TWACS (Two-Way Automatic Communication System)

[devoir]

My elecrical provider uses TWACS (Two-Way Automatic Communication System) to read your meter.

DOes anyone know how to interface or read this type of communications?


Devoir

[rmasonjr]

I think the early iterations of meters used some cell signals and more recent ones used Zigbee - at least that is what I understood. That said, a lot of us just use a whole house energy monitor and plugin the utility rates to get a general idea of the $$ used in a given month. I would be curious of any of the meter protocols are 'open' though.

[Pete]

There is one forum user here looking at utilizing an SDR (software defined radio) to read his meters.

Monitoring some power/gas/water meters via an RTL-SDR

Here been testing an RPi2 configured (on my ZNet like device) SDR NOAA Weather maps reception script (and programs). It is working well today.

On the Domoticz automation forum there have been discussions relating to utilizing SDR for all kinds of sensors. The plugins are written in LUA over there.

Here updating water meter reader tomorrow Friday and will have a look see. Updated water meter a couple of years ago to a mostly plastic one from a Brass one. The town provided the water meter but made the residents pay for installation (?). I did my own as the prices to do this were close to $1000.

The town mentioned radio and the ability to do the entire subdivision from one location.

[epimetheus]

I've got a Rainforest Eagle 200 gateway hoped up to my meter. It talks zigbee to the meter and is approved by the utility and the PUC. I can only get instantaneous demand and consumption though.

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[Pete]

Googling looks like the Universal Devices folks have an add (Zigbee radio) add on for the Rainforest Eagle gateways.

Here you have a 3rd party Zigbee all plugin ...which started life as a JowiHue Plug-In

Maybe asking the plugin author about support for the Rainforest Eagle.

Here a few of my current Homeseer Touch touchscreen tabletop tablets (and SqueezePlayers) started life as Utility (Zigbee) thermostat and meter reader touchscreen. These were promoted by a few Utility companies here in the midwest and west coast and Cisco. These run a tight Linux which fits on a 1Gb/2Gb eMMC.

[ATTACH]66157[/ATTACH]

[mwolter]

From hxxps://rainforestautomation.com/rfa-z114-eagle-200/

If I am reading this correctly, it looks like the Rainforest unit can send info via REST. Might be an opportunity for a PI developer to create a direct integration to HS.


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[epimetheus]

From hxxps://rainforestautomation.com/rfa-z114-eagle-200/

If I am reading this correctly, it looks like the Rainforest unit can send info via REST. Might be an opportunity for a PI developer to create a direct integration to HS.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

That's what I've done to some extent. I'm using Node Red on a pi to poll the Eagle locally and send the data to HS via MQTT.

Works pretty well. My only compliant is that the Eagle doesn't update as quickly as I'd like. Though I'm not sure if that's the Eagle or the meter.

Also, just the clarify, the Eagle is a zigbee to Ethernet (wired or wifi) bridge. No additional devices needed to read electricity meters that support HAN (Home Area Network) devices.

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[devoir]

Brass vs Plastic flow meter

Pete,

you indicated you traded from Brass to Plastic. Which plastic unit is available for the flow meter?

[devoir]

Eagle is alive

I finally got the Rainforest Eagle to connect to my meter ..... onwards to figure out the plugin


Thanks everyone

Devoir