Operation Of The A3 Alpha Meter With Ilc1 Option Board; Billing Date; Tou Schedules - Elster A3 ALPHA Product Manual

A3 ALPHA Meter/Collector
Product Guide
Operation of the
A3 ALPHA Meter with
ILC1 Option Board
4
Data exchange with MAS is performed using an open XML schema, AMR Data
Exchange Format (AMRDEF), so that interfaces with billing systems and other
enterprise systems can be easily implemented. MAS also comes with the
JSlinger module, a powerful driver for file transfer protocol (FTP) that can trans-
form, compress and encrypt data files prior to sending them to trusted IP
addresses across the Internet.
The A3 ALPHA meter and the ILC1 option board typically operate independently
of each other. The primary task of the ILC1 option board is to maintain the LAN
and read and store billing data from REX meters. The ILC1 option board com-
municates with the A3 ALPHA meter to read time and day type information. This
information is then propagated through the LAN to the REX meters. The time
base in the A3 ALPHA meter is used as the system time for the LAN, and the
ILC1 option board periodically reads this time and distributes the time to the
LAN.

Billing Date

The ILC1 option board handles the billing dates for the REX meters it has regis-
tered. Configuration options in the ILC1 option board permit each REX meter to
be assigned to one of thirty billing date cycles. The ILC1 option board makes
certain that the REX meters perform demand resets on the correct dates using
the billing date cycles.
The REX meter stores a copy of the billing data before the demand is reset. This
billing data copy can then be read and stored by the ILC1 option board. REX
meter billing dates can be controlled by MAS.
For A3 ALPHA meters, the billing date (or, the demand reset date) can be con-
trolled by either of the following:
by the calendar programmed into the A3 ALPHA meter using Metercat
■
support software
by MAS when MAS calls the A3 ALPHA meter on the billing date and
■
issues a demand reset command

TOU Schedules

The ILC1 option board stores up to 8 separate meter programs. Each program
can support a TOU schedule and has its own associated display list. MAS
assigns each registered REX meter to one of the programs and associated dis-
play list.
Each TOU schedule for the REX meter consists of weekday, weekend, and two
special day types (that is, holidays). The ILC1 option board broadcasts the TOU
schedule to the REX meters where the schedules are stored and used to record
kWh data in the correct TOU register. The ILC1 option board reads and stores
TOU data from each REX meter as part of the normal billing read.
The display list controls the values that are shown on the REX meter LCD. See
Appendix B, "Display," of the REX Meter Technical Manual (TM42-2210) for
information on the values that can be displayed on the REX meter LCD.
Using MAS Release 5.0 and later, users can remotely change the TOU sched-
ules and associated display lists stored in the ILC1 option board. The ILC1
option board verifies the delivery of the TOU schedule and associated display list
to each REX meter.
July 2004