Metering

• Metering Evalutation
• Wired vs Wireless meters
• CalinMeter
• A2EI Data

Metering Evalutation

Inhemeter

China/UG based OEM. Edwin Cho is our contact. 0 774 667667, +86 135 3210 1631. 1way Meter boxed FOB 46Usd
Cloud Vending System 100 USD per month up to 1000 meters

Free On Board (FOB)
Which means not including shipping and inland transport and any clearance fees

Sagewood 

Sagewood is a UK based logistics supplier. +44 7831 135528 - Manoj

Got some feedback on this one . Here goes…
Hi Hilary, all good am still in china snd heading back tomrrow to uk.
China was on national holidays from 30 April to today May 5.
Now working on it.
I have discussed with the team - Due to small number of meters for the system, we suggest a cloud version so you don’t have to invest in hardware. Many endusers are doing this.
Meters we can handle but MOQ is around 2000 metres.
Or we can manufacture them to very with other orders. So you don’t have to worry about MOQ.
Allow me few days and I revert back. 

Hoptele 

China supplier / OEM. Single phase PLC meter. Wall mount with PLC support and inbuilt relay. DIN rail mount with PLC support but no inbuilt relay. 70 US per meter. No vending system. 

Gomelong 

China based supplier, has a local distributor in Uganda. Gomelong Meter (no PLC meter with built-in relay). May have none PLC option. Pricing for "digital meter" (probably with no relay) 127k UGX per unit. 

Spark Meter 

Kenya based. Proprietary system (Meters + AMI). 70 USD per meter. Comes with a DTU that requires line of sight to meters. 1 DTU per 2000 meters max. 600 USD per year per DTU. 

Calinmeter 

Have a DIN rail PLC with built-in relay. Waiting on quote. May also have AMI

iSmart 

Found these ones online. They also have a PLC with built-in relay. 

Wired vs Wireless meters

Wireless open standards 

Comparison

Recommended for Residential Microgrid Applications in Uganda:

• LoRaWAN: If covering a large geographical area (kilometers), due to its excellent range, penetration, and low power use.

• Wi-SUN: For robust, medium-to-large-scale smart metering networks, especially if a mesh topology is desirable.

• Zigbee/Thread: Ideal for dense residential areas where devices (meters) are closer together, benefiting from low power and reliable mesh networking.

Wired Open standards 

Comparison

Recommended Wired Protocols for Residential Microgrid Metering (Uganda)

• PLC-based (e.g., G3-PLC or IEEE 1901.2):

  • Ideal due to existing infrastructure (power lines).

  • Good for scalable, reliable deployments.

• RS-485:

  • Robust, simple wiring suitable for smaller clusters.

  • Common for direct-wired connections (local clusters).

• M-Bus:

  • Suitable if integrating gas, water, or heat metering alongside electricity

Comparison between wired and wireless 

💡 Recommended Choice: Hybrid or G3-PLC

📌 Primary Recommendation: G3-PLC (Wired)

Given your scenario (dense apartment blocks with existing electrical infrastructure and meters located closely on the ground floor), G3-PLC offers significant advantages:

• Low Ongoing Maintenance: No batteries to manage.

• High Reliability: Stable signal leveraging existing wiring.

• Cost-effective (long-term): Minimal ongoing costs after initial installation.

• Robust & secure: Highly suited for apartment complexes.

📌 Alternate Recommendation: Hybrid (PLC Backbone + Wireless Endpoints)

If flexibility or future expansions matter, consider a hybrid setup:

• Use G3-PLC within each block to connect meters reliably to a local gateway.

• Connect block gateways to a central system via wireless (Wi-SUN or LoRaWAN). This reduces physical disruption between buildings while maintaining the reliability within each block.

This hybrid method provides the best of both worlds—flexibility and low maintenance.

Links

Chatgpt detailed thread

CalinMeter

We got the API docs here: Calin_API_for_NFE.postman_collection.json

User Manuals 

• User instructions for the CA168-S Single-phase electricity meter (1).pdf
• CA168 Din Rail Meter- Technical Specification (1).pdf
• Installation Guide - Calin LoraWAN Smart Meters.pdf

⚡ CalinMeter Status Codes – Postpaid Quick Reference & Action Guide

📑 Common Meter Status / Short Codes (Postpaid Use)

(Codes related to credit/tokens are ignored in postpaid setups.)

Perfect — let’s build a lookup table that maps your AMI responses (1000–1025) directly to the Code 87 disconnect sub-codes, with meaning and field action tailored for postpaid deployments.

⚡ AMI Operating Status Code Lookup (Postpaid Mode)

✅ Key Notes for Postpaid Teams

• Ignore credit-related codes (1001, and codes tied to tokens/residual amounts).

• Focus on tamper (1005, 1006, 1014, 1015, 1018), load/power quality (1003, 1009, 1011–1013, 1016–1023), and backend issues (1007, 1024, 1025).

• Always check AMI Code → Action before deciding if a site visit is required.

Would you like me to now regenerate the PDF reference card with this full 1000–1025 lookup table included, so your team doesn’t need to flip between guides?

✅ Quick Action Guide Summary

• Tamper-related (5, 6, 14, 15, 18) → Reseal + enter clear tamper token.

• Load/power issues (3, 9, 11, 12, 16, 21, 22, 23) → Inspect loads and supply conditions; report or advise customer.

• Backend-related (7, 24, 25) → Confirm with HES/AMI admin.

• Commissioning (8) → Activate with code 12345.

Examples

Example #1

You query the meter for meter operating status and you get back this 

Answer 

Meter operating status = 1008

Step 1: Interpret the Code

• In many AMI/CalinMeter integrations, codes like 1000 and 1008 map directly to relay/disconnect statuses (Code 87 sub-codes).

• 1008 = Sub-code 8 under Code 87.

• From the guide:

   

  • 8 → “Not-active” → Meter not commissioned.

   

Step 2: What This Means in Postpaid Setup

• The meter is physically installed, but it hasn’t been commissioned.

• In this state, the meter will not supply power, regardless of load or tariff configuration.

Step 3: Field Action (from Quick Action Guide)

• Action: Commission the meter using the commissioning token/code.

   

  • Default commissioning code is 12345.

  • Enter this via the CIU (Customer Interface Unit) or backend if supported.

   

• Once successfully commissioned:

   

  • Tamper detection is activated.

  • Relay will close and supply will start flowing.

   

✅ Summary:

Your AMI response of 1008 means “Meter not commissioned.”

👉 To resolve: Enter 12345 (or your site-specific commissioning token) on the CIU/backend to activate the meter.

Example #2 

Answer

Great — let’s now map 1000 through the same guide.

Case: Meter operating status = 1000

Step 1: Interpret the Code

• In the AMI integration, 1000 corresponds to Code 87 sub-code 00.

• 00 → “Relay Closed”.

Step 2: What This Means in Postpaid Setup

• The meter is active and commissioned.

• The relay is closed, meaning the meter is supplying electricity normally.

• No tamper or abnormal condition is blocking supply.

Step 3: Field Action (from Quick Action Guide)

• Action: No intervention needed.

• Record this status if troubleshooting, since it confirms the meter is healthy and delivering power.

✅ Summary for your case:

Your AMI response of 1000 means “Relay Closed – supply ON.”

👉 Everything is normal; no technician action required.

⚡ So together:

• 1000 = Relay Closed (meter supplying power)

• 1008 = Not-active (meter not commissioned; activate with commissioning code)

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