Neptune Technology Group Inc. and Landis+Gyr Inc. announced this week, during the annual Automatic Meter Reading Association International Symposium, an alliance to develop and market an AMR endpoint, which combines Neptune’s R900® module with Landis+Gyr’s solid-state, residential FOCUS® meter platform. The endpoint will be compatible with Neptune’s ARB® Utility Management Systems™ mobile applications.
Already in development, the R900 module for the FOCUS meter takes advantage of the R900 technology, which uses a high-power radio frequency (RF) transmission for better range, and thereby provides improved reading efficiency and reading success. The R900 module is fully compatible with Neptune’s handheld and mobile drive-by reading systems for water, electric and gas utilities.
According to Richard Mora, CEO and president of Landis+Gyr, “The synergies between Neptune and Landis+Gyr, like our companies’ histories of innovation and a mutual customer focus, suggests that collaboration between us makes sense and will provide benefits to multiservice utilities. Landis+Gyr currently offers an extremely broad AMR endpoint portfolio that utilities can employ to custom configure solutions based on their individual terrain and consumption loads. We’re looking forward, with Neptune’s help, to expanding that product set in the very near future.”
The design of Landis+Gyr’s FOCUS meter is suited for AMR and advanced metering applications such as the R900 FOCUS endpoint. When combined with a communications module, such as Neptune’s R900, the FOCUS meter’s single-circuit board design facilitates an easy and inexpensive retrofit. Fewer connectors and fewer parts increase reliability and contribute to better overall endpoint performance. Furthermore, the FOCUS platform supports four energy metrics, allows meter reprogramming via the configuration port and supports all residential socket- and K-base forms.
In addition to outstanding mobile-reading performance, the R900 FOCUS endpoint provides another key benefit. The R900 protocol allows the voltage information available in the FOCUS meter to be communicated via RF to the reading system. This is a unique capability that will allow a utility to monitor line voltage available at any point in its system where an R900-equipped FOCUS meter is installed.
