Reading the IR port of an IEC 62056-21 Smart Meter

[jeroenc]

Hi Alias, tnx for your excellent post!

I've created some hardware (basically just 2 transisotrs and a sender and receiver infrered LED/transistor) and used the software you've linked to to test. Unfortunately, I get a Tout.

According to my energy supplier the infrared communication port is blocked.
Now I am wondering, is there a way to be sure it is blocked and that not my hardware is faulty?

Best regards,

Jeroen

[Udo]

and that not my hardware is faulty?

Hi Jeroen,

For a first test you should keep your ir-head 1-2 cm over a white surface. Then, with Hterm or another serial client, send a few characters, this should then be displayed again in Hterm. Use the baudrate you have to use for your meter.
If so, your ir-head works. If not, there is something wrong with the ir-head or the further connection to your PC.

Regards
Udo

[jeroenc]

Hello Udo,

tnx for your reply, I've tested it and my hardware is OK. That's actually bad News, since that most likely means that my meter is blocked.
I can fix faulty hardware but I'm not going to open my meter

Does anybody else has experience with this?

Thanks again, Jeroen

[logger2]

Hi Alias, tnx for your excellent post!

I've created some hardware (basically just 2 transisotrs and a sender and receiver infrered LED/transistor) and used the software you've linked to to test. Unfortunately, I get a Tout.

According to my energy supplier the infrared communication port is blocked.
Now I am wondering, is there a way to be sure it is blocked and that not my hardware is faulty?

Best regards,

Jeroen

Dear Jeroen
I new here and i wont to read out also the kwh meter
How did you manage to read out it . do you have a small schematic ?
greetings

[Udo]

do you have a small schematic ?

Hi logger2,

have a look to volkszaehler.org . There you find schematics under hardware.

Regards
Udo

[logger2]

Dear Udo

Thx for you link , but i did hope there would be a very easy/small schematic just for testing . if port not is blocked. i want to readout and logg the kWh meter with a arduino
I hoped there would be already some software for it

greetings

[Udo]

Hi logger2,

then try this:
http://sourceforge.net/p/ehzy/wiki/Hardware/

Regards
Udo

[logger2]

Dear Udo

That more like it , but the strange thing is there is no transmit line used
Which data is comming out of the kwh meter with this schema
the LED is blinking every 1000 times/kwh , i thought you have to send something information /request to the kwh meter , then you get the information what you are using for power
mybe am wrong ???

greetings

[Udo]

Hi logger2,

there are different type of meters in the world .
Some of them send the Data without request and some would like to get a request for the Data.
What is the name/type of your meter?

Regards
Udo

[logger2]

Dear Udo

I have a Ampy 5227C , if am correct it has a P0 port optical port with a red LED and a photo transistor
I had already contact with my supplier Liander, and they first advised the get a smart meter with a P1 port for read the consumption, retour(PV system)
But what i see on the internet is alot of some information about the protocol 62056-21. unfortunately not a complete informtion what i hoped to find for my kwh meter.
Liander did not know, if i could use this port. They first did not know if there was a optical port on the ampy.. later they called back , but they have to check at manufactorer if this port could be used and if it is not standard blocked.
i read the link http://www.domoticaforum.eu/viewtopic.php?f=71&t=7489 but thats not easy to convert it to C code for using in arduino

greetings

[Puffin]

Hi logger2,

I have an AMPY5227F-E form Liander and use the optical port to read the meter.
Information obtained from this meter is:

/?!
/AMP45227-0614
000
0.00.6.0(F8F20000)
0.00.6.1(22197710)
2.18.1(000000.00)
2.18.2(006027.42)
2.18.0(006027.42)
3.28.1(000000.00)
3.28.2(000000.00)
3.28.0(000000.00)! %

Hope this helps,

Regards,
Folkert

[logger2]

Dear Folkert

But how did you manage to read it out, which hardware and software are you using?
and what is it responce time, can you readout it every X seconds?
Does you ampy has also a LED and photodiode
Greetings

[logger2]

Dear Folkert

this is a readout !

how did you manage that , which hardware and software did you use, What is it response time of the P0 port ..etc

greetings

[Puffin]

Hi logger2,

I use homemade RS232 to IR reading head similar to the one as described at
volkszaeler.org RS232-IR-Schreib-Lesekopf.
This is connected to a windows PC with “HyperTerminal” terminal emulation program,
using 300 bit per second, 7 data bits, even parity, one stop bit and an line delay of 1000 ms.
Than I send an text file containing the “request message” and “acknowledgement/option message”,
the fist response from the AMPY meter falls between the two massages send.
Total transmission time at 300 bits per second is about 8 seconds.
The AMPY 5227 does not use an IR LED for transmission of data but the response data comes from the red LED that also blinks at 1000 imp/kW next to the IR photodiode.

Regards,
Folkert

[dutchandre]

I also own an Ampy 5227 meter and I'm struggling with it.
This is my ir transceiver pcb:



I have removed the IR led and put some wires on it to get it closer to the Ampy.
When I use the Test1107 software the Ampy responses with a led burst when I press the Read button.
The problem is that after this the data doesn't come through, probably because the software can't handle this pcb like it should.
The pcb has a Profilic 2303 chipset and a terminal can communicate with it.
It has tx and rx leds, both are working when I type in the terminal and when I use a remote to send some ir signals.
The terminal shows the rubbish it gets from the remote so I think it could work.
Also the Rx led lights when the Ampy led does when connected to a terminal.
Unfortunately I can't let it respond to commands like /?! in the terminal, maybe some settings or coding is wrong.
From this topic I understand that the Ampy 5227 sends with 4800bd. (/AMP45227-0614)
If I get this working it is a very cheap solution, the pcb is only $10 on Ebay with free shipping.