Advanced
The M-Bus Metering gateway has the capability of performing advanced meter searches using certain predefined criteria defining what meters should be searched for.
-
Go to Meters > Search for meters.
-
Select Change to advanced search mode checkbox.
-
Choose the number of meters that will be installed and the baud rate that will be used by the Metering gateway to communicate with the meters.
-
Set the addressing mode of the meters the Metering gateway will search for. A priority order may also be set to determine what addressing mode will be used if the first choice should not work.
-
Set the Interfaces to use to search for meters. Viable options include Integrated M-Bus master (2-wire M-Bus) TCP/IP (Ethernet), or a combination of both. Select Add new to select an additional interface.
-
Select Save.
-
Select Start search.
The manual meter readout is most often used in troubleshooting purposes, to ensure that the readout process works the way it is supposed to. It will trigger a readout of one or all meters without having to wait for the scheduled readout cycle. When the settings of an individual meter have been edited, for example through a change of MOID, a manual readout of the meter must be performed before the change is fully implemented. Manual meter readouts can be performed for all installed meters or for one individual meter.
The Metering Gateway offers the possibility of performing meter readouts continuously. The device will then constantly collect meter values, which can for example be used by a control system to regulate a heating system. Note that meter values collected through the Continuous Readout Mode will only be held in the internal memory of the M-Bus Metering gateway (not stored in the database) and can only be accessed using integration protocols such as REST, BACnet, Modbus, JSON or DLMS. They will therefore not be included in Push reports. To use Continuous Readout Mode in combination with Push Reports, the meter readout schedule still needs to be set.
The Metering gateway supports HTTPS, FTPS and sFTP, were a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) is used to encrypt data between the device and the HTTP/FTP server. To enable HTTPS, FTPS, at least one SSL certificate must be uploaded to the web interface. To use sFTP, username and password, and username (password), key is supported.
-
diffie-hellman-group14-sha256
-
diffie-hellman-group16-sha256
-
diffie-hellman-group16-sha512
-
diffie-hellman-group18-sha512
-
diffie-hellman-group14-sha256@ssh.com
-
diffie-hellman-group16-sha384@ssh.com
-
diffie-hellman-group16-sha512@ssh.com
-
diffie-hellman-group18-sha512@ssh.com
When enabling HTTPS/FTPS, an SSL certificate, either self-signed (default option) or executed by a certificate authority (CA), is uploaded in the device KeyStore. The KeyStore SSL certificate will be used by the Metering gateway in two cases:
-
To authenticate itself as a trusted server when a user accesses the web interface via HTTPS or FTPS.
-
To authenticate itself as a trusted client to a server before delivering a HTTPS/FTPS Push Report.
If the SSL certificate has been executed by a CA, the Metering Gateway will automatically be trusted by the server/client. However, when a self-signed certificate is used, it always needs to be added to the server’s/client’s list of trusted certificates before a connection can be established.
When enabling HTTPS for accessing the web interface, connecting clients will be authenticated by the Metering gateway by using certificates uploaded in the device TrustStore.
-
Go to Configuration > Services > Web server.
-
Change the Connection type from HTTP to HTTPS.
-
Select Add client certificate. Attach the client certificate (.cer file) and a certificate alias as well as the TrustStore password, which were both issued along with the certificate.
-
Select Install.
-
Select Save.
CMe3100 supports transmission of Push Reports over HTTPS/FTPS. Server certificates uploaded in the TrustStore will then be used to authenticate a receiving server before sending a Push Report. By uploading a complete TrustStore, a list of trusted server certificates (for example Java standard TrustStore) can be uploaded and used by the device.
This topic applies to the general Push Report settings. That means that settings configured for an individual Push Report will override changes made according to these instructions.
-
Go to Configuration > Services > Web server.
-
Select Add a new server TrustStore to upload a list of trusted server certificates, or select Add server certificate to upload an individual certificate.
-
Add current and new TrustStore password if uploading a new TrustStore. Add certificate alias and TrustStore password if uploading a separate certificate.
-
Select Install.
-
Select Save.
HTTPS/FTPS can be enabled for all Push Reports, without changing the default Push Report HTTP/FTP server of the device.
-
Go to Configuration > Push Reports.
-
Select the Push Report you want to configure.
-
Set Report type (FTP or HTTP).
-
For HTTP Push Reports: Clear Send report to default HTTP server and type in the URI of the HTTPS server. If applicable, set Basic as Authentication mode, and type the credentials to log onto the server.
-
For FTP Push Reports: Clear Send report to default FTP server and type the FTP server information you want to use. Select whether to use Implicit FTPS or Explicit FTPS. If applicable, type the credentials to log onto the server.
-
The web interface enables configuring of M-Bus settings which will be applied to all meters connected to the Metering gateway over M-Bus. This includes baud rate, addressing mode, and the interface used to search for meters.
The Metering gateway also supports configuring of more advanced M-Bus settings, including timeout and retry settings for various M-Bus events as well as multi telegram settings.
-
Go to Meters > M-Bus settings.
-
Set the Baud rate that will be used in the meter search. Make sure that the baud rate set for the M-Bus is supported by all the meters that the Metering gateway is going to communicate with.
-
Set the Addressing mode that will be used in the meter search. A priority order can also be set, determining what addressing mode to use if the first choice should not work.
-
Set the Interfaces to search for meters. If using Integrated M-Bus, meters will be accessed over the M-Bus interface. By selecting TCP/IP, meters will be accessed over the Ethernet network. Select Add New, choose TCP/IP or M-Bus and select Save to add an additional interface.
-
Select Save.
The timeout and retry settings for various M-Bus events are configurable through the web interface of the Metering gateway.
The M-Bus multi telegram settings determine the maximum amount of telegrams received by the Metering Gateway for each meter readout. Disabling multi telegrams means that only the first telegram will be read for each meter readout, regardless of if the meter is trying to send additional ones. The maximum number of telegrams per readout is configured by setting the multi telegram read limit.
-
Go to Meters.
-
Select the secondary address of a meter.
-
Go to Settings.
-
Set the Baud rate that will be used by the Metering Gateway to communicate with the meter.
-
Set the Addressing mode that will be used by the Metering Gateway to access the meter. If using the wireless addressing mode, you may select through which Wireless M-Bus Receiver the meter should be accessed. However, the meter will by default automatically be assigned to the Wireless Receiver which has managed to establish the best connection.
-
Set the state of the multi telegram. If enabled, set the Multi telegram read limit. It will determine the maximum number of telegrams read by the Metering gateway per readout.
-
Select Save.
The transparent M-Bus service enables a master device, other than the Metering gateway, to communicate directly with the meters on the M-Bus. The transparent M-Bus service might for example be used if direct communication with a meter is necessary for debug or meter software update purposes. In such cases, the service allows for example a head-end system to communicate directly with the meter, completely bypassing the Metering gateway. A maximum of two different transparent M-Bus TCP/IP services with different baud rates can be enabled at the same time.
-
Go to Configuration > Services. In the list, the Transparent M-Bus services are easily enabled or disabled.
-
Select one of the Transparent M-Bus services.
-
Set the Baud rate and make sure it is supported by the M-Bus meters.
-
Choose Packing mode. By using M-Bus, all data transmitted over Transparent M-Bus is controlled by the Metering gateway to assure it follows the M-Bus standard. By setting the Packing Interval to Transparent the data will be transmitted without performing any such control.
-
Set the Packing Interval to determine number of milliseconds that need to pass before data received from the master device is transmitted on the M-Bus.
-
Set the Idle timeout to determine the number of seconds of inactivity that needs to pass before a connection with a master device is closed. Make sure that the time is set to reflect the connection scheme of the master device.
-
Select Save.
The Metering gateway supports virtual M-Bus communication over TCP/IP, which means that another master device can retrieve data directly from the database of the CMe3100. When using the virtual M-Bus mode, the master device will never communicate directly on the M-Bus, but only with the Metering gateway and its meter value database.
-
Go to Configuration > Services.
-
Enable the virtual M-Bus service. Select it to configure the virtual M-Bus settings.
-
Set the Value expiration date to determine how long a stored meter value will be valid if requested over virtual M-Bus. If a meter value has been stored in the database for a longer time than the value expiration time, a requesting master device will receive a “not valid” notification if the meter value should be requested.
-
Set the Idle timeout to determine how many seconds a communication link with a master device may be inactive before it is closed. The default setting allows for ample time between operations without the need of reconnecting and assures that a connection that is lost, automatically closes after the timeout period. It will work well in most cases. However, the Idle timeout needs to be set to reflect the connection scheme of the master device.
-
Select Save.
The Metering gateway has two slave ports available, which can be used by a master device to access the virtual or transparent M-Bus services. Each port can be individually configured by setting the baud rate, packing interval and idle timeout settings.
-
Go to Configuration > Services.
-
Enable the desired slave port. Select ot to configure its settings. Select whether the master device should use the transparent M-Bus or virtual M-Bus service when connecting to the slave ports.
-
Set the Baud rate to determine the rate of communication between the Metering gateway and its master device.
-
Set the Packing interval to determine how many milliseconds that will have to pass before data received by the Metering gateway will be sent to the master device.
-
Set the Idle timeout to determine the number of seconds of inactivity that needs to pass before a connection with the master device is closed. Make sure that the time is set to reflect the connection scheme of the master device.
-
Select Save.
The Metering gateway supports meter readouts by master devices over the Modbus protocol, which might for example be desired in a Digital Control System. The Modbus readout is performed by TCP/IP (Ethernet network).
The Metering gateway supports meter readouts by master devices over the Modbus protocol, which might for example be desired in a Digital Control System. The Modbus readout is performed by TCP/IP (Ethernet network).
-
To be able to use Modbus, it is mandatory to have a Modbus license. Verify that by going to System>Licenses & Add-ons.
-
If you have a Modbus license, go to Configuration > Services to enable the service.
-
Enable the Modbus service in the list. Select it to configure its settings.
Tip
Set up the settings before you start working with your Modbus map. It will be easier to work with the map if all the main configurations have been done beforehand.
-
Fill in the information. An explanation of each setting is provided below.
Setting
Description
TCP port number
The port which the Modbus communication will use in your network. The default is 502.
Simultaneous connections
Decides the amount of systems that are allowed to read the CMe3100 simultaneously.
Modbus slave address
The slave address which the CMe3100 will use.
Respond on invalid addresses
The CMe3100 can use 64-bit numbers, while a Modbus register only can carry 16-bit numbers. This indicates that the CMe3100 must be able to combine four registers at a time, which is why it is impossible to chose only one register on the Modbus map.
If the box is checked in: When your master asks for data, the CMe3100 will summarize the data from four registers.
If the box is empty: When your master asks for data, the CMe3100 will answer with a part of the data from one register. This data will in most cases be incorrect and difficult to understand.
This function is by default set to off (empty box), but it is recommended to allow (check in the box).
Default data type
Choose the data format.
unsigned integer: Will present data in positive numbers or zero (>=0).
signed integer: Will present data in negative and positive numbers in the range, - 0.5x maximum number size to +0.5x maximum numbersize. Ex. 16 bit signed will show numbers between -32768 to +32767 (-0.5x65535 to +0.5x65535).
two byte (16 bits) data: a maximum number size of 65535
four byte (32 bits) data: a maximum number size of 4 294 967 295
eight byte (64 bits) data: a maximum number size of 18 446 744 073 709 551 615
swapped: will change the number sequence of the data words
float: will enable the possibility of decimals
Default constant
will increase the size of your number by one decimal unit for each e^1
-
Select Save.
CMe3100 supports SNMP v2c, a standardized protocol used for monitoring of devices on a TCP/IP network. By activating the SNMP service, the Metering gateway aggregates the result of the last meter readout and the last round of Push Reports and makes it available for an SNMP manager to poll. There are three available status codes used to describe the status of meter readouts and Push Reports.
Table 101. Aggregated status of meter readouts and Push Reports
|
Status |
Mode |
Description |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
OK |
The last meter readout and the last round of Push Reports were both successful. |
|
2 |
WARNING |
The last meter readout completed with errors for one or several (but not all) meters or the last round of Push Reports completed with errors for one or several (but not all) reports. |
|
3 |
ERROR |
The last meter readout was unsuccessful for all meters, or the last round of Push Reports was unsuccessful for all reports. |
CMe3100 uses a MIB-file, which can be downloaded from the web interface to structure lists that will present the SNMP manager with the status of the last meter readout and the last round of Push Reports. The following lists are available for the SNMP manager software to access:
-
A status report, which presents the aggregated status of the last meter readout and the last round of Push Reports.
-
A meter status list, which presents the last readout status for each individual meter. If the last meter readout succeeded, the status code will be 1 If it failed, the status code will be 3 Status code 2 indicates that CMe3100 was unable to decrypt the last message from that specific meter or that the meter has never been read.
-
A report status list, which presents the last status of each individual Push Report. If the last Push Report succeeded, the status code will be 1. If it failed, the status code will be 3.
CMe3100 also supports SNMP traps, which are asynchronous notifications sent to all configured recipients each time the aggregated status of the meter readout or the Push Reports changes. For example, if one of the activated Push Report suddenly fails (and the aggregated status changes from 1 to 2, an SNMP trap will be triggered, and all recipients will be notified.
-
Go to Configuration > Services.
-
Enable SNMP in the list.
-
Select the service to enter its settings.
-
Enter the TCP port number for the SNMP manager to connect to.
-
Enter the Community string. The SNMP manager and the device need to use the same community string to communicate with each other.
-
Select Save.
-
Go to Configuration > Services.
-
Enable the SNMP service.
-
Select the service and go to Settings.
-
Select Add new trap and enter the hostname and the port of the desired recipient.
-
Enter Trap notification retries to determine the maximum number of retries the CMe3100 will perform when trying to notify a trap receiver.
-
Enter Trap timeout to determine the maximum number of seconds the CMe3100 will wait for a response from the SNMP manager when sending a trap notification.
-
Select Save.
By enabling the Auto Configuration service, the metering gateway will periodically check a URL for a settings command file (.cad file) which will be downloaded and parsed. The settings command file can include settings updates like what is possible using the command line interface.
-
Go to Configuration > Services > Auto Configuration.
-
Select the Activate Auto Configuration checkbox.
-
Choose the Schedule of the Auto Configuration service out of the preset alternatives or by using cron patterns. To learn more about cron patterns, see Configuring service and job schedules using cron patterns.
-
Enter the URL of the command file.
-
Choose Authentication mode, which will then be used every time an Auto Configuration is run.
-
Select Save.
There is a group of more advanced Push Reports settings, configurable through the web interface of the metering gateway. These include:
-
Adaptive Retries, which adjust retry attempts for failed Push Reports to the schedule in use.
-
Value Period, which determines how far back in time the metering gateway will include values for when compiling a Push Report.
-
Value Interval, which determines the time between the readouts included in the Push Reports.
-
Timeout value, which for each protocol determines how long a Push Report transmit attempt may linger before timing out.
The adaptive retries ensure that all Push Report retry attempts are performed before the next scheduled Push Report is going to be sent. For example, if the Push Report schedule is set to every 16th-60th minute, up to two retries will be attempted with 300 seconds between each one. If all retry attempts fail, the meter values will instead be included in the next Push Report.
Table 102. Adaptive retry schedule
|
Push Report schedule |
Max amount of retry attempts |
Seconds between each attempt |
|---|---|---|
|
1-15 min |
1 |
0 |
|
16-60 min |
2 |
300 |
|
61 min-23 h |
3 |
500 |
|
>23 h |
6 |
3600 |
If choosing to disable the adaptive retries, the metering gateway will use its individual report settings to determine how to handle failed Push Report attempts. These settings are not displayed in the web interface but can be accessed through the console interface. If no such report settings have been configured for the metering gateway, general job settings will determine how the device handles failed Push Report retry attempts.
The value period of the metering gateway can be set to Auto or to a fixed number. Using the Auto settings will deliver all previously unsent meter values up to a max limit of 180 meter readouts. For example, if the metering gateway has been unable to send Push Reports, scheduled every 15th minute for a certain amount of time, it will be able to go back and deliver a maximum of 45 hours of undelivered meter values with the next successful Push Report (180 * 15 minutes = 2700 minutes = 45 hours). When setting the value period to a fixed number, the metering gateway will look exactly that far back in time for undelivered meter values.
-
Go to Configuration > Push Reports.
-
Select a Push Report.
-
Enter Value period.
-
By setting the value period to Auto, the metering gateway calculates the value period based on how far back in time it is able to find unsent meter values.
-
By setting the value period to a specific value, meter values exactly that long back in time will be included in the Push Report, regardless of if there are older unsent meter values.
-
-
Select Save.
-
Go to Configuration > Push Reports.
-
Select a Push Report.
-
Set the Value Interval to determine the time between each meter readout included in the Push Report.
Setting the Value Interval to All values automatically ensures that all meter values read by the metering gateway are included in the Push Reports.
-
Select Save.
-
Go to Configuration > Services > Push Reports.
-
Set the desired timeout for each protocol.
Setting the timeout to -1 disables the timeout functionality of the metering gateway, and instead lets the server determine when a connection should be closed. The default settings will work well in most cases. However, if the connection between the metering gateway and the server is slow, the timeout value might have to be increased accordingly.
-
Select Save.
The job retries settings determine how the metering gateway performs retry attempts for scheduled and manual jobs, for example meter readouts, if failing the first time. If adaptive retries have been disabled for Push Reports, and no other retry settings have been configured for the metering gateway, these retry settings will also affect the Push Report retry settings.
-
Go to Configuration > Services > Job settings.
-
Enter the desired number of retries to determine the maximum number of times the metering gateway will attempt to perform a job.
-
Enter the retry offset to determine the time between the metering gateway will wait between each attempt for these jobs.
-
Select Save.
The metering gateway can be accessed through a console application, i.e., by using a command-line interface. This is most often used for troubleshooting and advanced operations. To increase the security of the console application, the metering gateway supports the usage of passwords to access various levels of device functions. It is also possible to create a list of specific IP addresses which are allowed to access the metering gateway through the console application.
-
Go to Configuration > Services.
-
Select the console application.
-
Enter TCP port number where the console application will connect.
-
Enter Idle timeout to determine the number of seconds of inactivity that needs to pass before a connection with a console application is closed.
-
Go to Security. Enter a password for accessing various levels of device functions and a list of authorized IP addresses which will be able to use the console application.
-
Select Save.
The On Demand Report is a way of triggering a report manually, without having to set a schedule. It differs from other types of reports in the sense that an actual meter readout is performed each time the On Demand Report is requested. In contrast, all other types of Push Reports include meter values that has already been stored in the database of the metering gateway.
-
Go to Configuration > Push Reports > On demand report.
-
Enable the On demand report.
-
Select the On demand report.
-
Choose the protocol to receive the report by.
-
Choose report template. To learn more about the Report Templates available, please visit our support site https://support.elvaco.com.
-
Enter recipients of the On Demand Report.
-
Select Save (or Save & Send test report to test the settings).
Configuring device identity settings includes assigning an identity for the metering gateway, which will be displayed as the sender of Push Reports, as well as contact information to be included in the Push Reports.
-
Go to Configuration > Localization > Conventions.
-
Choose Language, enter Decimal separator, enter Report separator, and choose First day of the week. The Character encoding should be set with respect to the operational system used to make sure that all characters of the Push Reports will be encoded correctly.
-
Select Save.
In rare cases, e.g., in case of troubleshooting, it might be desired to perform a reboot of the metering gateway. This can be done directly through the web interface.
By performing a factory reset of the metering gateway, all settings will be reset to default and the meter value database and logs will be cleared.
For scheduled jobs, e.g., meter readouts and Push Reports, cron patterns can be used to customize the time interval by which the jobs will be performed. It is done by setting up to five different time variables, each one represented by a star. Replace each star with a number to set a specific job execution schedule.
Illustration of cron pattern
The “/” character is used to set periodic values, i.e., schedule a job with a recurrent time interval. The “?” character is used to generate a random value. Lastly, using the “|” character allows to combine several cron patterns. See the following example table including a list of chosen cron patterns.
Table 103. Examples of different cron patterns
|
Cron pattern |
Description |
|---|---|
|
15 * * * * |
Schedule a job 15 minutes past every hour, i.e., 00:15, 01:15, 02:15 etc. |
|
*/15 * * * * |
Schedule a job every 15th minute, i.e., 00:00, 00:15, 00:30, etc. |
|
* * * * * |
Schedule a job every minute, i.e., 00:01, 00:02, 00:03, etc. |
|
* 12 * * mon |
Schedule a job every minute during the 12th hour of every Monday. |
|
* 12 16 * mon |
Schedule a job every minute during the 12th hour of every Monday if the day is the 16th of the month. |
|
59 11 * * 1,2,3,4,5 |
Schedule a job 11:59 on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. |
|
59 11 * * 1-5 |
Schedule a job 11:59 on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. |
|
*/15 9-17 * * * |
Schedule a job every 15th minute between the 9th and the 17th hour of the day, i.e., 09:00, 09:15, 09:30, etc. |
|
* 12 10-16/2 * * |
Schedule a job every minute during the 12th hour of the day, if the day is the 10th, the 12th, the 14th, or the 16th of the month. |
|
* 12 1-15,17,20-25 * * |
Schedule a job every minute during the 12th hour of the day, if the day is between the 1th and the 15th, the 17th or between the 20th and 25th day of the month. |
|
0 5 * * *|8 10 * * *|22 17 * * * |
Schedule a job every day at 05:00, 10:08 and 17:22. |
|
?1-30 0 * * * |
Schedule a job at a random chosen minute during the first 30 minutes of every hour. |
Comments (0 comments)