)
    18 Aug 2008 Abstract
  • DN111 - Current Consumption for a Polling Receiver (swra207.htm, 8 KB)
    10 Jul 2008 Abstract
  • DN019 Powering LPW Products (swra173.htm, 8 KB)
    30 Apr 2008 Abstract
  • DN017 -- CC11xx 868/915 MHz RF Matching (Rev. A) (swra168a.htm, 8 KB)
    31 Mar 2008 Abstract
  • DN106 -- Power Modes in CC111xFx, CC243xFx, and CC251xFx (Rev. A) (swra162a.htm, 8 KB)
    24 Mar 2008 Abstract
  • AN047--CC1100 CC2500 Wake on Radio (Rev. A) (swra126a.htm, 8 KB)
    13 Mar 2008 Abstract
  • DN013 -- Programming output powers on CC1101 (Rev. A) (swra151a.htm, 8 KB)
    02 Jan 2008 Abstract
  • DN006 --CC11xx Settings for FCC15.247 Solutions (Rev. A) (swra123a.htm, 8 KB)
    17 Dec 2007 Abstract
  • Configuring the TMS320F280x DSP as an I2C Processor (spraan8.htm, 8 KB)
    29 Jun 2007 Abstract
  • Using GMR Sensors With the MSP430 Scan Interface (slaa358.htm, 9 KB)
    18 Apr 2007 Abstract
  • DN400 -- Interfacing CC1100 - CC2500 with MSP430 (swra116.htm, 8 KB)
    20 Dec 2006 Abstract
  • Rotary/Linear Motion Detection Using the MSP430 Scan Interface & Optical Sensors (slaa289.htm, 8 KB)
    15 Dec 2006 Abstract
  • MSP430 Interface to CC1100/2500 Code Library (slaa325.htm, 9 KB)
    19 Jul 2006 Abstract
  • Implementing an Electronic Watt-Hour Meter with the MSP430FE42x Devices (Rev. B) (slaa203b.htm, 8 KB)
    02 Jun 2005 Abstract
  • Current Transformer Phase Shift Compensation and Calibration (slaa122.htm, 8 KB)
    30 Jan 2001 Abstract
  • A Low-Cost Single-Phase Electricity Meter Using MSP430C11x (slaa075.htm, 8 KB)
    25 Oct 1999 Abstract
    

News Releases & Authored Articles

News Releases

Date Headline
11 Nov 2008 TI's single-chip MSP430 MCU and low power RF solution advances networking, energy harvesting, security, lighting and metering
29 Jan 2008 Incotex automated meter management systems improve energy efficiency and accuracy using TI controller technology

Authored Articles

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