Meter test
Meter test
- For safer operation and support
- Designed for professional meter data collection
- Suitable for connected gateways and technical systems
PiiGAB performs tests and verification of meters, sensors, and other equipment to ensure compatibility. Our focus in these meter tests is entirely on M-Bus communication.
In our offer, there is an option to have meters tested to actually see how well the meter works. We perform a thorough test to see what the meter can handle and where it may fall short. All data is documented in a results document where all test points are shown, and we also add our opinion on the meter’s overall result.
Are you specifying requirements, selling, installing, or commissioning M-Bus meters? Then you can have us test the meter to verify that it really communicates as it should so you can be sure of trouble-free use.
In a meter test, we focus on the M-Bus communication with the meter. We review many aspects regarding M-Bus communication to see what the meter can handle and where it falls short.
What does a meter test at PiiGAB involve
The meter
- Identification number on the meter.
- M-Bus connection.
- Power supply (M-Bus loop, battery, or external).
These points are checked to see if the meter is easy to identify and how to connect the meter to the M-Bus loop. Ideally, the meter should be so clear that you don’t need to look it up in the manual. Additionally, how the meter is powered is checked.
Manual
- M-Bus standard.
- M-Bus connection.
- Number of load units.
- Number of telegrams.
- Secondary address: (manufacturer, version, and medium).
- Description of measurement points.
- Primary addressing.
- Secondary addressing.
- Communication speeds.
- Limitation regarding reading frequency.
The manual checks how well documented the meter is for M-Bus communication. The more detailed the manufacturer is in their documentation, the easier it becomes to use the meter and how the other products in the system should be adapted to the meter.
Test with primary and secondary addressing
- Initialization.
- Reading.
- Reset.
- Change primary address.
- Change communication speed.
- Search.
- Stress test.
- Two-day test.
These test points only concern how well the M-Bus communication works from the M-Bus client via the M-Bus converter to the M-Bus meter and back. This is done with both primary addressing and secondary addressing.
The stress and two-day tests are especially important because we sell PiiGAB M-Bus 900, which allows the meter to be read from four different clients simultaneously. Therefore, it is verified that the meter can be read at a high frequency over a long period.
Measurement objects and raw data
- Which measurement objects are readable.
- Whether the measurement objects referenced in the manual are correct.
- Whether the measurement objects are realistic for the type of meter.
- What the raw data output by the meter looks like.
We check which measurement points are actually readable in the meter. That information is then verified against what the meter’s manual states. Additionally, it is checked whether the measurement points provided by the meter are relevant for that type of meter.
Hardware and software used in the test
We only use products that guarantee transparent M-Bus communication in the M-Bus client and M-Bus converter to test the M-Bus meter. No external influence on the raw data from the meter is accepted.
Test environment
Since we at PiiGAB find it difficult to simulate a test environment where external factors – such as heat, dust, dirt, interference, radiation, and moisture – are present, we cannot take into account the environment that the meters are exposed to in reality during our tests.
We therefore conduct our tests in a laboratory environment, and our test results thus relate to that environment.