Trieste, Italy. 5 October, 2011 — Machine-to-machine (m2m) technology specialist, Telit Wireless Solutions, is launching a new module this month featuring wireless M-Bus transfer technology. The new ME50-169 module features 169MHz and is said to be suited for smart gas, water, heating or electricity meters. These smart meters automatically transmit consumption data to the utility companies which increases the accuracy and transparency of bills, offers better customer service and helps improve energy efficiency.
Telit reports that its ME50-169 modules are compliant to the latest Wireless M-Bus Standard and are dedicated to metering in the 169MHz band. This band provides better range than 868 or 433MHz.
Wireless M-Bus is a standardised transfer technology for radio for the remote reading of meters inside buildings. The data from the individual meters is transferred to a concentrator on site, which collates and transfers it via GSM/GPRS to the supply companies. The ME50-169 modules are fully compatible with Telit’s gateway solution, the GG863-SR (Short Range), which integrates Short Range and GSM/GPRS capabilities. This ready-to-use device allows utility companies to deploy large Wireless M-Bus solutions more easily.
The M-Bus modules with Land Grid Array (LGA) mounting technology are the first product releases in the market with 25mW output power which assure extreme low power consumption, thereby meeting smart metering power consumption requirements. In addition, the ME50-169 is equipped with an embedded low power ATMEL ATX microcontroller. Therefore, says Telit, the modules can be easily integrated into various systems, reducing time-to-market and project costs.
The modules, which are equipped with the SR tool platform help to reduce valuable development time. This platform provides additional features such as OTA SW and a customised solution on demand for network deployment and management. The ME50-169 is pin-to-pin compatible with the Telit modules in the ZE (ZigBee 2007 and PRO stack), NE (Mesh low power) and LE (basic point-to-point, broadcast stack) families.
“The new ME50-169 is another proof of Telit’s commitment to the smart metering market providing a ready-to-use solution for a matchless time to market and complementary offerings. This enables customers to cover all the requirements of a Wireless M-Bus smart metering projects easily,” says Tony Spizzichino, CEO Telit RF Technologies.
“The combination of Short Range and cellular capabilities is the key technology for future m2m applications: Companies using Short Range can use the free data transmission via radio frequencies and don’t have to buy expensive SIM-cards”, says Dominikus Hierl, CMO at Telit Wireless Solutions. “Companies using now Telit’s gateway solution with the new ME50-169, to combine their Short Range with cellular data transmission can fully overcome the Short Range limitations. Such integration provides companies a crucial solution at low costs and energy efficiency to meet all customer requirements.”
Smart metering is being used successfully in Italy, Scandinavia, the Netherlands, North America and Australia. Since 2010 new buildings in Germany have been required to be equipped with smart meters, and from 2018 this will apply to all buildings. In the UK, the government has launched a smart metering project planning to install one million GPRS-connected gas meters by 2020.
Telit Wireless Solutions is a subsidiary of Telit Communications PLC (AIM: TCM), an international specialist in wireless M2M technology. It develops, produces and markets modules for GSM/GPRS, EDGE, UMTS/WEDGE/HSPA, CDMA and Short-Range RF applications. M2M applications rationalise business processes by enabling machines, equipment and vehicles to communicate with each other via mobile networks.