Telit Presents Brand New, Energy Efficient, Wireless M-Bus Module for 169 MHz

Telit's ME50-169 modules are compliant to the latest Wireless M-Bus Standard and are fully devoted to metering in the 169 MHz band. 169 MHz provides a much higher performance in terms of range than 868 or even 433 MHz. Wireless M-Bus is a standardized transfer technology for radio for the remote reading of meters inside buildings. The data from the individual meters is transferred to a concentrator on site, which collates and transfers it via GSM/GPRS to the supply companies. The ME50-169 modules are fully compatible to Telit's gateway solution, the GG863-SR, which integrates Short Range and GSM/GPRS capabilities. This ready-to-use device allows utility companies to deploy large Wireless M-Bus solutions easily.

The next step in lower power consumption

The M-Bus modules with LGA (Land Grid Array) mounting technology are the first product releases in the market with 25 mW output power which assure extreme low power consumption - therewith ideally meeting smart metering power consumption requirements. In addition the ME50-169 is equipped with an embedded low power ATMEL ATX microcontroller. Therefore the modules can be easily integrated into various systems, reducing time to market and project costs.

The modules, which are equipped with the SR tool platform help to reduce valuable development time. This platform is providing additional features such as OTA SW and a customized solution on demand for network deployment and management. The ME50-169 is pin-to-pin compatible with the Telit modules in the ZE (ZigBee 2007 and PRO stack), NE (Mesh low power) and LE (basic point to point, broadcast stack) families.

The new ME50-169 is another proof of Telit's commitment to the smart metering market providing a ready-to-use solution for a matchless time to market and complementary offerings. This enables customers to cover all the requirements of a Wireless M-Bus smart metering projects easily, says Tony Spizzichino, CEO Telit RF Technologies.

The combination of Short Range and cellular capabilities is the key technology for future m2m applications: Companies using Short Range can use the free data transmission via radio frequencies and don't have to buy expensive SIM-cards, says Dominikus Hierl, CMO at Telit Wireless Solutions. Companies using now Telit's gateway solution with the new ME50-169, to combine their Short Range with cellular data transmission can fully overcome the Short Range limitations. Such integration provides companies a crucial solution at low costs and energy efficiency to meet all customer requirements.

Smart metering is already being successfully used in Italy, Scandinavia, the Netherlands, North America and Australia. In Germany, from 2010 onwards, new buildings are required to be equipped with smart meters, and from 2018 this will apply to all buildings. Also in the UK, the government launched a smart metering project planning to install one million GPRS-connected gas meters until 2020.