Improvement of data receive ratio in remote water meter system by upgrading sensor

摘要

A remote Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) system was developed for water supply organizations and implemented in the field. To improve data acquisition, a water AMR sensor was modified. A water meter sensor with lower noise was introduced and efficient wireless transmission was studied. Low reliability of data acquisition was the most difficult problem in the field. A success ratio of at least 98% is required for stable and economical operation of an AMR. The ratio of reliable data acquisition in a trial AMR with image acquisition using a digital camera was only 67.8%, but tests using the improved sensor showed a reliable acquisition ratio of up to 97.38%. The MR (Magnetic Resistive) Reed switch and CYBLE sensor modules were simply mounted on mechanical water meters to achieve remote metering. The terminal was connected by a cable to the meter. For short distance transmission to a collector, RF (Radio Frequency) and Zigbee modules were used. For long distance transmission to a server, a CDMA cellular network was employed.