User Manual

TRACE AMR OVERVIEW
Universal RF Interrogator ? Host Programming Guide Page 5
AMCO Automated Systems • P/N 52845G125 Rev 1 FEB 2004
The TRACE AMR System Overview
In addition to standard automated meter reading functions, AMCO
Automated Systems’ TRACE portfolio of products permits the remote
recording of tamper conditions and linking of meter latitude and longitude
data using a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) system. With the optional
Vehicle Interactive Display, TRACE makes driver-to-meter orientation
more intuitive and efficient.
TRACE interrogators transmit at 451.35 MHz and receive transponder
messages at 415 MHz. (Transponders transmit at 415 MHz and receive
at 451.35 MHz.)
Trace transponders, normally asleep, “wake up” and listen for an
interrogation signal once every second. Only if a transponder hears its
unique serial number will it transmit data back to the interrogation device,
and then it goes back to sleep. Under normal circumstances
transponders only send one transmission per month.
How the TRACE System Works
Utility personnel no longer have to walk up to each meter, look at its
index and record its reading. Once transponders are installed on meters
and programmed, meter readers simply walk or drive down each street in
the route allowing the TRACE interrogator to request and record meter
data automatically.
Acquisition of meter information begins with the transponder where data
is stored continuously for later retrieval and moves to the interrogator
upon command. The acquired data from a given route can be transferred
to a host computer via floppy disk for processing.
The information acquisition, storage and handling process includes
several basic elements:
SN 1111 Read 208…
SN 2222 Read 943…
MMI
Equipped
SN 3333 Read 510…
SN 4444 Read 1031…
TRANSMIT
RECEIVE
The interrogator addresses each transponder in the interrogation win
dow individually. When the transponder “hears” its serial number and proper authorization, it
transmits the current meter data. The TRACE system’s frequency band allows remote reading of transponders even through walls and fences.