Digi TransPort WR21, TransPort WR44, TransPort WR41, TransPort WR44R, WR21-L52A-DE1-TH Handbook
...
Meter Engineers
Handbook
for Cellular
Communication
Introduction
When Digi began serving
the utility industry, Dire Straits
“
Money for Nothing” topped
the Billboard charts, the first
cell phone was hitting the market
(weight: 1.3lbs, talk time: 1hr)
and Ronald Reagan was president.
We’ve come a long way since 1985, but the qualities that we started with—dedicated engineering, responsive tech
support and an industry-leading warranty—are the same qualities that allow us to continue serving the largest
investor owned utilities as well as the smallest rural electric cooperatives.
On the following pages we provide information on connecting common C&I meters with Digi TransPort® 3G and 4G
LTE cellular routers, as well as information on installation, cabling and antennas.
Special thanks are due to Digi customers in meter shops across the world. Thank you for sharing what you’ve
learned as you have used Digi product in the field.
Meter Engineers Handbook for Cellular Communication 1
Table of Contents
Section 1 Cellular Communications for Commercial and Industrial Metering ................. 3
Section 2 Initial Setup and Configuration for
Digi Transport® WR21, WR41 and WR44 .......................................... 4
2.1 Common Digi TransPort Setup Procedures for all Meter Types ...............................4
Section 3 Connecting the Digi Transport to Common Electric Meters ........................ 5
3.1 Common Problems when Connecting to a Digi TransPort via the
Ethernet Cable ............................................................................5
3.2 Connecting the Digi TransPort to Ethernet Capable Meters (All
Meter Types) ..............................................................................5
3.3 Connecting the Digi TransPort (WR21 Model Only) to Serial Meters ...........................6
3.4 Connecting the Digi TransPort WR21 to RS-485 Meters ......................................8
Section 4 Pinouts of Various Meter Types ................................................. 8
4.1 GE KV2C Meters .........................................................................8–9
4.2 Elster A3 Meters ..........................................................................10
4.3 Landis and Gyr MAXsys Elite Meters .......................................................11
4.4 Schneider Square D ION8650 Meters ...................................................12–13
4.5 ABB/Elster Alpha Power Plus Meters .......................................................14
4.6 AMETEC Power Instruments JEMStar Meters ...............................................14
4.7 Shark Meters ..........................................................................15 –16
Section 5 Mounting and Power Options for Various Digi TransPort
Types (WR21, WR41, WR44) in Metering Applications .............................17
Section 6 Evaluating Your Signal ........................................................ 18
Section 7 Digi TransPort Model-Specific Mounting Instructions ............................ 19
7.1 Digi TransPort WR21 ...................................................................... 20
7.2 Digi TransPort WR41 ......................................................................21
7.3 Digi TransPort WR44 ......................................................................22
Product Descriptions and Part Numbers ....................................................23
Meter Engineers Handbook for Cellular Communication 2
–
24
Cellular Communications for Commercial and
1
Industrial Metering
Flexible and secure cellular routers connect remote
C&I meters with a utility’s meter data management system
for accurate billing and planning.
The utilities business is challenged from every angle to be increasingly productive and profitable. The very nature
of managing remote equipment in many locations can be difficult and expensive, and maximizing uptime while
reducing costs is often a requirement. Meter shops face a growing set of demands: more accurate and timely
billing, increased support for dispute resolution, measurement of power quality and reactive power, and support
for measuring the cost of power delivery. To meet these demands, metering professionals need a cellular router
that:
Supports multiple Ethernet and serial devices
•
Can be preconfigured for easy installation by field technicians
•
Is certified on Sprint, Verizon, AT&T, Rogers and Telus
•
Offers the high security features required by NERC/CIP
•
Digi TransPort® routers fit the bill. They are secure (dynamic routing, VPN and firewall support), carrier-agile
(supporting Sprint, Verizon and AT&T on one platform) and flexible (with Ethernet, RS232/485, GPS, USB and
analog/digital IO). Learn more at www.digi.com/transport.
Digi’s Solutions for the Utility Industry
Problem Solution
“Under the glass” cellular-enabled meters
can’t be moved to improve reception.
Meter shops must support a mix of new and legacy
equipment with diverse protocols and physical interfaces.
No way to confirm proper communication between a
meter and router.
Complicated installations require training and
documentation.
Expensive and complicated to support a piecemeal
solution with products from
many vendors.
Digi TransPort routers oer several mounting
and antenna options.
Digi TransPort cellular routers have Ethernet and serial
ports, proven compatibility with common MDM systems and
support for DNP and Modbus.
Digi TransPort routers can be pre-configured to double
check communication and green light
the installation.
Pre-assembled, weatherproof Utility Communication Hub
simplifies installation.
Digi oers a single source for all warranty
and support concerning the Utility
Communication Hub.
Meter Engineers Handbook for Cellular Communication 3
Initial Setup and Configuration for
2
Digi Transport® WR21, WR41 and WR44
2.1 Common Digi TransPort Setup Procedures for all Meter Types
PRE-CONFIGURATION OF DIGI TRANSPORT
Required equipment for this configuration:
Digi TransPort WR21, WR41 or WR44
•
Computer or laptop
•
Ethernet cable
•
SIM and data plan purchased from a carrier (Verizon, ATT, etc.)
•
CONNECTING TO THE CARRIER
–
Insert the SIM into SIM 1 slot on the front of the Digi TransPort and screw on both WWAN antennas.
–
Connect the Ethernet cable to port 0 of the Digi TransPort (some models only have one Ethernet port).
–
Connect the Ethernet cable to the laptop.
–
Power on the Digi TransPort.
–
Open a browser on the laptop; i.e., Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, etc.
–
In the URL window type 192.168.1.1. The default configuration of the Digi TransPort has the DHCP turned on so
the laptop will be given an IP address automatically. The built in WebUI of the router should now be displayed (see
section 1.2 for common problems if you aren’t able to connect).
–
When the login screen comes up, type in the username and password. The default username and password is
username and password (all lower case). After login you will go immediately to the Home screen.
–
On the menus to the left, just below the Home option, you will see the Wizards option. Click on Wizards and then
choose the Carrier Switching Wizard. Follow the directions in the Wizard and pick whichever carrier you’ve chosen.
If you are using Verizon there is nothing else to do. It might take 10-15 minutes but the Digi TransPort will self
•
register and populate its APN.
If you are using AT&T (and some others) then an APN must be manually entered here: Configuration-
•
Network>Interfaces>Mobile. Click on the button to Use custom APN instead of built-in APN and enter the
APN (Check with your carrier as to what APN your particular SIM uses, some common ones for AT&T are
broadband, INTERNET and i2gold). It may take 10-15 minutes for the Digi TransPort to register.
Meter Engineers Handbook for Cellular Communication 4
3
Connecting the Digi Transport to Common
Electric Meters
3.1 Common Problems when Connecting to a Digi TransPort via
the Ethernet Cable
–
Turn off the Wi-Fi on the laptop before connecting the Ethernet cable to the Digi TransPort. The Wi-Fi DHCP could
also be using the 192.168.1.X network.
–
You may need to release your old IP address in order to acquire a new one from the Digi TransPort. On a Microsoft
Windows system you can do this by going to the command line (Start->Run->cmd) and entering ipconfig /release
followed by ipconfig /renew.
3.2 Connecting the Digi TransPort to Ethernet Capable Meters
(
All Meter Types)
–
In the Digi TransPort WebUI go to Configuration-Network > IP Routing/Forwarding > IP Port
Forwarding/Static NAT Mappings. This is where you will define where to redirect the communications from the
head-end server. Note that each meter IP and Port must be known. A typical configuration is below (IP addresses
and Ports may differ depending on how the meter is set up):
–
After entering each rule hit the Add button. When finished hit the Apply button and then click on the Save here
button when it pops up. Hit the Save All button when the new window pops up.
Meter Engineers Handbook for Cellular Communication 5
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When using Static NAT Mappings the IP and Port on the cellular interface must be enabled. By default only the IP
port is NAT’d. Go here in the WebUI of the Digi TransPort: Configuration-Network>Interfaces>Advanced>PPP 1.
Scroll down to the checked box Enable NAT on this interface and check the circle for IP address and Port. Click on
the Apply button and Save All.
3.3 Connecting the Digi TransPort (WR21 Model Only) to Serial Meters
–
Most meters come equipped with RS-232/485 ports to enable communications. The Digi TransPort WR21 serial port
can be configured for either RS-232 or RS-485.
–
The Digi TransPort WR21 comes defaulted for RS-232 communication (115200 baud, Hardware flow
control, 8,n,1). To change these parameters go here in the Digi TransPort WR21 WebUI: Configuration-
Network>Interfaces>Serial>Serial Port 0. Check the user manual for the particular meter you’re connecting too
to see what these settings should be. Here is the pinout of the RS-232 port:
RS-232 Port Pinout
Pin # Direction RS-232 DCE Description
1 Out DCD Data Carrier Detect
2 Out RXD Receive Data
3 In TXD Transmit Data
4 In DTR Data Terminal Ready
5 N/A GND Ground
6 Out DSR Data Set Ready
7 In RTS Ready To Send
8 Out CTS Clear To Send
9 Out RI Ring Indicate
–
The serial port needs to be set up as a ‘Port’ the Digi TransPort WR21 can forward too. To do this go here in the Digi
TransPort WR21 WebUI: Configuration-Network>Network Services. In the ASY 0 Listening Port: window type in
the port you want to use. By default this is port 4000 and it can be left as port 4000. In the following example it’s
been changed to port 2000:
Meter Engineers Handbook for Cellular Communication 6
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Now redirect incoming communications to this port by using the port forwarding rules. Go here in the WebUI:
Configuration-Network>IP Routing/Forwarding>IP Port Forwarding/Static NAT Mappings. Add the rule to
forward to the serial port as below.
–
Ensure that NAT’ing is applied on both IP address and Port by going here: Configuration-
Network>Interfaces>Advanced>PPP 0. Make sure the IP Address and Port circle is checked under the Enable NAT
on this interface check box.
Meter Engineers Handbook for Cellular Communication 7
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