With a little help from Rabbit, IntraCoastal System Engineering Corporation is making inroads in foreign markets like never before. As leading providers of Power Line Communications (PLC) and low-cost Automated Meter Reading (AMR) systems, Vancouver-based IntraCoastal is helping utilities in developing nations thwart revenue-draining power theft and more effectively manage their electricity distribution networks.
IntraCoastal抯 proprietary PLC system, based on spread spectrum technology, detects illegal bypassing of utility meters, as well as any physical tampering. Implementing AMR systems also eliminates the cost and inefficiency of manual meter reading.
IntraCoastal selected the feature-packed Rabbit 2000?microprocessor to control the 揷oncentrator?units that serve as vital data management tools for the AMR system. Installed on the power pole梠n the secondary side of the system抯 distribution transformer梩he concentrator is designed to collect and store information transmitted by remote units fitted inside each electric meter.
揥e抎 been looking for a processor that would speed product development,?says Jad Grewal, technical support specialist for IntraCoastal. 揥e ran across the Rabbit while searching the web, and it seemed to meet our needs. The high-level programming capabilities on the Rabbit allow for easier data management, programming, and modifications to the firmware.?
Located in the electrical center of the distribution grid, the concentrator constantly scans the power lines looking for data packets being transmitted by the remote units, which detect 揺vents?such as reverse power flow, episodic zero energy consumption, and meter disconnection or bypassing. Once a data packet is identified and retrieved, the information is time/date stamped and stored within memory in a table format. The Rabbit 2000 provides an hourly reading for each meter, ensuring true time-of-use billing information and indicating if and when tampering has taken place. When someone is attempting to 搒teal?power, the utility has all the data it needs to take action.
The Rabbit抯 four serial ports, meanwhile, are the conduits for delivering and retrieving meter information. The microprocessor抯 built-in serial ports are connected to an RS-232 transceiver, which facilitates data retrieval via multiple methods, including telephone or radio modems, GSM or satellite devices, a direct connection using data loggers or computers, and any other standard RS-232-compliant device.
揑nformation from the power line receiver sends an RS-232 signal down to the Rabbit, and it stores all the data,?says Grewal. 揟he Rabbit抯 high memory capacity means we can store hourly readings per day for 45 days. It also allows us to process information, perform calculations, and keep records.?Though IntraCoastal has been developing PLC solutions since 1994, the firm required for its newest line of AMR systems a powerful microprocessor that would not only jumpstart development but also accommodate upgrades. 揟he Rabbit added a lot of advantages to our unit that it did not have before, such as upgradability and memory storage,?said Grewal. 揃ut the big bonus for us was that our development time was basically cut in half.?
The new meter-reading system was completed in less time than any of its predecessors. 揟o get to this stage took us about 8 months, and that included making some modifications and testing it out with the firmware,?says Grewal. 揑t was pretty easy to make the changes that we needed.?Steady support from Rabbit staff throughout the process made IntraCoastal a true believer. 揥e were sold on Rabbit in part because of the assistance we were getting while attempting to analyze the product,?he says. 揥e got better sales and technical support out of Rabbit than we have from most other companies.?
IntraCoastal recently delivered the first batch of Rabbit-powered AMR systems to Vietnam, where they will be imple-mented and evaluated by state-run utilities. With approximately 25 million electric meters in Vietnam alone, the potential is enormous, says Grewal. 揥e just shipped out 150 of the units, and we抣l be hearing back over the next year as to how they are performing. We抮e looking at another 1,000 units over the next 3 years just in Vietnam.?
With a primary market focus on competitive and cost-conscious markets in Asia, India, the Middle East, and South America, cost-effectiveness is key for IntraCoastal. The Rabbit 2000抯 low price helps IntraCoastal provide affordable answers to its customers?power line problems. 揅ost is always an issue when dealing with emerging countries,?says Grewal. 揟hey are extremely cost sensitive. But the fact that we can offer high quality and still win on price is opening doors for us right now in places like Peru and Iran.?