Automated Meter Reader (AMR) Retrofit Module Reference Design

With increasing requirements for automated meter reading (AMR) capabilities for water, heat, and gas meters, many utilities have decided to use MID-certified “plug-and-play” retrofit modules for already deployed mechanical meters as a viable option for a complete replacement with purely electronic meters before the lifetime expires. To address the current market requirements, this design uses a 16-bit RL78 MCU core technology and easily attaches the sensor board to any type of mechanical water meter with a metalized index wheel and detects with it, both RPM as well as the rotation direction.