Itron 50ESS Marketing documentation

A3 ALPHA® Meter with SSD ERT

®

For many years, Itron ERT
method to collect consumption data from electricity meters. Until
now, however, there has been no similar solution for collecting
billing data from demand metered accounts. An ABB
A3 ALPHA

State Demand (SSD) ERT solves this problem.

The SSD ERT is designed to fit under the cover of the A3 ALPHA
meter to simplify installation and reduce costs.

An A3T ALPHA meter (TOU meter) equipped with a SSD ERT
performs automatic scheduled self reads (with demand resets).
The SSD ERT retrieves all billing data directly from the meter
registers and transmits the following information:

Because the SSD ERT is always reporting the data from end of
the previous billing period, you have a full billing cycle to collect
the data. The SSD ERT for the A3 ALPHA functions similarly to
the Itron 41ER-1 ERT and continuously bubbles up these data
elements in three different SCMs (Standard Consumption
Messages).

The data may be collected with any of the following Itron reading
systems:

As additional security for the billing data, the A3 ALPHA meter
will store 15 self reads that contain the billing data for the last 15
months.

®

meter equipped with an under–the–cover Itron Solid

• previous billing period consumption value (kWh)

• previous billing period maximum demand value (kW)

• date of last demand reset

• Handheld OMR (includes PremierPlus 4, Integrator, &

MVRS)

• Mobile AMR

• Fixed Network

®

devices have provided an economic

Meter Status

Included in the SCM messages are multiple error, warning, or
status flags that provide key information about the site conditions
and enable you to detect possible tamper conditions.

• Standard ERT Meter Removal & Inversion Tamper Flags
– Always Included in SCMs

• Examples of up to four additional flags in SCMs (actual
list to be determined):

• End of Calendar Warning

• Internal Meter Error

• Phase Outage Warning

• Low Battery Warning

• Reverse Power Flow Warning

Read Schedules

The A3T ALPHA meter provides an extensive and flexible
calendar permitting the use of both recurring and nonrecurring
dates. This calendar is used to define the read schedules
(demand reset dates) for meters with an SSD ERT. Using ABB’s
Metercat™ software you can create and define a calendar
schedule for each read cycle.

• If the read calendar is completely defined using
“recurring dates” then a perpetual calendar will exist in
the meter and no calendar updates will be necessary.

• If no recurring dates can be defined, the A3 ALPHA can
provide up to 10 years of scheduled non-recurring
monthly resets.

Internal Design Concept

A3 ALPHA Meter

The A3 ALPHA meter is the newest addition to ABB’s line of
ALPHA electricity meters. The A3 ALPHA meter builds upon the
strengths of existing ALPHA meter designs. Like its
predecessors, the A3 ALPHA uses ABB’s patented digital
measurement techniques that offer high accuracy, repeatability,
and low ownership costs. In support of open architecture
standards, the A3 ALPHA meter is the first ABB meter with full
ANSI C12.18, C12.19, and C12.21 communication protocol
support.

A standard A3T ALPHA meter is used to support the SSD ERT.
Should your AMR needs change in the future, this meter, like all
A3 ALPHA meters, can be upgraded to support the functionality
and communication options that you require.

Alpha Key Upgrades Communication Options

• Reactive metering

• Advanced four

quadrant metering

• Loss compensation

• PQM

• Load profiling

• Instrumentation

profiling

The A3 ALPHA supplies many standard features such as:

• Self reads (15 self-reads may be kept at all times)

• Over 50 different instrumentation display quantities

• System service checks

• Class 0.2 accuracy for transformer rated and self-

contained

• Internal modem

• RS232

• RS485

• External serial interface

• 20mA current loop

A3 ALPHA Meter Forms Available
with SSD ERT

Single phase - 1S, 2S, 3S, 4S

Polyphase - 35S, 36S, 9S, 12S, 16S

A3 ALPHA Technical Specifications

Operating Ranges

Voltage Nameplate nominal range Operating range
120V-480V 96V-528V
Current 0 to Class amperes
Frequency

Temperature range

Humidity range 0 to 100% non-condensing

Nominal 50 or 60Hz ±5%

-40° to 85°C inside meter cover

General Performance Characteristics

Starting Current
Form 1S and Form 3S 10mA for Class 20

All other forms 5mA for Class 20

Startup delay <3s from power application to pulse accumulation
Creep 0.000A

(no current)
Primary time base Power line frequency (50 or 60Hz), with selectable crystal

Secondary time base Meets the ANSI limit of 0.02% using the 32.768kHz

Outage carryover
capacity

Battery (optional) LiSOCl2 battery rated 800mAhr, 3.6V and shelf life of 20+

Communications baud Optical port 9600 baud (nominal)
Remote port 1200 to 19,200 BPS

100mA for Class 200
160mA for Class 320

50mA for Class 200
80mA for Class 320

No more than one pulse measured per quantity,
conforming to ANSI C12.1 requirements

oscillator

crystal. Initial performance is expected to be equal to or
better than ±55 seconds per month at room temperature

6 hours at 25°C. Supercapacitor rated at 0.1 Farads, 5.5V

years. 5 years continuous duty at 25°C

ANSI Standards

C12.1 C12.10 C12.20 C12.18 C12.19 C12.21

SSD ERT Technical Specifications

Transmit Frequency Spread spectrum 910-920 MHz
Data Integrity Verified in every data message
Operating Temperature -40°– +85° C
Operating Humidity 5 to 95% non-condensing relative humidity
FCC Compliance Part 15 certified
ANSI Compliance Meets or exceeds ANSI C12.1 Standards

Disclaimer: Information in t hi s data sheet is based on the dev el opment
intent of ABB Automation Inc. and Itron, Inc. This information is subject
to change during the course of product development.

ABB Electricity Metering

208 S. Rogers Lane
Raleigh, NC 27610
Website: www.abb.com/metering

© 2001 by ABB Automation Inc.

Printed March 2001. All rights reserved.

Itron

2818 North Sullivan Road
Spokane, WA 99216
Website: www.itron.com