A general communication module for an electric energy meter

Abstract

This utility model discloses a universal communication module for electricity meters, relating to the field of communications. The universal communication module for electricity meters provided by this solution automatically collects the electricity data of the meter through an MCU, which greatly improves the efficiency of data collection compared to manual data collection. Furthermore, considering that the power supply system monitoring requires real-time acquisition of electricity data from all meters, this solution incorporates a wireless communication module and an antenna in the universal communication module. Because the wireless communication module has a long transmission distance, covering a range of several kilometers or even tens of kilometers, it can solve the long-distance communication needs that traditional communication technologies cannot meet. Therefore, after the MCU collects the electricity data from the meter, it sends it to the wireless communication module, converts it into a corresponding radio frequency signal, and accurately uploads it to the communication network through the antenna. This communication network enables the collection of electricity data over a long range, thus meeting the long-distance communication requirements of the electricity meter.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of communications, and in particular to a universal communication module for electricity meters. Background Technology

[0002] In industrial settings, electricity meters within power supply systems are becoming increasingly important because the parameters they collect can serve as a reference standard for judging the stability of the power supply system. However, existing power supply systems have power lines that are often far apart. Therefore, in order to accurately collect the corresponding power data for each power line, multiple electricity meters need to be installed along the power supply lines. Moreover, the current method of meter reading is generally manual. When there are few meter readers, it is impossible to meet the needs of reading a large number of meters along long-distance power lines. This results in the inability to read the parameters of multiple meters in a timely manner, which in turn fails to meet the monitoring needs of the power supply system and may affect the stable operation of the power supply system. Utility Model Content

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a universal communication module for electricity meters. Considering the long power supply lines in the power supply system and the large amount of electricity meter data monitored on the power supply lines, this solution chooses to automatically collect the electricity data of the meters through an MCU. Compared with the manual collection of electricity data, this greatly improves the efficiency of data collection. Furthermore, by setting up a universal communication module for electricity meters, it is possible to collect the electricity data of all meters on the power supply line even when the power supply line is long. In addition, considering that the monitoring of the power supply system needs to obtain the electricity data of all meters in real time, this solution sets up a wireless communication module and an antenna in the universal communication module for electricity meters. Because the wireless communication module has a long transmission distance, it can cover a range of several kilometers or even tens of kilometers, which can solve the long-distance communication needs that traditional communication technologies cannot meet. Therefore, after the MCU collects the electricity data of the meter, it sends it to the wireless communication module, converts it into a corresponding radio frequency signal, and accurately uploads it to the communication network through the antenna. Through the communication network, electricity data collection over a long range is achieved to meet the long-distance communication needs of the electricity meter.

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this utility model provides a universal communication module for electricity meters, including: a voltage conversion module, an MCU, a wireless communication module, and an antenna;

[0005] The input terminal of the voltage conversion module is connected to the power supply, and the output terminal is connected to the power supply terminal of the MCU and the power supply terminal of the wireless communication module, respectively, to convert the output voltage of the power supply into the voltage required for the operation of the MCU and the wireless communication module.

[0006] The MCU is communicatively connected to both the electricity meter and the wireless communication module, and is used to receive the electrical energy data transmitted by the electricity meter and transmit the electrical energy data to the wireless communication module.

[0007] The wireless communication module is connected to the antenna and is used to convert the electrical energy data into a corresponding radio frequency signal, and to upload the radio frequency signal to the communication network through the antenna.

[0008] Optionally, the voltage conversion module includes: a DC-DC chip, an LDO voltage regulator circuit, a first feedback resistor, and a second feedback resistor;

[0009] The input terminal of the DC-DC chip is connected to the power supply, the output pin is connected to the first terminal of the first feedback resistor and the input terminal of the LDO voltage regulator circuit respectively, and the feedback pin is connected to the first terminal of the second feedback resistor, which is used to convert the output voltage of the power supply into the corresponding voltage based on the resistance values ​​of the first feedback resistor and the second feedback resistor.

[0010] The second end of the first feedback resistor is connected to the first end of the second feedback resistor;

[0011] The second terminal of the second feedback resistor is grounded, and both the first feedback resistor and the second feedback resistor are variable resistors;

[0012] The output terminal of the LDO voltage regulator circuit is connected to the power supply terminal of the MCU and the power supply terminal of the wireless communication module, respectively, and is used to convert the output voltage of the DC-DC chip into the voltage required for the operation of the MCU and the wireless communication module.

[0013] Optionally, the voltage conversion module further includes: a first diode, a second diode, and a charging capacitor;

[0014] The anode of the first diode is connected to the output terminal of the DC-DC chip, and the cathode is connected to the anode of the second diode and the anode of the charging capacitor, respectively.

[0015] The cathode of the second diode is connected to the input terminal of the LDO voltage regulator circuit;

[0016] The cathode of the charging capacitor is connected to ground, and is used to charge the DC-DC chip when the power supply is connected to it, and to discharge the LDO voltage regulator circuit when the power supply is disconnected from the DC-DC chip.

[0017] Optional, also includes:

[0018] A serial port level conversion circuit is provided, wherein the first terminal of the serial port level conversion circuit is connected to the level transmitting terminal of the meter, the second terminal is connected to the level receiving port of the meter, the third terminal is connected to the level transmitting port of the MCU, and the fourth terminal is connected to the level receiving port of the MCU. The circuit is used to control the level of its first terminal to be equal to the level of its fourth terminal, and to control the level of its second terminal to be equal to the level of its third terminal.

[0019] Optionally, the serial port level conversion circuit includes: a receiving circuit and a transmitting circuit; the receiving circuit includes: a third diode, a first TVS diode and a first pull-up resistor; the transmitting circuit includes: a second TVS diode, a first switch, a second switch and a second pull-up resistor;

[0020] The cathode of the third diode is connected to the level transmitting port of the meter, and the anode is connected to the first end of the first pull-up resistor and the level receiving port of the MCU. The second end of the first pull-up resistor is connected to a preset power supply.

[0021] The first TVS diode is connected to the level transmission port of the meter and the ground wire, respectively.

[0022] The control terminal of the first switch is connected to the level transmission port of the MCU, the first terminal is connected to the first terminal of the second pull-up resistor, and the second terminal is grounded;

[0023] The control terminal of the second switch is connected to the first terminal of the first switch and the first terminal of the second pull-up resistor, respectively. The first terminal is connected to the level receiving port of the meter, and the second terminal is grounded.

[0024] The second end of the second pull-up resistor is connected to the first preset power supply;

[0025] The second TVS diode is connected to the level receiving port of the meter and the ground wire, respectively.

[0026] Optionally, the voltage conversion module further includes:

[0027] A power-down detection circuit is provided, wherein a first terminal of the power-down detection circuit is connected to the output terminal of the DC-DC chip, and a second terminal is connected to the MCU. The power-down detection circuit is used to output a first signal to the MCU when the output voltage of the DC-DC chip is received, and to output a second signal to the MCU when the output voltage of the DC-DC chip is not received.

[0028] Optionally, the power failure detection circuit includes: a first resistor, a third switch, a second resistor, a fourth switch, a third resistor, and an RC filter module;

[0029] The first end of the first resistor is connected to the output terminal of the DC-DC chip, and the second end is connected to the control terminal of the third switch;

[0030] The first terminal of the third switch is connected to the first terminal of the second resistor and the control terminal of the fourth switch, respectively, and the second terminal is connected to ground.

[0031] The second terminal of the second resistor is connected to the second preset power supply;

[0032] The first terminal of the fourth switch is connected to the first terminal of the RC filter module and the first terminal of the third resistor, respectively, and the second terminal is connected to ground.

[0033] The second end of the third resistor is connected to the output end of the DC-DC chip.

[0034] The second end of the RC filter module is connected to the MCU.

[0035] Optional, also includes:

[0036] The indicator light circuit has a first terminal connected to a third preset power supply, a second terminal grounded, a third terminal connected to a fourth preset power supply, a fourth terminal connected to the communication terminal of the wireless communication module, a fifth terminal connected to a fifth preset power supply, a sixth terminal connected to the data receiving terminal of the MCU, a seventh terminal connected to a sixth preset power supply, and a sixth terminal connected to the data transmitting terminal of the MCU. It is used to provide corresponding lighting indications for whether the indicator light is powered on, whether the wireless communication module has established a communication connection with the communication network, whether the MCU has received data sent by the electricity meter, and whether the MCU has sent data to the electricity meter.

[0037] A reset circuit, wherein the first terminal of the reset circuit is connected to the meter and the second terminal is connected to the reset terminal of the MCU, and is used to control the MCU to reset when the MCU does not send a dog-feeding signal within a preset time period;

[0038] A first crystal oscillator circuit is connected to the clock signal terminal of the MCU and is used to provide a first preset clock signal to the MCU.

[0039] A storage module circuit is connected to the SPI communication pin of the MCU and is used to store the electrical energy data transmitted from the meter to the MCU.

[0040] A debugging download interface is provided, which is connected to both the host computer and the MCU, and is used for debugging or accessing the registers and memory inside the MCU based on the control of the host computer.

[0041] Optionally, the first crystal oscillator circuit includes: a passive crystal, a first load capacitor, and a second load capacitor;

[0042] The external crystal oscillator input terminal of the passive crystal is connected to the inverted input terminal of the crystal oscillator of the MCU clock signal and the first terminal of the first load capacitor, respectively. The external crystal oscillator output terminal is connected to the inverted output terminal of the crystal oscillator of the MCU clock signal and the first terminal of the second load capacitor, respectively.

[0043] The second terminal of both the first load capacitor and the second load capacitor is grounded.

[0044] Optionally, the wireless communication module includes: a LoRa radio frequency chip, a PA power amplifier circuit, and a second crystal oscillator circuit;

[0045] The power supply terminal of the LoRa RF chip is connected to the output terminal of the voltage conversion module, the input terminal is connected to the MCU, and the output terminal is connected to the input terminal of the PA power amplifier circuit, which is used to convert the data to be sent by the MCU to the LoRa network into the corresponding RF signal;

[0046] The output of the PA power amplifier circuit is connected to the antenna, and is used to amplify the power of the radio frequency signal and upload the amplified radio frequency signal to the LoRa network through the antenna.

[0047] The second crystal oscillator circuit is connected to the clock signal terminal of the LoRa RF chip and is used to provide a second preset clock signal to the LoRa RF chip.

[0048] The purpose of this invention is to provide a universal communication module for electricity meters. This module automatically collects electricity data from the meters via an MCU, significantly improving data collection efficiency compared to manual data collection. Furthermore, considering the need for real-time monitoring of the power supply system to obtain electricity data from all meters, this solution incorporates a wireless communication module and an antenna within the universal communication module. The wireless communication module has a long transmission distance, covering a range of several kilometers or even tens of kilometers, thus addressing long-distance communication needs that traditional communication technologies cannot meet. Therefore, after collecting the electricity data from the meters, the MCU sends it to the wireless communication module, converts it into a corresponding radio frequency signal, and accurately uploads it to the communication network via the antenna. This communication network enables the collection of electricity data over a long distance, fulfilling the long-distance communication requirements of the electricity meters. Attached Figure Description

[0049] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0050] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0051] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a universal communication module for an electricity meter provided by this utility model;

[0052] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of another universal communication module for electricity meters provided by this utility model;

[0053] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a voltage conversion module provided by this utility model;

[0054] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of an MCU provided by this utility model;

[0055] Figure 5a A schematic diagram of the receiving circuit in a serial port level conversion circuit provided by this utility model;

[0056] Figure 5b A schematic diagram of the transmitting circuit in a serial port level conversion circuit provided by this utility model;

[0057] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a power-off detection circuit provided by this utility model;

[0058] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a first crystal oscillator circuit provided by this utility model;

[0059] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of an indicator light circuit provided by this utility model;

[0060] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of a storage module circuit provided by this utility model;

[0061] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of a debugging and downloading interface provided by this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0062] The core of this utility model is to provide a universal communication module for electricity meters. Considering the long power supply lines in the power supply system and the large amount of electricity meter data monitored on the power supply lines, this solution chooses to automatically collect the electricity data of the meters through an MCU. Compared with the method of manually collecting electricity data, this greatly improves the efficiency of data collection. Furthermore, by setting up a universal communication module for electricity meters, it is possible to collect the electricity data of all meters on the power supply line even when the power supply line is long. In addition, considering that the monitoring of the power supply system needs to obtain the electricity data of all meters in real time, this solution sets up a wireless communication module and an antenna in the universal communication module for electricity meters. Because the wireless communication module has a long transmission distance, it can cover a range of several kilometers or even tens of kilometers, which can solve the long-distance communication needs that traditional communication technologies cannot meet. Therefore, after the MCU collects the electricity data of the meter, it sends it to the wireless communication module, converts it into a corresponding radio frequency signal, and accurately uploads it to the communication network through the antenna. Through the communication network, electricity data collection over a long range is achieved to meet the long-distance communication needs of the electricity meter.

[0063] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this utility model, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0064] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 This utility model provides a structural schematic diagram of a universal communication module for an electricity meter. The universal communication module for an electricity meter includes: a voltage conversion module 1, an MCU 2, a wireless communication module 3, and an antenna 4.

[0065] The input terminal of the voltage conversion module 1 is connected to the power supply, and the output terminal is connected to the power supply terminal of the MCU2 and the power supply terminal of the wireless communication module 3, respectively, to convert the output voltage of the power supply into the voltage required for the operation of the MCU2 and the wireless communication module 3.

[0066] The MCU2 is communicatively connected to both the electricity meter and the wireless communication module 3, and is used to receive the electrical energy data transmitted by the electricity meter and transmit the electrical energy data to the wireless communication module 3.

[0067] The wireless communication module 3 is connected to the antenna 4 and is used to convert the electrical energy data into a corresponding radio frequency signal and upload the radio frequency signal to the communication network through the antenna 4.

[0068] In this invention, because the wireless communication module 3 has a long transmission distance, covering a range of several kilometers or even tens of kilometers, it can solve the long-distance communication needs that traditional communication technologies cannot meet. Therefore, this solution selects to add the wireless communication module 3 and antenna 4 to the general communication module of the electricity meter. In addition, because the wireless communication module 3 can only transmit the electricity meter's energy data through the antenna 4 by signal conversion, the general communication module of the electricity meter also needs to have an internal MCU (Microcontroller Unit) 2, and collect the energy data transmitted by the electricity meter through the MCU 2. The wireless communication module 3 converts the energy data into the corresponding radio frequency signal and uploads it to the communication network through the antenna 4 to realize the real-time acquisition of electricity meter data over a long distance, ensuring the integrity of the solution.

[0069] This embodiment provides a universal communication module for electricity meters. Considering the long power supply lines in the power supply system and the large amount of electricity meter data monitored on the power supply lines, this solution chooses to automatically collect the electricity data of the meters through MCU2. Compared with the method of manually collecting electricity data, this greatly improves the efficiency of data collection. Furthermore, by setting up a universal communication module for electricity meters, it is possible to collect the electricity data of all meters on the power supply line even when the power supply line is long. In addition, considering that the monitoring of the power supply system needs to obtain the electricity data of all meters in real time, this solution sets up a wireless communication module 3 and an antenna 4 in the universal communication module for electricity meters. Because the wireless communication module 3 has a long transmission distance, it can cover a range of several kilometers or even tens of kilometers, which can solve the long-distance communication needs that traditional communication technologies cannot meet. Therefore, after MCU2 collects the electricity data of the meters, it sends it to the wireless communication module 3, converts it into the corresponding radio frequency signal, and accurately uploads it to the communication network through the antenna 4. The communication network enables the collection of electricity data over a long range to meet the long-distance communication needs of the meters.

[0070] Based on the above embodiments:

[0071] Please refer to Figure 2 , Figure 2 A schematic diagram of another universal communication module for electricity meters provided by this utility model. As an optional embodiment, the voltage conversion module 1 includes: a DC-DC chip, an LDO voltage regulator circuit, a first feedback resistor RM, and a second feedback resistor RN;

[0072] The input terminal of the DC-DC chip is connected to the power supply, the output pin is connected to the first terminal of the first feedback resistor RM and the input terminal of the LDO voltage regulator circuit respectively, and the feedback pin is connected to the first terminal of the second feedback resistor RN. It is used to convert the output voltage of the power supply into the corresponding voltage based on the resistance values ​​of the first feedback resistor RM and the second feedback resistor RN.

[0073] The second end of the first feedback resistor RM is connected to the first end of the second feedback resistor RN;

[0074] The second terminal of the second feedback resistor RN is grounded, and both the first feedback resistor RM and the second feedback resistor RN are variable resistors;

[0075] The output terminal of the LDO voltage regulator circuit is connected to the power supply terminal of the MCU2 and the power supply terminal of the wireless communication module 3, respectively, and is used to convert the output voltage of the DC-DC chip into the voltage required for the operation of the MCU2 and the wireless communication module 3.

[0076] In this invention, considering that the voltages required for the operation of MCU2 and wireless communication module 3 are generally different, this solution adds an LDO (Low Dropout Regulator) voltage regulator circuit to the DC-DC (Direct Current / Direct Current) chip. The DC-DC chip converts the voltage transmitted by the power supply to the voltage required for the operation of MCU2, while the LDO voltage regulator circuit converts the output voltage of the DC-DC to the voltage required for the operation of wireless communication module 3, thus ensuring the normal operation of both MCU2 and wireless communication module 3. Furthermore, considering the flexibility of the MCU2 built into the general communication module of the energy meter—that is, the ability to flexibly switch between various types of MCU2—this solution also adds a first feedback resistor RM and a second feedback resistor RN. By adjusting the resistance values ​​of the first feedback resistor RM and the second feedback resistor RN, the output voltage of the DC-DC is changed, thereby adapting to various types of MCU2 and facilitating practical use.

[0077] It should be noted that the wireless communication module 3 supports both power outage reporting and no power outage function. When the requirement is for no power outage reporting, a DC 12V power strip is used. The input DC 12V passes through a voltage conversion circuit, and the output voltage is achieved by adjusting the values ​​of the first feedback resistor RM and the second feedback resistor RN. The first feedback resistor RM is 40.2KΩ, the second feedback resistor RN is 12KΩ, and the output voltage Vout of the DC-DC chip is 0.768*(1+R6 / R10)=3.3V. The module unit is directly powered by soldering R1. When the requirement is for power outage reporting, the input DC 12V passes through a voltage conversion circuit, and the output voltage is achieved by adjusting the values ​​of the feedback resistors (R6, RM, RN ... The value of R10 is used to adjust the output voltage. The first feedback resistor RM is 40.2K, and the second feedback resistor RN is 6.8K. The output voltage Vout of the DC-DC chip is 0.768*(1+R6 / R10)=5.3V. When the DC12V power supply is normal, one power supply circuit supplies 3.3V to the LDO regulator circuit through the diode to power the module unit, and the backup power supply charges the charging capacitor C through the resistor and diode. When the DC12V power supply is interrupted, and the DC-DC conversion voltage VDD is lower than the backup power supply voltage, the power supply switches to the charging capacitor C, which supplies 3.3V to the LDO regulator module through the diode to power the module unit.

[0078] As an optional embodiment, the voltage conversion module 1 further includes: a first diode D1, a second diode D2, and a charging capacitor C;

[0079] The anode of the first diode D1 is connected to the output terminal of the DC-DC chip, and the cathode is connected to the anode of the second diode D2 and the anode of the charging capacitor C, respectively.

[0080] The cathode of the second diode D2 is connected to the input terminal of the LDO voltage regulator circuit;

[0081] The cathode of the charging capacitor C is connected to ground, and is used to charge the DC-DC chip when the power supply is connected to it, and to discharge the LDC voltage regulator circuit when the power supply is disconnected from the DC-DC chip.

[0082] In this utility model, the structure of voltage conversion module 1 is as follows: Figure 3 As shown, considering that in actual use, if the power supply is disconnected, the wireless communication module 3 will suddenly stop working due to power loss. Therefore, to cope with this sudden situation, this solution adds a charging capacitor C as a backup. Figure 2The power outage backup power supply shown uses a charging capacitor C to charge the circuit when the power supply is on and discharge it to the LDO regulator circuit when the power supply is off. For example, if the wireless communication module 3 is preparing to transmit an RF signal to the communication network via antenna 4, but the power supply suddenly fails, the wireless communication module 3 cannot upload the RF signal to the communication network. However, if the universal communication module of the energy meter has a built-in charging capacitor C, it can perfectly connect to the power supply after the power failure, power the wireless communication module 3, and enable the wireless communication module 3 to successfully transmit the RF signal, thus improving the reliability of the solution. Furthermore, if the charging capacitor C is only built into the output of the DC-DC chip and the input of the LDO regulator circuit, the current output by the charging capacitor C may flow back to the DC-DC chip when the power supply fails. Therefore, if... Figure 3 As shown, this solution also adds a first diode D1 and a second diode D2 to clamp the direction of the output current of the charging capacitor C, so as to prevent it from flowing back to the DC-DC chip, thus improving the safety of the solution.

[0083] It should be noted that in practical applications, the structure of MCU2 is as follows: Figure 4 As shown.

[0084] As an optional embodiment, it also includes:

[0085] A serial port level conversion circuit is provided. The first terminal of the serial port level conversion circuit is connected to the level transmitting terminal of the meter, the second terminal is connected to the level receiving port of the meter, the third terminal is connected to the level transmitting port of the MCU2, and the fourth terminal is connected to the level receiving port of the MCU2. The circuit is used to control the level of its first terminal to be equal to the level of its fourth terminal, and to control the level of its second terminal to be equal to the level of its third terminal.

[0086] In this invention, the communication device is also equipped with a serial port level conversion circuit. The purpose of setting up the serial port level conversion circuit is to keep the level of the meter and MCU2 the same, that is, to control the level of the meter's level transmitting port to be equal to the level of the MCU2's level receiving port, and to control the level of the meter's level receiving port to be equal to the level of the MCU2's level transmitting port. When the level of the meter and MCU2 is kept the same, the information interaction between the terminal and MCU2 will be more stable, improving the stability and accuracy of the solution.

[0087] As an optional embodiment, the serial port level conversion circuit includes: a receiving circuit and a transmitting circuit; the receiving circuit includes: a third diode D3, a first TVS diode F1 and a first pull-up resistor; the transmitting circuit includes: a second TVS diode F2, a first switch Q1, a second switch Q2 and a second pull-up resistor Rh;

[0088] The cathode of the third diode D3 is connected to the level transmission port of the meter, and the anode is connected to the first end of the first pull-up resistor and the level receiving port of the MCU2 respectively. The second end of the first pull-up resistor is connected to a preset power supply.

[0089] The first TVS diode F1 is connected to the level transmission port of the meter and the ground wire, respectively.

[0090] The control terminal of the first switch Q1 is connected to the level transmission port of the MCU2, the first terminal is connected to the first terminal of the second pull-up resistor Rh, and the second terminal is grounded;

[0091] The control terminal of the second switch Q2 is connected to the first terminal of the first switch Q1 and the first terminal of the second pull-up resistor Rh, respectively. The first terminal is connected to the level receiving port of the meter, and the second terminal is grounded.

[0092] The second terminal of the second pull-up resistor Rh is connected to the first preset power supply;

[0093] The second TVS tube F2 is connected to the level receiving port of the meter and the ground wire, respectively.

[0094] In this invention, the serial port level conversion circuit includes a receiving circuit and a transmitting circuit. The structure of the serial port level conversion circuit is shown in Figure 5. In the receiving circuit, if the level output from the meter's transmitting port is high, the third diode D3 is not conducting. At this time, the preset power supply, the first TVS diode F1, and the MCU2's receiving port sequentially form a loop, and the level of the MCU2's receiving port is pulled high. Conversely, when the level output from the meter's transmitting port is low, the third diode D3 conducts. The level of the MCU2's receiving port should then be the level output from the meter's transmitting port plus the voltage drop across the third diode D3. Because the voltage drop across the third diode D3 is relatively small, the MCU... The level of the receiving port of MCU2 is low. Similarly, in the transmitting circuit, when the level of the transmitting port of MCU2 is high, the first switch Q1 is turned on and the second switch Q2 is turned off. The level of the receiving port of the meter is pulled up to high through the second pull-up resistor Rh and the preset power supply. Conversely, when the level of the transmitting port of MCU2 is low, the first switch Q1 is turned off and the second switch Q2 is turned on. The level of the receiving port of the meter is pulled to ground through the turned-on second switch Q2. Therefore, the level of the receiving port of the meter is low. This scheme ensures that the level of the terminal and MCU2 are the same through the receiving circuit and the transmitting circuit, thereby making the information interaction between the terminal and MCU2 more stable and improving the stability and accuracy of the scheme.

[0095] It should be noted that the MCU2 + LoRa communication module solution in this plan offers greater development flexibility and easier iteration. The LoRa RF solution can be changed according to LoRa technology development, resulting in a shorter development cycle. Because it uses the LoRaWAN connection method, it can directly replace existing solutions requiring data traffic fees or similar NB-IoT solutions with base station and platform requirements for customers in areas where smart meters are currently implemented, or serve as a supplement. Smart meters based on this module can connect to a public LoRaWAN gateway to access a cloud system platform via the public network, or they can connect to a private gateway to meet personalized platform customization needs. It uses MCU2 + FLASH, supporting remote wireless upgrades and local wireless connectivity; and employs a power supply design compatible with both power outage reporting and non-power outage reporting functions.

[0096] As an optional embodiment, the voltage conversion module 1 further includes:

[0097] A power-down detection circuit is provided, wherein a first terminal of the power-down detection circuit is connected to the output terminal of the DC-DC chip, and a second terminal is connected to the MCU2. The power-down detection circuit is used to output a first signal to the MCU2 when the output voltage of the DC-DC chip is received, and to output a second signal to the MCU2 when the output voltage of the DC-DC chip is not received.

[0098] In this invention, the universal communication module of the electricity meter is also equipped with a power failure detection circuit. As long as the output terminal of the DC-DC chip can output voltage, the power failure detection circuit can work normally. That is, the power failure detection circuit can ensure normal operation in both the case of the terminal being powered on normally or the terminal not being powered on and the backup power supply outputting a third voltage to the DC-DC chip, and detect the power-on status of the terminal. For example, when the terminal is powered on, the power failure detection circuit will output a first signal to MCU2 when it receives the first voltage to notify MCU2 that there is no power failure, so that MCU2 can continue to work normally; conversely, if the terminal is not powered on, the power failure detection circuit will output a second signal to MCU2 to notify MCU2 that the terminal is currently powered off, so that MCU2 can perform corresponding operations. The power failure detection circuit can ensure real-time monitoring of the terminal's power-on status, so that MCU2 can perform timely operations based on the terminal's power-on status.

[0099] As an optional embodiment, the power-down detection circuit includes: a first resistor R1, a third switch Q3, a second resistor R2, a fourth switch Q4, a third resistor R3, and an RC filter module;

[0100] The first end of the first resistor R1 is connected to the output terminal of the DC-DC chip, and the second end is connected to the control terminal of the third switch Q3.

[0101] The first end of the third switch Q3 is connected to the first end of the second resistor R2 and the control end of the fourth switch Q4, respectively, and the second end is connected to ground.

[0102] The second terminal of the second resistor R2 is connected to the second preset power supply;

[0103] The first terminal of the fourth switch Q4 is connected to the first terminal of the RC filter module and the first terminal of the third resistor R3, and the second terminal is connected to ground.

[0104] The second end of the third resistor R3 is connected to the output end of the DC-CDC chip;

[0105] The second end of the RC filter module is connected to the MCU2.

[0106] In this invention, the power-down detection circuit includes: a first resistor R1, a third switch Q3, a second resistor R2, a fourth switch Q4, and an RC filter module. The structure of the power-down detection circuit is as follows: Figure 6 As shown, the first resistor R1, the second resistor R2, and the third resistor R3 serve as current limiters. When the first terminal of the first resistor R1 is connected to the first voltage, the third switch Q3 is turned on and the fourth switch Q4 is turned off. At this time, the voltage at the first terminal of the fourth switch Q4, which is the level of the signal output to MCU2, is pulled up to a high level through the action of the third resistor R3 and the output terminal of the DC-DC chip. Conversely, if the first terminal of the eighth resistor is not connected to the first voltage or the connected voltage is less than the preset voltage, the third switch Q3 is turned off and the fourth switch Q4 is turned on. At this time, the voltage at the collector of the fourth switch Q4, which is the level of the signal output to MCU2, is connected to ground through the turned-on fourth switch Q4. At this time, the level output to MCU2 is pulled down to a low level. The power-down detection circuit can accurately detect the power-on status of the meter terminal, which is convenient for practical applications.

[0107] As an optional embodiment, it also includes:

[0108] The indicator light circuit has the following terminals: the first terminal is connected to the third preset power supply, the second terminal is grounded, the third terminal is connected to the fourth preset power supply, the fourth terminal is connected to the communication terminal of the wireless communication module 3, the fifth terminal is connected to the fifth preset power supply, the sixth terminal is connected to the data receiving terminal of the MCU2, the seventh terminal is connected to the sixth preset power supply, and the sixth terminal is connected to the data transmitting terminal of the MCU2. It is used to provide corresponding lighting indications for whether the indicator light is powered on, whether the wireless communication module 3 has established a communication connection with the communication network, whether the MCU2 has received the data sent by the meter, and whether the MCU2 has sent data to the meter.

[0109] The reset circuit has its first terminal connected to the meter and its second terminal connected to the reset terminal of MCU2. It is used to control MCU2 to reset when MCU2 does not send a dog feed signal within a preset time period.

[0110] The first crystal oscillator circuit is connected to the clock signal terminal of MCU2 and is used to provide a first preset clock signal to MCU2.

[0111] The storage module circuit is connected to the SPI communication pin of MCU2 and is used to store the power data transmitted from the meter to MCU2.

[0112] The debug download interface is connected to both the host computer and MCU2, and is used for control debugging based on the host computer or to access the registers and memory inside the MCU.

[0113] In this invention, considering that the normal communication between MCU2 and the electricity meter determines whether the general communication module of the electricity meter can stably upload the meter's data to the communication network, an indicator light circuit is added to this solution. Its function is to determine whether the communication between MCU2 and the electricity meter is normal; that is, to light up the indicator light when the MCU sends data to the electricity meter and when the MCU receives data sent by the electricity meter. This allows users to judge whether the communication between MCU2 and the electricity meter is normal based on the lighting status of the indicator light circuit. For example, if the indicator light circuit remains constantly lit after being powered on, it can be determined that the communication between MCU2 and the electricity meter is normal; if the indicator light circuit suddenly flashes after being powered on, it can be determined that the communication between MCU2 and the electricity meter is not stable. Furthermore, to ensure that the indicator light circuit can operate stably, this solution also includes measures to monitor the power supply status of the indicator light circuit. Corresponding indicator lights are provided so that users can determine whether the indicator light circuit is in normal working condition based on its power status. Finally, considering that whether the wireless communication module 3 establishes a communication connection with the communication network also affects whether the meter data can be stably transmitted to the communication network, the indicator light circuit also provides corresponding prompts on whether the wireless communication module 3 and the communication network have established a communication connection. This allows users to check the communication status between the wireless communication module 3 and the communication network in a timely manner, and adjust the wireless communication module 3 in a timely manner when a communication connection is not established, so that it is in a normal communication state, and the meter data can be stably transmitted to the communication network. In addition, this solution also adds a reset circuit, which can indirectly verify whether the MCU2 and the meter are communicating normally, and control the MCU2 to reset in a timely manner when normal communication is not established, so that the communication between the MCU2 and the meter can proceed normally in the future. The first crystal oscillator circuit provides a clock signal to MCU2, enabling MCU2 to time its communication with the meter. Furthermore, considering that while energy data can be transmitted to a remote communication network via wireless communication module 3, operator access to this data is limited in case of network failure. Therefore, this solution includes a storage module circuit to store the energy data received by MCU2 within the meter's general communication module. This ensures accurate data retrieval even in the event of a remote network failure, improving reliability. Finally, to accurately monitor and debug critical resources within MCU2, such as registers and memory, a debug download interface is provided. The host computer can use this interface to monitor or debug key MCU2 resources, including registers and memory, facilitating practical use.

[0114] It should be noted that in practical applications, the debugging and download interface can use the SWD interface. The SWD interface is a highly efficient, low-cost, and easily integrated debugging and programming interface. Its debugging functions include: supporting complete debugging capabilities, including breakpoint setting, single-step execution, and memory access. Its programming functions include: enabling flash memory programming to achieve firmware burning and updates. Its system-level testing functions include: during the integration testing phase of MCU2, system-level debugging and fault diagnosis can be performed through the SWD interface. Its production programming functions include: on the production line, the SWD interface is often used for batch programming, quickly burning firmware into the device.

[0115] It should also be noted that, in practical applications, the structure of the first crystal oscillator circuit is as follows: Figure 7 As shown, the structure of the indicator light circuit is as follows: Figure 8 As shown, the structure of the memory module circuit is as follows: Figure 9 As shown, the structure of the debug download interface is as follows: Figure 10 As shown, Figure 10 In the debugging and download interface, the SWD interface is used, and it is connected to the SWDIO pin (serial data input / output pin), SWCLK pin (clock pin), and NRST pin (reset pin) of MCU2 respectively.

[0116] As an optional embodiment, the first crystal oscillator circuit includes: a passive crystal, a first load capacitor, and a second load capacitor;

[0117] The external crystal oscillator input terminal of the passive crystal is connected to the inverted input terminal of the crystal oscillator of the clock signal of the MCU2 and the first terminal of the first load capacitor, respectively. The external crystal oscillator output terminal is connected to the inverted output terminal of the crystal oscillator of the clock signal of the MCU2 and the first terminal of the second load capacitor, respectively.

[0118] The second terminal of both the first load capacitor and the second load capacitor is grounded.

[0119] In this invention, the first crystal oscillator circuit includes a passive crystal, a first load capacitor, and a second load capacitor. The passive crystal (generally a quartz crystal) is a high-Q resonator whose physical characteristics cause it to vibrate mechanically at a specific frequency, thereby forming a stable electrical resonance. That is, the oscillation circuit formed by the crystal's resonant characteristics and the external capacitor jointly generates the clock signal. Since the passive crystal circuit serves as the clock source for MCU2, the passive crystal, the first load capacitor, and the second load capacitor, together with the inverting amplifier, feedback resistor, and current-limiting resistor integrated within MCU2, constitute a Pierce oscillator circuit. The passive crystal provides a frequency reference through mechanical resonance, and the first and second load capacitors, acting as load capacitors, work in conjunction with the internal circuitry of MCU2 to ensure accurate oscillation and stable operation of the jointly constructed Pierce oscillator circuit. The capacitance values ​​of the first and second load capacitors are selected according to actual conditions to balance crystal parameters and improve circuit stability.

[0120] As an optional embodiment, the wireless communication module 3 includes: a LoRa radio frequency chip, a PA power amplifier circuit, and a second crystal oscillator circuit;

[0121] The power supply terminal of the LoRa RF chip is connected to the output terminal of the voltage conversion module 1, the input terminal is connected to the MCU2, and the output terminal is connected to the input terminal of the PA power amplifier circuit, which is used to convert the data to be sent by the MCU2 to the LoRa network into the corresponding RF signal;

[0122] The output terminal of the PA power amplifier circuit is connected to the antenna 4, which is used to amplify the power of the radio frequency signal and upload the amplified radio frequency signal to the LoRa network through the antenna 4;

[0123] The second crystal oscillator circuit is connected to the clock signal terminal of the LoRa RF chip and is used to provide a second preset clock signal to the LoRa RF chip.

[0124] In this invention, the wireless communication module 3 is equipped with a LoRa RF chip, a PA power amplifier circuit, and a second crystal oscillator circuit. The LoRa communication performed by the LoRa RF chip has a long transmission distance, covering a range of several kilometers or even tens of kilometers, which can solve the long-distance communication needs that traditional communication technologies cannot meet. In addition, in order to maximize the communication transmission range of the wireless communication module 3, in addition to the built-in LoRa RF chip, this solution also adds a PA power amplifier circuit to the wireless communication module 3 to amplify the power of the RF signal output by the LoRa RF chip, thereby expanding the communication transmission range of the wireless communication module 3. Finally, the function of the second crystal oscillator circuit is to provide a clock signal for the LoRa RF chip, that is, to generate an oscillation signal and generate a time and frequency reference, so that the LoRa RF chip can time the communication process between itself and MCU2 according to the clock signal, which is convenient for practical use.

[0125] It should be noted that, in this specification, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0126] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A universal communication module for electricity meters, characterized in that, include: Voltage conversion module, MCU, wireless communication module, antenna; The input terminal of the voltage conversion module is connected to the power supply, and the output terminal is connected to the power supply terminal of the MCU and the power supply terminal of the wireless communication module, respectively, to convert the output voltage of the power supply into the voltage required for the operation of the MCU and the wireless communication module. The MCU is communicatively connected to both the electricity meter and the wireless communication module, and is used to receive the electrical energy data transmitted by the electricity meter and transmit the electrical energy data to the wireless communication module. The wireless communication module is connected to the antenna and is used to convert the electrical energy data into a corresponding radio frequency signal, and to upload the radio frequency signal to the communication network through the antenna.

2. The universal communication module for electricity meters as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The voltage conversion module includes: a DC-DC chip, an LDO voltage regulator circuit, a first feedback resistor, and a second feedback resistor; The input terminal of the DC-DC chip is connected to the power supply, the output pin is connected to the first terminal of the first feedback resistor and the input terminal of the LDO voltage regulator circuit respectively, and the feedback pin is connected to the first terminal of the second feedback resistor, which is used to convert the output voltage of the power supply into the corresponding voltage based on the resistance values ​​of the first feedback resistor and the second feedback resistor. The second end of the first feedback resistor is connected to the first end of the second feedback resistor; The second terminal of the second feedback resistor is grounded, and both the first feedback resistor and the second feedback resistor are variable resistors; The output terminal of the LDO voltage regulator circuit is connected to the power supply terminal of the MCU and the power supply terminal of the wireless communication module, respectively, and is used to convert the output voltage of the DC-DC chip into the voltage required for the operation of the MCU and the wireless communication module.

3. The universal communication module for electricity meters as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The voltage conversion module further includes: a first diode, a second diode, and a charging capacitor; The anode of the first diode is connected to the output terminal of the DC-DC chip, and the cathode is connected to the anode of the second diode and the anode of the charging capacitor, respectively. The cathode of the second diode is connected to the input terminal of the LDO voltage regulator circuit; The cathode of the charging capacitor is connected to ground, and is used to charge the DC-DC chip when the power supply is connected to it, and to discharge the LDO voltage regulator circuit when the power supply is disconnected from the DC-DC chip.

4. The universal communication module for electricity meters as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A serial port level conversion circuit is provided, wherein the first terminal of the serial port level conversion circuit is connected to the level transmitting terminal of the meter, the second terminal is connected to the level receiving port of the meter, the third terminal is connected to the level transmitting port of the MCU, and the fourth terminal is connected to the level receiving port of the MCU. The circuit is used to control the level of its first terminal to be equal to the level of its fourth terminal, and to control the level of its second terminal to be equal to the level of its third terminal.

5. The universal communication module for electricity meters as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The serial port level conversion circuit includes: a receiving circuit and a transmitting circuit; the receiving circuit includes: a third diode, a first TVS diode and a first pull-up resistor; the transmitting circuit includes: a second TVS diode, a first switch, a second switch and a second pull-up resistor; The cathode of the third diode is connected to the level transmitting port of the meter, and the anode is connected to the first end of the first pull-up resistor and the level receiving port of the MCU. The second end of the first pull-up resistor is connected to a preset power supply. The first TVS diode is connected to the level transmission port of the meter and the ground wire, respectively. The control terminal of the first switch is connected to the level transmission port of the MCU, the first terminal is connected to the first terminal of the second pull-up resistor, and the second terminal is grounded; The control terminal of the second switch is connected to the first terminal of the first switch and the first terminal of the second pull-up resistor, respectively. The first terminal is connected to the level receiving port of the meter, and the second terminal is grounded. The second end of the second pull-up resistor is connected to the first preset power supply; The second TVS diode is connected to the level receiving port of the meter and the ground wire, respectively.

6. The universal communication module for electricity meters as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The voltage conversion module further includes: A power-down detection circuit is provided, wherein a first terminal of the power-down detection circuit is connected to the output terminal of the DC-DC chip, and a second terminal is connected to the MCU. The power-down detection circuit is used to output a first signal to the MCU when the output voltage of the DC-DC chip is received, and to output a second signal to the MCU when the output voltage of the DC-DC chip is not received.

7. The universal communication module for electricity meters as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The power failure detection circuit includes: a first resistor, a third switch, a second resistor, a fourth switch, a third resistor, and an RC filter module; The first end of the first resistor is connected to the output terminal of the DC-DC chip, and the second end is connected to the control terminal of the third switch; The first terminal of the third switch is connected to the first terminal of the second resistor and the control terminal of the fourth switch, respectively, and the second terminal is connected to ground. The second terminal of the second resistor is connected to the second preset power supply; The first terminal of the fourth switch is connected to the first terminal of the RC filter module and the first terminal of the third resistor, respectively, and the second terminal is connected to ground. The second end of the third resistor is connected to the output end of the DC-DC chip; The second end of the RC filter module is connected to the MCU.

8. The universal communication module for electricity meters as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: The indicator light circuit has a first terminal connected to a third preset power supply, a second terminal grounded, a third terminal connected to a fourth preset power supply, a fourth terminal connected to the communication terminal of the wireless communication module, a fifth terminal connected to a fifth preset power supply, a sixth terminal connected to the data receiving terminal of the MCU, a seventh terminal connected to a sixth preset power supply, and a sixth terminal connected to the data transmitting terminal of the MCU. It is used to provide corresponding lighting indications for whether the indicator light is powered on, whether the wireless communication module has established a communication connection with the communication network, whether the MCU has received data sent by the electricity meter, and whether the MCU has sent data to the electricity meter. A reset circuit, wherein the first terminal of the reset circuit is connected to the meter and the second terminal is connected to the reset terminal of the MCU, and is used to control the MCU to reset when the MCU does not send a dog-feeding signal within a preset time period; A first crystal oscillator circuit is connected to the clock signal terminal of the MCU and is used to provide a first preset clock signal to the MCU. A storage module circuit is connected to the SPI communication pin of the MCU and is used to store the electrical energy data transmitted from the meter to the MCU. A debugging download interface is provided, which is connected to both the host computer and the MCU, and is used for debugging or accessing the registers and memory inside the MCU based on the control of the host computer.

9. The universal communication module for electricity meters as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The first crystal oscillator circuit includes: a passive crystal, a first load capacitor, and a second load capacitor; The external crystal oscillator input terminal of the passive crystal is connected to the inverted input terminal of the crystal oscillator of the MCU clock signal and the first terminal of the first load capacitor, respectively. The external crystal oscillator output terminal is connected to the inverted output terminal of the crystal oscillator of the MCU clock signal and the first terminal of the second load capacitor, respectively. The second terminal of both the first load capacitor and the second load capacitor is grounded.

10. The universal communication module for electricity meters as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The wireless communication module includes: a LoRa radio frequency chip, a PA power amplifier circuit, and a second crystal oscillator circuit; The power supply terminal of the LoRa RF chip is connected to the output terminal of the voltage conversion module, the input terminal is connected to the MCU, and the output terminal is connected to the input terminal of the PA power amplifier circuit, which is used to convert the data to be sent by the MCU to the LoRa network into the corresponding RF signal; The output of the PA power amplifier circuit is connected to the antenna, and is used to amplify the power of the radio frequency signal and upload the amplified radio frequency signal to the LoRa network through the antenna. The second crystal oscillator circuit is connected to the clock signal terminal of the LoRa RF chip and is used to provide a second preset clock signal to the LoRa RF chip.

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