The development of a remote ireless meter reading system

This paper describes a remote utility meter reading system providing multi-point to point data transfer ithin residential areas. It comprises meter located transmitters and base statio receivers used to receive and relay the transmitted data. Packet transmissions from the meters are at a nominal data rate of 870 bps ith payloads typically i the range 32-64 bytes. The system uses narro band, phase modulation. Transmissions from the meter are o a randomised time and frequency basis, hich ensures that the risk of a collisio i time and frequency at the receiver is minimised and avoids the need for the additional complexity of synchronising all of the meters. The basestatio receiver utilises a advanced, ideband multichannel DSP architecture able to decode up to t enty simultaneously received signals allo ing a single base statio to support several thousand remote terminals. The system as designed for a maximum capacity of 6500 terminals per cell, a transmitter battery life of 10 years and a 1/2 km range for 99% probability of communication.