Incotex automated meter management systems using TI controller technology

Based on TI’s TMS320F28015 DSC, MSP430F155 and MSP430FE427 ultra-low power MCUs and data converters, Incotex's automated meter management (AMM) systems for electrical power distribution networks are optimized to deliver advanced efficiency capabilities to utility providers and end-users around the world.

Exemplifying Incotex's energy efficient offerings, the company's Mercury AMM system for electrical power distribution networks utilizes TI controller technology to provide automated data collection directly from consumer energy meters over power lines. This makes it possible for electrical utilities to easily detect and correct the location of energy losses. TI’s ultra-low power MSP430 MCU helps reduce the meters' energy loss up to 30 percent through detection of electric energy loss and theft.

Energy efficiency is paramount, and Incotex, together with TI, is committed to delivering technologies that enhance products and services while reducing power usage, said Mr. Batrakov Nikolay, technical manager, Incotex Co. Ltd. Based on TI's analog and digital solutions, Incotex's meter management products demonstrate how technology can save energy and simultaneously improve business operations and the quality of service provided by utility companies.

With Mercury PLC AMR, utilities also have the ability to enable “time of day pricing” in order to better match prices to the cost of generating and delivering power. Consumers also receive more accurate and timely information on electrical consumption, which helps them reduce costs by making better energy purchase decisions. Substantial cost reductions are also possible through the elimination of manual meter reading at the consumers’ site through powerline communication between the utility and meter.

High-performance signal processing is critical to ensuring that two way communications between the utility and meter are received and sent over power lines, as the infrastructure was not initially designed to handle communications traffic. Incotex’s Mercury PLC AMR transmits data at up to 100 different frequencies in two directions, ensuring reliable and accurate transmission in high noise conditions. The Mercury PLC utilizes TI's F28015 DSC to simultaneously provide orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM), which transmits multiple signals simultaneously over a single path. Additionally, the TI DSC is used for phase shift keying (PSK) of the frequency hopping carrier, which varies the phase of the transmitted signal to convey information. TI's DSC also handles OFDM signal processing through the implementation of Fast Fourier Transform calculations that analyze the frequencies contained in a sampled signal.

TI’s TMS320C2000 DSCs provide 32-bit fixed-point and floating-point offerings with up to 150 MHz performance, 512-kbyte flash and 68-kbyte of SRAM memory. The 60MHz TMS320F28015 controller used in the Mercury PLC modem is a single-chip solution with a fast 12-bit ADC and PWM generators that perform the digital to analog conversion. The F28015 is widely available today for a suggested resale price of $3.80 at 100u.

Ultra-low power MSP430 MCUs offer a combination of low power consumption and analog integration currently unmatched in the industry. Devices within the MSP430FE42x series are energy measurement system-on-chips (SoC), providing for distributed energy metering applications. MSP430FE42x devices integrate an energy measurement subsystem that consists of three independent, high precision 16-bit analog to digital converters (ADCs) along with an LCD display driver, temperature sensor, hardware multiplier and energy calculation algorithms. This highly integrated solution eliminates the need for the multiple external components and ICs traditionally responsible for measuring and calculating energy, providing the real time clock and driving the LCD display. Additionally, the measurement subsystem can be calibrated and initialized to accurately calculate energy, power factor and other parameters for a wide range of metering sensor configurations.

From ultra-low-power MSP430 and 32-bit general purpose TMS470 ARM7® family-based MCUs to high-performance TMS320C2000 digital signal controllers, TI offers designers the broadest range of embedded control solutions. Designers can also accelerate their design to market by tapping into TI’s complete software and hardware tools, extensive third party offerings and technical support.