Intelligent water meter sampling module based on LoRwan and wireless MBUS dual-protocol communication

Abstract

The utility model discloses an intelligent water meter sampling module based on LoRwan and wireless MBUS dual-protocol communication, which belongs to the technical field of intelligent water meters and comprises a main control unit, a data acquisition unit, a LoRwan communication unit, a wireless MBUS communication unit and a power management unit. According to the utility model, two communication protocols of LoRwan and wireless MBUS are simultaneously supported through the module, a proper communication mode can be flexibly selected according to an actual application scene and a communication environment, and when long-distance communication is needed, the LoRwan protocol is selected for data transmission; and during short-distance centralized meter reading, a wireless MBUS protocol is adopted for communication, so that the reliability and adaptability of communication are greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of smart water meter technology, and in particular relates to a smart water meter sampling module based on LoRwan and wireless MBUS dual protocol communication. Background Technology

[0002] Smart water meter sampling modules typically use a single communication protocol for data transmission. Common communication protocols include LoRwan and wireless MBUS. However, smart water meter sampling modules with a single protocol have certain limitations. For example, the LoRwan protocol has advantages such as long-distance communication and low power consumption, but the communication quality may be affected in some complex indoor environments or areas with severe signal obstruction. The wireless MBUS protocol performs well in short-range communication, but the communication distance is relatively short, which cannot meet the needs of some large-scale networking.

[0003] In some special application scenarios, it may be necessary to support different communication protocols simultaneously to meet different communication needs. For example, in a community with both centralized meter reading and remote data transmission needs, a smart water meter sampling module with a single protocol cannot meet both needs at the same time. Modules with different protocols need to be installed separately, which increases the complexity and cost of the system. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to propose a smart water meter sampling module based on LoRwan and wireless MBUS dual-protocol communication in order to solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a smart water meter sampling module based on LoRwan and wireless MBUS dual protocol communication, which includes a main control unit, a data acquisition unit, a LoRwan communication unit, a wireless MBUS communication unit and a power management unit.

[0006] The main control unit is an MCU, which is used to coordinate and control each unit, receive and process water meter data collected by the data acquisition unit, select LoRwan or wireless MBUS protocol for data transmission according to the communication environment and application requirements, and execute corresponding operations in response to communication unit instructions.

[0007] The data acquisition unit is connected to the water meter metering mechanism. It converts the mechanical rotation of the water meter or the change in water flow into electrical signals through sensors. After preliminary processing of the electrical signals, the signals are transmitted to the main control unit.

[0008] The LoRwan communication unit includes a LoRwan radio frequency chip, an antenna, and related peripheral circuits, and is used to send the data processed by the main control unit to a remote server or gateway via the LoRwan protocol.

[0009] The wireless MBUS communication unit includes a wireless MBUS transceiver chip, an antenna, and related peripheral circuits, and is used to communicate with a nearby concentrator via the wireless MBUS protocol.

[0010] The power management unit provides a stable power supply for the entire sampling module, including a battery, charging circuit, voltage conversion circuit, and power monitoring circuit.

[0011] As a further description of the above technical solution:

[0012] The data acquisition unit uses sensors to collect data.

[0013] As a further description of the above technical solution:

[0014] The LoRwan communication unit has a high-gain antenna and can automatically adjust its transmission power and communication frequency according to the instructions of the main control unit.

[0015] As a further description of the above technical solution:

[0016] The power management unit is a lithium battery.

[0017] In summary, due to the adoption of the above technical solution, the beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0018] 1. In this utility model, the module supports both LoRwan and wireless MBUS communication protocols simultaneously. The appropriate communication method can be flexibly selected according to the actual application scenario and communication environment. When long-distance communication is required, the LoRwan protocol is used for data transmission; when performing centralized meter reading at close range, the wireless MBUS protocol is used for communication, which greatly improves the reliability and adaptability of communication.

[0019] 2. In this utility model, by integrating two communication protocols, the need to install different protocol modules separately is avoided, reducing the number of devices and installation costs. At the same time, the module adopts a low-power design, which reduces energy consumption and further reduces the cost of use.

[0020] 3. In this utility model, the data acquisition unit adopts a high-precision sensor and a redundant design, which can accurately collect the water consumption data of the water meter, and improve the reliability of the data through comparison and verification. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of a smart water meter sampling module based on LoRwan and wireless MBUS dual-protocol communication.

[0022] Legend:

[0023] 1. Main control unit; 2. Data acquisition unit; 3. LoRwan communication unit; 4. Wireless MBUS communication unit; 5. Power management unit. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0025] Please see Figure 1 This utility model provides a technical solution: a smart water meter sampling module based on LoRwan and wireless MBUS dual protocol communication, including a main control unit 1, a data acquisition unit 2, a LoRwan communication unit 3, a wireless MBUS communication unit 4, and a power management unit 5.

[0026] The main control unit 1 is an MCU, used to coordinate and control each unit, receive and process water meter data collected by the data acquisition unit 2, select LoRwan or wireless MBUS protocol for data transmission according to the communication environment and application requirements, and execute corresponding operations in response to communication unit instructions.

[0027] The data acquisition unit 2 is connected to the water meter metering mechanism. It converts the mechanical rotation of the water meter or the change in water flow into an electrical signal through a sensor. After preliminary processing of the electrical signal, it transmits it to the main control unit 1.

[0028] The LoRwan communication unit 3 includes a LoRwan radio frequency chip, an antenna and related peripheral circuits, and is used to send the data processed by the main control unit 1 to a remote server or gateway via the LoRwan protocol.

[0029] The wireless MBUS communication unit 4 includes a wireless MBUS transceiver chip, an antenna, and related peripheral circuits, and is used to communicate with a nearby concentrator via the wireless MBUS protocol.

[0030] The power management unit 5 provides a stable power supply for the entire sampling module, including a battery, a charging circuit, a voltage conversion circuit, and a power monitoring circuit.

[0031] The data acquisition unit 2 uses sensors to acquire data.

[0032] The antenna of the LoRwan communication unit 3 is a high-gain antenna, and the LoRwan communication unit 3 can automatically adjust the transmission power and communication frequency according to the instructions of the main control unit 1.

[0033] The power management unit 5 is a lithium battery.

[0034] Main control unit 1: A low-power ARM Cortex-M3 microcontroller is selected. This microcontroller has rich peripheral interfaces, which can easily connect and communicate with other units. The main control unit 1 is connected to the LoRwan communication unit 3 and the wireless MBUS communication unit 4 through the SPI interface, and is connected to the data acquisition unit 2 and the power management unit 5 through the GPIO interface.

[0035] Data acquisition unit 2: A Hall sensor is used to collect water consumption data from the water meter. The Hall sensor is installed near the metering mechanism of the water meter. When the impeller of the water meter rotates, it generates a change in magnetic field. The Hall sensor converts the change in magnetic field into an electrical signal. Data acquisition unit 2 also includes a signal conditioning circuit, which is used to filter, amplify and process the electrical signal output by the Hall sensor. Then, the processed signal is sent to the main control unit 1 through the GPIO interface. To improve data reliability, two Hall sensors are used for redundant acquisition.

[0036] LoRwan communication unit 3: The LoRwan RF chip is selected from Semtech's SX1278 LoRwan. This chip operates in the 433MHz or 868MHz frequency band and features low power consumption and long-distance communication. The LoRwan communication unit 3 also includes a high-gain antenna and related peripheral circuits, such as RF matching circuits and power amplifiers. The LoRwan communication unit 3 is connected to the main control unit 1 through the SPI interface, receives data sent by the main control unit 1, and sends the data to a remote server or gateway through the LoRwan protocol.

[0037] Wireless MBUS Communication Unit 4: The TI CC1101 wireless MBUS transceiver chip is selected. This chip operates in the 868MHz frequency band and features low power consumption, short-range communication, and strong anti-interference capabilities. Wireless MBUS Communication Unit 4 also includes an antenna suitable for the 868MHz frequency band and related peripheral circuits, such as RF matching circuits and low-noise amplifiers. Wireless MBUS Communication Unit 4 is connected to the main control unit 1 through the SPI interface, receives data sent by the main control unit 1, and sends the data to nearby concentrators or other devices through the wireless MBUS protocol.

[0038] Power Management Unit 5: Uses a lithium battery as the power source with a capacity of 1000mAh. Power Management Unit 5 also includes a charging circuit, a voltage conversion circuit, and a power monitoring circuit. The charging circuit uses a TP4056 charging chip, which can perform constant current and constant voltage charging management for the lithium battery. The voltage conversion circuit uses an LM1117 voltage regulator chip to convert the lithium battery voltage to 3.3V, providing a stable power supply for each unit. The power monitoring circuit uses an ADC module to monitor the lithium battery voltage in real time. When the lithium battery voltage is lower than the set threshold, an alarm signal is sent to the main control unit 1.

[0039] Working Principle: First, the data acquisition stage: The Hall sensor of data acquisition unit 2 collects water consumption data from the water meter in real time, processes the collected electrical signals through a signal conditioning circuit, and sends them to the main control unit 1. The main control unit 1 compares and verifies the data from multiple sensors, calculates water consumption, and determines whether the water meter is working properly. Second, the communication protocol selection stage: The main control unit 1 selects a suitable communication protocol based on the current communication environment and application requirements. If long-distance data transmission is required, the main control unit 1 selects the LoRaWan protocol; if short-range centralized meter reading is required, the main control unit 1 selects the wireless MBUS protocol. Next, the data transmission stage: If the LoRaWan protocol is selected, the main control unit 1 transmits the processed data through... The data is sent via the SPI interface to the LoRwan communication unit 3. The LoRwan communication unit 3 modulates and encodes the data and then sends it to a remote server or gateway via an antenna. If the wireless MBUS protocol is selected, the main control unit 1 sends the processed data to the wireless MBUS communication unit 4 via the SPI interface. The wireless MBUS communication unit 4 modulates and encodes the data and then sends it to a nearby concentrator or other device via an antenna. Finally, in the power management stage, the power management unit 5 monitors the lithium battery's charge and voltage in real time. When the lithium battery's charge is too low, it sends an alarm signal to the main control unit 1. After receiving the alarm signal, the main control unit 1 takes corresponding measures, such as reducing the sampling frequency and reducing the number of communications, to reduce power consumption and extend the battery's lifespan.

[0040] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model, but the protection scope of the present utility model is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or changes made by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present utility model, based on the technical solution and the inventive concept of the present utility model, should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A smart water meter sampling module based on LoRwan and wireless MBUS dual-protocol communication, characterized in that: It includes a main control unit (1), a data acquisition unit (2), a LoRwan communication unit (3), a wireless MBUS communication unit (4), and a power management unit (5); The main control unit (1) is an MCU, which is used to coordinate and control each unit, receive and process water meter data collected by the data acquisition unit (2), select LoRwan or wireless MBUS protocol for data transmission according to the communication environment and application requirements, and at the same time respond to the communication unit instructions to perform corresponding operations. The data acquisition unit (2) is connected to the water meter metering mechanism. It converts the mechanical rotation of the water meter or the change in water flow into an electrical signal through a sensor. After preliminary processing of the electrical signal, it transmits it to the main control unit (1). The LoRwan communication unit (3) includes a LoRwan radio frequency chip, an antenna and related peripheral circuits, and is used to send the data processed by the main control unit (1) to a remote server or gateway through the LoRwan protocol; The wireless MBUS communication unit (4) includes a wireless MBUS transceiver chip, an antenna and related peripheral circuits, and is used to communicate with a nearby concentrator via the wireless MBUS protocol; The power management unit (5) provides a stable power supply for the entire sampling module, including a battery, a charging circuit, a voltage conversion circuit, and a power monitoring circuit.

2. The smart water meter sampling module based on LoRwan and wireless MBUS dual-protocol communication as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The data acquisition unit (2) uses sensors to acquire data.

3. The smart water meter sampling module based on LoRwan and wireless MBUS dual-protocol communication as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The antenna of the LoRwan communication unit (3) is a high-gain antenna, and the LoRwan communication unit (3) can automatically adjust the transmission power and communication frequency according to the instructions of the main control unit (1).

4. The smart water meter sampling module based on LoRwan and wireless MBUS dual-protocol communication according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power management unit (5) is a lithium battery.

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