|
THE "ESSENTIAL" OF EURIDIS
|
|
|
|
|
A PRAGMATIC AND PROVEN SOLUTION TO COPE WITH
METER INACCESSIBILITY AND ESTIMATED REGISTERS BILLING
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The need to read non-accessible meters becomes very important. Manual readings cause entry errors and used to take a long time physically to check each unit.
In other respects, different studies have shown that many end customers are unsatisfied on one hand to be disturbed for billing purposes and, on the other hand, to be invoiced on estimated registers.
|
|
Even though outside installation of the meter is the solution most often sought, it is not always technically possible, sometimes not very desirable from an aesthetic point of view, and often, it is costly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In that way, communication functions are becoming extremely important in meters. They enable remote meter readings for billing purposes, and remote programming for the meter's configuration.
By collecting data from inside building and delivering it outside, EURIDIS is a very interesting way to provide a complete answer to these needs.
In a block of flats or in a zone of individual houses, all the meters are linked to the EURIDIS local bus.
|
|
The EURIDIS local bus consists of a two-wire cable connected to a magnetic coupler, generally installed at the boundary of the client's installations, which enables a utility to perform meter reading or programming operations from the public domain.
Thus, the operator simply connects a hand held unit to the magnetic coupling socket. The hand held unit emits signals to contact each meter on the network in turn and access their data.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
EURIDIS offers all the services that we can expect from a solution designed to remotely manage low cost devices.
All communications call upon two systems called Primary station and Secondary station.
The primary station (for instance a hand held unit) is the system that decides to initiate a communication with one or more remote systems called secondary stations (meters ...).
|
|
|
|
3.1. Remote reading and data programming
These are the basic functions. The hand held unit gathers information from the individual meters. Any from one to one hundred meters can be connected, wherever they might be on the network.
For security, each programming of data is preceded by an authentication exchange. Authentification is carried out by an exchange of random ciphered numbers using a specific secret key for each Secondary Station.
EURIDIS offers also, for some particular appliances, programming with no authentication and broadcast remote transfer.
3.2. Alarm call back
A secondary station can transmit alarms to the primary station. When a primary station receives an alarm it has to make a specific remote reading of the secondary station, which will give it all informations about the alarm.
|
|
3.3. Energy remote supply
(water, gas, heating ...)
Energy remote supply is provided for communication between a primary station and one or more non-energized secondary stations, as gas meters. The general principle of the data exchanges is preserved for the non-energized stations. But, to optimize the bus consumption, a selection exchange enables the primary station to select a non-energized secondary station.
3.4. Automatic identification
Certain meters haven't been registered, either in the hand held unit's data base or even in the utility's central customer billing data base.
EURIDIS offers two functions allowing a complete automatic identification of stations on the bus.
The "forgotten station call" is a special procedure offering the possibility of detecting and identifying any future machines present on the bus. By this very simple procedure, up to 5 stations in 100 could be detected.
When the number of unknown secondary stations is larger, the "discover" function is to be used.
A discover request conveys a specific response probability, which defines the probability in percent that a new secondary station responds. A secondary station, which is not yet enrolled, draws a random number and responds to this request only if this number is smaller or equal to the response probability.
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.1. Topology
EURIDIS accepts all network topologies provided that the bus has a total length of less than 500 m, and that no more than 100 machines are connected to it.
|
|
4.2. Physical characteristics
All or nothing amplitude modulation on 50 kHz carrier
• Binary flow rate of 1,200 Bits/s +/- 1% and negative coding logic
• Half duplex, asynchronous, bi-directional transmission
• Maximum field length: 128 bytes; error detecting using CRC 16
|
|
|
|
|
|
5.1. A large range of products
EURIDIS allows a very wide range of products. As a non exhaustive list, we can mention :
• Single-phase and three-phase residential electricity meters
• Industrial electricity meters
• Residential gas meters
• Data collector
• Remote reading case
• Connection case and building base
• Communication gateways
• Hand held unit ...
|
|
5.2. A complete set of tools
In order to make EURIDIS use as easily as possible, a complete set of tools has been developed :
• Server software written in ANSI C, and therefore portable to any C or C++ compiler
• Client software available as a library for different operating systems and platforms
• Conformance test tools to verify the proper implementation of the protocol within the meter and the "pricing" functions of the meter.
|
|
|
|
| 6. AN IMPRESSIVE SOLUTION |
|
|
The EURIDIS protocol represents an upgradable and open system offering at high level of reliability and efficiency, a solution to cope with standard household utility meters inaccessibility.
6.1. Efficiency
It takes about 3 minutes to read 100 meters (so less than 2 seconds per meter !).
Moreover, the way of processing :
• increases security in collection of data due to immediate controls
• eliminates all paper supports
• increases productivity due to elimination of all re-entry of data.
6.2. Security and integrity
EURIDIS provides exchanges through three complementary techniques :
• A system for detecting and correcting the physical errors of the transmission medium
• An initial authentication, when it is required to ensure mutual identity checking of each party
• A simplified ciphering of exchanges to allow data confidentiality.
Moreover the magnetic plug prevents from forbidden access.
|
|
6.3. Low cost
EURIDIS uses classical single twisted pair telecommunication cable. There isn't any connecting constraint.
A built-in modem for EURIDIS costs less than a modem for PLC or Radio technology.
6.4. Added value functions
Tele-transfer allows a link between the operator and the client's meter. EURIDIS, which was initially designed for reading requirements, authorizes many other applications :
• Supervision of meters' operational conditions
• Detection of fraud attempts
• Programming
• Use of network quality measurement equipment.
|
|
|
|
| 7. INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS GUARANTEE SECURITY AND RELIABILITY |
|
|
7.1. International Electrotechnical
Commission (IEC) standard
Standards are one of the pre-requisites for the liberalized market. Only standardization could provide interoperability between different manufacturers' equipment.
International Electrotechnical Commission standard IEC 1142 (and, see below, second edition IEC 62056-31: Data exchange for meter reading, tarif and load control. Using local area networks with inductive coupling) is part of the standardization for electrical energy measurement and load control equipment.
The IEC 62056-31 standard also integrates ISO and Cenelec quality standards - international and European - guarantee that the EURIDIS system uses a standardized procedure. This in turn ensures the security and reliability of widely used hardware, as well as compatibility in different countries.
|
|
7.2. DLMS compatibility
The industrial messaging System DLMS is well suited to exchanges among small capacity and low cost devices.
Remote access to such devices, requires a device modelization that is independent of the manufacturer, the hardware used and the low level communication layers.
This modelization is supplied by the DLMS specification which offers applications the means to implement standardized communication derived from the Client / Server model. DLMS defines :
• A model for describing the communication objects available on each physical device
• Specialized services that can act upon theses objects
• A clear protocol presented using the standard syntax ASN.1 (Abstract Syntax Notation 1).
Thus, a second architecture, called EURIDIS+, has been defined to complement EURIDIS original standard by allowing operation of DLMS services. EURIDIS+ is a protocol stack implementing a three layer data exchange structure, conforming the collapsed architecture recommended by the IEC.
EURIDIS+ is fully compatible with the EURIDIS bus, which guarantees the possibility of mixing both devices on the same bus.
|
|
|
|
| 8. A LARGE USERS ASSOCIATION |
|
|
8.1. Euridis - Partnership for ongoing
development
Simplifying meter reading and making operations more cost effective are ongoing challenges. To meet this challenges, the EURIDIS Association is open to all companies which seek to contribute to the continuous improvement of the quality of services offered by the EURIDIS local bus reading system.
The aims of the association are mainly to inform members, define and control technical specifications evolutions, promote the use of the protocol and be an agent for conformance testing.
|
|
8.2. Members
Manufacturers, utilities and software companies are members of this association.
|
|
|
|
| 9. AN UPGRADABLE AND OPEN SYSTEM |
|
|
9.1. Shared with several users today,
open to new users tomorrow
EURIDIS is an open solution.
The EURIDIS local bus reading system is compatible with a very wide range of applications. Future users include services companies requiring periodic dialogue with a large number of terminals, such as different types of meters or automatic dispensing machines.
The protocol has been designed such that several operators may share the same bus, with each of them enjoying exactly the same services as though he were the only one using it.
It is thus possible to make tele-transfer buses grouping together all existing meter readings, electricity, gas, cold and hot water, and capable of adding new applications.
The system is also open to transactions whose volume far surpasses current data transmissions. Because EURIDIS is already open to new developments, the investment is future-safe.
The local bus reading system provides the technical platform for remote meter reading, and subsequently for remote control of domestic metering systems, as soon as theses procedures become cost efficient.
|
|
9.2. Gateways to answer to all situations and needs
Even if EURIDIS is well designed for metering, it can't be the universal and sole solution.
On one hand, in some particular cases, when the meters are difficult to reach for example, it can be necessary to convert EURIDIS into radio, data line carrier, telephone or cellular phone, because one of these communication channels is more adapted to the situation.
On the other hand, we have to cope with the installed base of meters.
Thus, EURIDIS scope is going to be extended by providing communication gateways to respond to some particular cases and allow connection of heterogeneous devices on the bus.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Flexible, with no particular constraint, EURIDIS, by its functions and reliability represents one of the most effective solution to read and manage easily, from a single access point, up to 100 meters.
With the spread of electronic metering, EURIDIS expands very rapidly and different countries have chosen EURIDIS already.
|
|
For instance, we can mention : France, Algeria, Tunisia, Marocco, Switzerland, Spain ...
Today, nearly ten million devices communicating by EURIDIS are installed. Next year, for instance, one additional million devices will increase in France the total number of EURIDIS meters. |
