Aclara 2016001 User Manual

Technical Brief

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MTU Installation Requirements

A product of

Aclara Technologies LLC

Confidential and Proprietary

Copyright 2013-16. All Rights Reserved.

(Y20355-TEB Rev F)

This document contains information that is private to Aclara Technologies LLC, an Ohio limited liability
company, and/or that is private to Aclara Meters LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (individually or
collectively “Aclara”). This information may not be published, reproduced, or otherwise disseminated without
the express written authorization of Aclara.

Any software or firmware described in this document is furnished under a license and may be used or copied

only in accordance with the terms of such license.

The information in this document is subject to change without notice and should not be construed as a
commitment by Aclara. Aclara assumes no responsibility for any errors that may appear in this document.

No responsibility is assumed for the use or reliability of software on equipment that is not supplied by Aclara.

TWACS, STAR, and Metrum Cellular are registered trademarks of Aclara Technologies LLC.

PROPRIETARY NOTICE

DISCLAIMER

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Table of Contents

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Warnings, Cautions, and Notes

FCC/IC Compliance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii

FCC/IC RF Exposure Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv

Field Calibration Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv

Avertissements, mises en garde et remarques

Conformité FCC/IC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

Guide d'exposition aux RF FCC/IC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi

Procédure de calibration sur place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi

Overview

Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Deployment Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Signal Propagation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Free Space Attenuation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

RF Absorption. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

RF Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

RF Shadowing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Mounting Considerations

Exterior Mounting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Pipe Mounting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Meter Pit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Without Spacers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Spacers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Short Spacers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Long Spacers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Wiring

Cable Insulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Wire Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Wire Routing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Interior/Exterior Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Meter Pit Environment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Appendix: Equipment

Appendix: Checklist

MTU Installation Requirements i

Table of Contents

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ii MTU Installation Requirements

W

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ARNING

C

AUTION

N

W

ARNINGS

Always consult and adhere to all local and national safety codes, regulations, and
standards.WARNING, CAUTION and Note statements are used throughout this
manual to emphasize important and critical information to help you ensure safety
and prevent product damage.These statements are defined below.

indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could result in
death or serious physical injury.

indicates a situation, which, if not avoided, could result in damage to
equipment, damage to software, loss of data or invalid results.

OTE

indicates important supplemental information.

, C

AUTIONS, AND

N

OTES

FCC/IC Compliance

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B
digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to
provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential
installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency
energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may
cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no
guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this
equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which
can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to
try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which
the receiver is connected.

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

C

AUTION

Any changes or modification made to this device without the expressed,
written approval of Aclara Technologies LLC may void the user's authority to
operate this device.

MTU Installation Requirements iii

FCC/IC Compliance

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FCC/IC RF Exposure Guide

Aclara Technologies LLC low power RF devices and their antennas must be
fixed-mounted on indoor or outdoor permanent structure(s) providing a separation
distance of at least 20 cm from all persons during normal operation. This device is
not designed to operate in conjunction with any other antennas or transmitters. No
other operating instructions for satisfying RF exposure compliance are needed.

Field Calibration Procedure

Aclara Technologies LLC low power RF devices have passed through extensive
testing and calibration procedures while in the factory. Therefore, no additional
calibration or adjustment is required in the field.

iv MTU Installation Requirements

A

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VERTISSEMENTS

Toujours consulter et respecter les codes, règlements et normes de sécurité locaux
et nationaux. Des AVERTISSEMENTS, MISES EN GARDE et remarques sont
utilisés tout au long de ce guide pour souligner l'information importante et critique
qui vous aidera à assurer la sécurité et à prévenir les dommages au produit. Ces
énoncés sont définis ci-dessous.

A

VERTISSEMENT

indique une situation potentiellement dangereuse qui, si elle n'était pas évitée,
pourrait entraîner la mort ou des blessures graves.

M

ISE EN GARDE

indique une situation qui, si elle n'était pas évitée, pourrait entraîner des
dommages à l'équipement, des dommages au logiciel, des pertes de données ou
des résultats invalides.

Avertissements, mises en garde et remarques

,

MISES EN GARDE ET REMARQUES

R

EMARQUE

indique des informations supplémentaires importantes.

Conformité FCC/IC

Cet équipement a été testé et il est conforme aux limites pour un appareil
numérique de Classe B, en vertu de l'article 15 des règlements de la FCC. Ces
limites sont conçues pour offrir une protection raisonnable contre l'interférence
nuisible dans une installation résidentielle. Cet équipement génère, utilise et peut
émettre de l'énergie de fréquences radio et, s'il n'est pas installé ou utilisé
conformément aux instructions, il peut causer une interférence nuisible aux
communications radio. Il n'existe toutefois aucune garantie que de telles
interférences ne se produiront pas dans une installation particulière. Si cet appareil
cause des interférences nuisibles à la réception des signaux de radio ou de
télévision, ce qui peut être détecté en mettant l'appareil sous et hors tension,
l'utilisateur peut tenter de neutraliser l'interférence de l'une ou l'autre des façons
suivantes :

• Réorienter ou repositionner l'antenne de réception.

• Augmenter la distance séparant l'équipement du récepteur.

• Brancher l'appareil dans une prise sur un circuit électrique différent de celui
sur lequel le récepteur est branché.

MISE EN

GARDE

MTU Installation Requirements v

• Consulter le fournisseur ou un technicien radio ou télévision expérimenté.

Tout changement ou toute modification à cet appareil sans l'approbation
écrite expresse d'Aclara Technologies LLC peut annuler l'autorisation de
l'utilisateur d'utiliser cet appareil.

Conformité FCC/IC

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Guide d'exposition aux RF FCC/IC

Les appareils RF à faible puissance Aclara Technologies LLC ainsi que leurs
antennes doivent être montés de manière fixe sur des structures intérieures ou
extérieures permanentes qui se trouvent à au moins 20 cm des personnes pendant
le fonctionnement normal. Cet appareil n'est pas conçu (et il n'a aucun
branchement externe) pour être utilisé en association avec toute autre antenne ou
tout transmetteur. Aucune autre instruction d'utilisation n'est requise pour assurer
la conformité aux règles d'exposition aux RF.

Procédure de calibration sur place

Les appareils RF à faible puissance Aclara Technologies LLC ont été soumis à des
tests étendus et multi-tâches et à des procédures de calibration complexes en usine.
Par conséquent, ils ne requièrent pas de calibration ni d'ajustement supplémentaire
sur place. Les appareils RF à faible puissance Aclara Technologies LLC sont
expédiés au client dans des boîtiers scellés. Aucun ajustement ne peut donc être
effectué sur place sans briser le boîtier scellé en usine.

vi MTU Installation Requirements

Support

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O

VERVIEW

Meter Transmission Units (MTUs) are the endpoints of the STAR system. MTUs
are permanently sealed devices that transmit regularly scheduled meter readings
on an FCC licensed frequency to a Data Collector Unit, or DCU. Every Meter
Transmission Unit (MTU) installation location presents its own set of variables.
This document is intended to help guide installers by providing general
information about UHF radio transmissions, MTUs, and Aclara required practices
for installation. Failure to adhere to these guidelines may be detrimental to system
operation.

There are several ways to get help when you have a question, an issue, or would
like to speak with Aclara's Support personnel.

• Aclara Connect

Aclara's exciting customer portal (https://connect.aclara.com) enables you to
access our frequently-updated knowledge database, easily access product
documentation, submit and track your Support cases and RMAs, access
Aclara University's Online Learning Center (OLC) and learning library,
track your orders, join communities and groups, join in discussions with
other Aclara customers and Aclara personnel, and much more. If you do not
have access to Aclara Connect, email [e-mail] and request
access.

• Aclara University

Aclara's on-demand training makes content available to you in a convenient,
cost-effective online environment. The OLC has recordings of several
webinars, streaming educational videos, software simulations, and short
videos which walk you through a specific task. Access the OLC by going to
the Training tab of Aclara Connect and clicking the Online Learning Center
link.

• Technical Support

Email [e-mail] or call 1-800-892-9008 to speak with an Aclara
representative.

MTU Installation Requirements 1

Deployment Process

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Deployment Process

MTU deployment can be broken down into three basic steps. These are:

1. Mounting the MTU

2. Routing and connecting the wiring

3. Programming and configuring the MTU

The scope of this document is limited to the mounting and wiring portions of the
deployment process. For more information on programming MTUs, please refer to
the following manuals:

STAR Programmer Software Installation Instructions (Y20318-TUM)

Provides detailed instructions for installing the STAR Programmer Software.

STAR Programmer Software User Guide (Y20348-TUM)

Provides information that enables you to program and configure MTUs using the
STAR Programmer Software.

2 MTU Installation Requirements

Signal Propagation

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The STAR Network operates in the range of 450 - 470 Megahertz (MHz).
Frequencies in this range are specifically licensed by the FCC for business use, and
are considered to be part of the Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) band of radio
communications. As with all UHF communications, there are certain factors that
affect the propagation of the radio transmissions. The STAR Network is designed
to overcome these factors, but failure to follow these installation guidelines may
create conditions that exceed the limits of the STAR Network.

All devices that operate in the UHF band are considered to use line of sight
transmission, and operate best when the path between the transmission point and
the reception point is unobstructed.

Overview

MTU Installation Requirements 3

Every Meter Transmission Unit (MTU) installation location presents its own set of
variables, and this document is intended to help guide installers by providing
general information about UHF radio transmissions and MTUs.

There are four main things that affect the propagation of UHF radio waves. These
are free space attenuation, absorption, reflection, and shadowing.