User's Guide

74 A c l a r a R F E l e c t r i c I - 2 1 0 + c U s e r G u i d e
Configuration Management
engineering stats) as the means to move these messages. If these other messages
are disabled for some reason, the user must also change the configuration of the
opportunistic alarm threshold to turn all alarms into real time alarms, or
opportunistic alarms will never be sent to the headend. (See Aclara RF Network
I-210+c Supported Alarms on page 62 for default alarm priorities.)
The demandResetLockoutPeriod should be set to 24 hours, and MeterMate should
have a demand reset lockout period of 4:15.
Opt-Out
Sometimes customers express concerns over RF energy. While entire banks of
meters are deemed safe according to US and Canadian standards, some customers
may still wish to opt out of the smart meter program.
• The most effective means of eliminating RF transmissions from the service
location is to use a meter that lacks an RF NIC. A meter can be installed that
has to be read physically once a month instead.
• If it is not necessary to completely eliminate RF transmissions, it is possible
to configure an RF equipped meter to transmit only last-gasp and
power-restored messages.
• If a bit more RF can be tolerated, the module can be configured to transmit
only the daily shifted data.
• Finally, if only minor reductions are needed, a small decrease in RF traffic
can be attained by configuring the endpoint for batch interval readings and
transmitting them infrequently.
Meter Passwords
The meter contains multiple boards. Every meter contains a meter module
assembly (MMA). This board contains the meter microprocessor and optical port
interface. Purchasing the Aclara RF Network causes an Aclara RF Network NIC to
also be added to the assembly. Both boards are provided with passwords when the
meter is built at the factory. This allows the NIC to talk to the meter module.
If someone with a MeterMate handheld were to walk up to a meter installed in the
field and connect it to the meter’s optical port, it would be possible for such a
person to interact with the meter. They could change the password in the meter
module assembly. However, this action does not cause the NIC’s password to be
updated. It will cause the NIC to supply an obsolete password to the meter, and to
have its requests for data rejected. The NIC will start to report comDevice
metrology I/O error alarms to the headend. These will occur periodically until the
issue is fixed.
To change the password in the NIC the user at the headend must use the
Engineering Tool. Please contact Aclara Support for assistance in this matter.