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The EKM Push has been unleashed

Contents Index:

Choosing Your Meter
Choosing your CTs (Current Transformers)
Choosing Enclosures or Mounts
Choosing your Communication Converter

Installing

120 volts 2-wire
120/240 volts 3-wire
3-phase 3-wire
3-phase 4-wire
Pulse Water and Gas
RS-485 Twisted Pair Wire

Purchasing:

Choosing Your Meter

BASIC METERS:

If you want a simple read on the face meter we have 3 options for you:

EKM-15IDS -- 120 volt

The wires being read pass through the body of the meter. Wires must be less than 3/8" diameter.
The LCD screen will display total kWh (kilowatt hours) only
DIN Rail Mount

Click on the link for more info about the EKM-15IDS electric meter.

EKM-25IDS -- 120/240 volt (the most common residential system in the US)

The wires being read pass through the body of the meter, wires must be less than 3/8" diameter
The LCD screen will display total kWh (kilowatt hours) only
DIN Rail Mount

Click on the link for more info about the EKM-25IDS submeter.

EKM-15E -- 120 volt

Come with 1 External CT (sometimes easier to install than pass-through meters)

The LCD screen will display total kWh (kilowatt hours) only

DIN Rail Mount

Click on the link for more info about the EKM-15E energy meter.

You can mount the CT on the wire in either direction and the red and black wire can go into either CT port (Port 1 and 3)

The "S0" in the wiring diagram refers to the Pulse Output of this meter. The Pulse Output can be read and counted from up to 200 feet away to determine how many kWh have been used. This meter pulses at a rate of 1000 pulses per kWh.

This meter can be wired to read 240 volts. To do this you must always power the meter with 120 volts. You will meter the 2 hot legs of a 240 volt system. Pass one hot leg through the CT in one direction and the other hot leg through the CT in the other direction. Or you can order 2 CTs and put them in the same CT port on the thin meter. The CTs must be facing in 2 different directions.

SMART METERS:

Our "Smart" meters use RS-485 for communication with a computer or Push gateway. RS-485 is a powerful industrial standard which allows up to 256 of these meters to be daisy-chain connected on 4000 feet of wire.

Meter Values Displayed on LCD Screen: Here are the values that are displayed on the screen of the EKM Meters

If you want to read your meters with a computer or over the internet, or if you just want a lot more metered information:

EKM-Omnimeter I v.3 -- Universal Voltage Meter

Our EKM Omnimeter can meter any electrical system that is commonly used in the world. It can operate on 50 or 60 Hz, 120 to 480 volts, 1-phase or 3-phase, it is accurate to 0.5%, and can meter from 100 to 5000 amps.

Click on the link to see more info about our EKM-Omnimeter smart meter.

Click this link to see the Omnimeter spec sheet.

Can Be Configured for these voltages: 120 volt 2-wire, 230 volt 2-wire (foreign), 120/240 volt 3-wire, 3-phase 3-wire 120-400 volts, 3-phase 4-wire 120 to 480 volts

Click the link to see a wide variety of our external current transformers.

RS-485 Communications -- 256 meters per string up to 4000 feet long

California Type Approval: Revenue Grade Accuracy Certificate

EKM-Omnimeter II UL v.3 -- UL Listed Universal Voltage Meter

The Underwriters Laboratories (UL) approved version of our Universal EKM-Omnimeter. This meter is both UL and cUL (Canada UL) Listed, and has been tested to CSA standards. It can also meter any electrical system that is commonly used in the world. It can operate on 50 or 60 Hz, 120 to 480 volts, 1-phase or 3-phase, it is accurate to 0.5%, and can meter from 100 to 5000 amps.

Click on the link to see more info about our EKM Omnimeter UL smart meter.

Click this link to see the UL Omnimeter spec sheet.

Can Be Configured for these voltages: 120 volt 2-wire, 230 volt 2-wire (foreign), 120/240 volt 3-wire, 3-phase 3-wire 120-400 volts, 3-phase 4-wire 120 to 480 volts

Click the link to see a wide variety of our external CTs.

RS-485 Communications -- 256 meters per string up to 4000 feet long

EKM-Omnimeter Pulse v.4

The Universal Omnimeter but with 3 Pulse Counters and two controllable outputs. These outputs allow you to turn relays on/off remotely.

Now you can meter nearly any circuit, count pulses from three water and gas meters, and control two relays remotely, all with one meter

120 volt 2-wire, 230 volt 2-wire (foreign), 120/240 volt 3-wire, 3-phase 3-wire 120-400 volts, 3-phase 4-wire 120 to 480 volts

External CT, 26.6mA CTs

RS-485 Communications -- up to 256 meters per string on up to 4000 feet of wire.

Click the link to see more info on the EKM-Omnimeter Pulse v.4 pulse counting meter.

353-EDM-N v.2

3-phase 3-wire 480 volts (for lower voltages you can use this meter, or the EKM-Omnimeter) - you will need 2 CTs

200 Amps - if you want to meter higher amperages you can do this but you will need to use a multiplier on the watts and kWh registers.

Click the link to see a wide variety of our external current transformers.

RS-485 Communications -- 256 meters per string up to 4000 feet long.

All of our meters are non-resettable by design. As part of the requirements for revenue grade metering these meters cannot be reset to zero.

Click the link to see more on the EKM-353EDM-N power meter.

Choosing Your CTs (Current Transformers)

Know your amperage requirements

Measure the outside diameter of your wires -- This is the best way to determine which CT size to use. Going by AWG gauges can be misleading if the manufacturer uses extra thick wire insulation.

Solid Core or Split Core -- Solid Core CTs are less expensive but are a bit more difficult to install, they require that you disconnect the wires being read and slip the CT over the wire.

Split Core CTs are more expensive but they very easily just snap around the wires being read. Even though the Split Core are more expensive you may save money in labor in the install with the Split Core in some cases. These CTs have a built in latch, but is a good idea to secure these CTs with a ziptie to ensure closure.

CTs can be very oversized. It is OK to use small wire passing through a large CT. The CT can be very loose on the wire.

CTs come with wire leads that are 2 meters in length.

Most of our CTs have an output of 26.6 mA at full capacity.

Click the link to see our 200 to 3000 amp current transformers.

Our meters come pre-configured for use with 200 amp CTs, if you are going to use 400 amp CTs or larger you will need to change the CT ratio inside of the meter, this is done over RS-485 with our EKM Dash software. If you do not have the ability to change your CT ratio, let us know before we ship your meter to you that you would like the CT ratio inside your meters altered and we will do it for you.

Please do not run current through your CTs without a meter connected to them. If you must disconnect the meter from the CT, you should short the CT White wire to the CT Black wire until you are able to reinstall your meter.

Choosing Enclosures or Mounts:

We always recommend that you install your meter in an enclosure. If you are to use your own enclosure we recommend that you use a $2 35mm DIN rail piece to mount the attach the meter to the electrical box.

Watertight Enclosure Kit -- This enclosure comes with a DIN Rail Piece it has 4 screws in the corners of the lid. You can read the meter on the face through the transparent lid. If tampering is a concern a seal can be installed by drilling a hole through 1 or more of the corner screws and affixing a seal.

Indoor Enclosure Kit -- This kit allows you to surface mount or flush mount your meter. It is a clean install, the box has threaded knock outs for attaching conduit. The kit comes with a DIN Rail piece for mounting.

Click on the link to see our meter enclosures.

Choosing your Communication Converter:

EKM Push:

Easy Installation, Scalability, Reliability, Read over internet.

If you are looking for any or all of these, go with the EKM Push.

This is by far our most refined option. From 1 EKM Push connected to 1 meter to 10,000 EKM Pushes connected to hundreds of thousands of meters, the EKM Push gateway will get you your meter data where you want it: to your EKM Push account on any connected computer in the world. If you are getting an Omnimeter, we recommend you get an EKM Push too.

Direct Connect:

If you would like to communicate directly with your EKM smart meter with a computer we have 3 options.

You only need 1 converter to connect up to 256 meters on 4000 feet of wire

EKM-iSerial -- Our most highly recommended converter, this converter has many advantages - high reliability, universal access (you can read your meters from any number of computers within your building or over the internet.

Click here: iSerial -- to see more information.

RS-232 to RS-485 Converter -- If you have a PC and have a DB-9 port on your computer. It is very simple, cheap and reliable.

Click here: RS-232 to RS-485 Converter -- to see more information on our product page.

USB to RS-485 -- We have a newly redesigned USB converter that uses a much more powerful FTDI Serial converter chip. This will work with all of our meters including the faster communications of the EKM-Omnimeter.

Click here: USB to RS-485 Converter -- for more information from the product page.

Installation:

High Voltage Wiring:

Always turn the power off before installation -installation should only be performed by a qualified electrician

These meters should be installed in a protected location. Such as a sub panel or electrical enclosure. If you are planning on using your own enclosure, we supply 3” pieces of DIN rail ($2) that make for an easy install. Once your meter is properly wired, you can clip the meter to this DIN rail. We also provide indoor and outdoor meter boxes.

Each meter draws less than 1 watt of power

Our EKM-Omnimeter is just one meter model that can be used to meter a range of metering system types and amperages. Use the diagrams and videos below to demonstrate proper wiring for each electrical system.

120 Volt 2-wire or 230 Volt 2-wire (foreign) EKM-Omnimeter Wiring Diagram and Video:

120/240 Volt 3-wire (2 hots and a neutral) EKM-Omnimeter Wiring Diagram and Video:

3-phase 3-wire (3 hots only) EKM-Omnimeter Wiring Diagram and Video:

3-phase 4-wire (3 hots and a neutral) EKM-Omnimeter Wiring Diagram and Video:

Pulse Counting Electric Meter for Water and Gas:

EKM-Omnimeter Pulse v.4 ––Pulse Input Meter for Remote Metering of Water and Gas install as a 120/240 volt meter

The pulse output wires go to ports 11, 12 and 13 on the meter for the 3 separate pulse inputs, all of the ground wires go to port 14. These wires can be up to 200 feet long.

The relay control wires go to ports 18 and 19 on the meter for the 2 separate relay inputs, all of the ground wires go to port 17.

Water and Gas Meter plumbing installation is a simple matter of inline plumbing for a qualified plumber.

Click on the link for more information on the EKM-Omnimeter Pulse v.4 Pulse Counting Electric Meter.

Click here: Pulse Output Water Meters -- for more information on the product page.

Click here: Pulse Output Gas Meters -- for more information on the product page.

Voltage Reference:

The external CT electrical meters need a power connection (voltage reference wire) coming from the main lines you are metering. This can be 16 to 18 AWG stranded copper wire. The meter itself draws less than a watt of power. A 1amp inline fuse is recommended in the hot lines that power the meter. This would be a precaution to protect your meter and the voltage reference wire from spikes that might cause damage.

For the voltage reference, CT wires and communication wires: Make sure when you are connecting this wire to the meter, to first back off the screw all the way then insert the wire then tighten down the screw, sometimes it is hard to notice you have the wire on the wrong side of the terminal clamp.

CT 1 Should be around Line 1 and the meter should also get its Line 1 voltage reference from the Line 1 wire ::: CT 2 Should be around Line 2 and the meter should also get its Line 2 voltage reference from the Line 2 wire ::: CT 3 Should be around Line 3 and the meter should also get its Line 3 voltage reference from the Line 3 wire

Wiring diagrams are laser printed on the body of the meter and are supplied with the spec sheet for each meter. For smart meters the meter number (S/N 000000000000) is laser marked on the face of the meter under the LCD screen.

CT Wires and Electrical wires should be protected from the elements and the sun by using electrical conduit. A meter enclosure is also recommended.

Communications (RS-485) Install:

RS-485 Wire -- We use twisted pair wire, you can find 4 pairs of 24 AWG twisted wire inside of a CAT5 cable. CAT5 is perfect because it is easy to find, comes in 1000 foot rolls, its cheap, and easy to pull the wire for installations. Stranded CAT5 is the best, but solid copper can also be used. Use one of the twisted pairs, then you will have some extra wires to use in the future. RS-485 allows you to daisy chain up to 256 meters together on up to 4000 feet of wire. Use one twisted pair of wire for your RS-485 system. One wire is RS-485 A+ (solid orange) and the other is RS-485 B- (white with orange). Make sure when you are connecting this wire to the meter, to first back off the screw all the way then insert the wire then tighten down the screw, sometimes it is hard to notice you have the wire on the wrong side of the terminal clamp. For very long runs in electrically noisy environments, it will be better to use shielded twisted pair wires. Some installations require a 120 ohm terminating resistor, we have not found this to be important for most installations. In long runs (over 1000 feet) biasing resistors may also be required. 470 ohm biasing resistors help to reduce noise.

For long RS-485 Runs -- You may need to use a terminating resistor and biasing resistors (described above). You should also use low impedance, shielded CAT5 or CAT6 wire for the RS-485 data wire.

Video showing how up to 256 of the communicating smart meters can be connected to one communication converter over RS-485:

Twisted pair wire connections:

iSerial: Connect RS-485 A+ on all meters to T+ on iSerial, Connect RS-485 B- on all meters to T- on iSerial, GND is not necessary.

RS-232 Converter: Connect RS-485 A+ on all meters to A on RS-232 Converter, Connect RS-485 B- on all meters to B on RS-232 Converter

USB Converter: Our new tiny USB Converter works well with all meters, A+ connects to A+ on the meters. B- on the USB converter connects to B- on the meter.

Click on the link for more info on our RS-485 Converters.

485Bee:

Our 485Bee will create a wireless link and replace the wired RS-485 twisted pair link that is normally used. The 485Bee can be located anywhere along the wire. You will need at least 2 of the 485Bees in any system to create the radio link. You can have clusters of meters connected to each 485Bee.

Click here: 485Bee -- for more information on the product page.

EKM-iSerial setup:

Plug an ethernet cable into the iSerial and into your router or LAN. Connect power to your iSerial. Type: 192.168.1.125 into the URL or your web browser (this is the default IP address). This will take you to a page that asks for your User ID and Password. Default User ID: admin Default Password: admin

For EKM-Omnimeter v.3 meters make sure the settings are: RS-485, 9600 baud, 7 data bit, even parity, 1 stop bit

For all other meters (v.2) make sure the settings are: RS-485, 1200 baud, 7 data bit, even parity, 1 stop bit

You can choose to change the default IP address if you choose, be sure to keep track of the new IP address as you will need it to read your meters with the EKM Reader and may need it in the future to access your EKM-iSerial.

Click here: iSerial User Manual -- for more information on the setup and use of the iSerial.

Change the serial settings under the UART menu.

Do not click on “Firmware Update” or “Bootloader Update”! This will make your iSerial unusable and we have no way to restore the iSerial for you. Only do this is you are sure you know what you are doing.

Reading:

Reading on the Face

Click here: Meter LCD Display -- for more information on the meter values that are displayed on the faces of our meters.

EKM Dash Software

Our new user-friendly software allows you to read meters which are connected to your computer, whether it be a PC, Linux box, or a Mac running OS X, and whether the meter is connected directly with one of our USB to RS-485 converters, over a LAN network, or over the internet with the iSerial TCP/IP to Serial Converter. From this application you can, read all of the meter parameters, set meter numbers (addresses), set passwords, reset demand to zero, and, have meter usage logged to a file and have monthly reports e-mailed to individual users or formatted for printing and mailing. This is a direct replacement for our legacy EKM Reader software. It features all of the same functionality and more, in a much more stable and easy to use package.

Try a free 30-day trial. Download your copy with the links below.

EKM Dash For Windows

EKM Dash For Mac

EKM Dash For Linux

This is a completely new software build that is intended to be a direct replacement for our legacy EKM Reader software. The current version is still in development and should be considered a Beta release. We continue to make adustments to increase stability and we plan on adding a lot more features and functionality in the future. As it is still in Beta, we would appreciate any feedback that you can give us on your experience with it. It will work with both our v.2 and v.3 meters. The software is pre-configured to read a few test meters here at EKM Metering. For reading your own meters, just make the appropriate preferences and other configuration changes.

We are relasing our dashboard today as a free 30-day trial. We will add the ability to purchase a user key in the future. This key will give you unlimited use of the unrestricted EKM Dash. After the free 30-day trial is up the software will still be usable but will lose some of its funtionality, like the ability to log data or send emails. The urestricted version provides logging of meter reads to .csv files. It also can generate automatic monthly reports emailed to individual meter users. Once purchased, all updates to the software are free.

The software will work with V.2 and V.3 smart meters. Meter reads give Total kWh, Reverse kWh and Maximum Demand, plus Instantaneous Current, Voltage, Power, Power Factor, as well as 6 months of monthly records stored on board the meter, including 4 Time-of-Use Rates for 4 Daily Time Periods and 6 Seasons.

Setup:

Open the software.

Extract the zipped file an run the software

Adding a meter:

Click Meters > New Meter (this is the meter setup window)

Name your meter: Based off of the meter location or the equipment you are metering. Any name that you will recognize will do.

Select your meter model from the Meter Model Drop Down list.

Enter the meter number in the Meter Number field. You can find your meter number laser etched on the face of your meter right under the LCD screen. For example: S/N 000000010978 You can enter this meter number as 10978.

Change the meter Read Interval from "Paused" to "Every 5 seconds" or a any of the other Intervals available in the drop down list.

Set up Local or Remote.

Setting up Local or Remote:

If you are reading your meters Locally (i.e. with a USB converter or and RS-232 converter) follow the instructions for Local below.

If you are reading your meters Remotely (i.e. with an iSerial using you LAN network or over the internet) follow the instructions for Remote below.

Local:

If you have a PC with a RS-232 DB9 serial port:

Connect your meters (up to 256) to your RS-232 to RS-485 converter, connect the converter to the DB9 serial port on your computer.

In the Local tab of the EKM Dash software select Com Port: COM Port 1

If you have a computer with USB ports and on of our USB converters (do not use other USB converters as they are often times problematic):

Connect your meters (up to 256) to your USB to RS-485 converter, plug the USB converter into the USB port of your computer.

If your computer does not automatically download the USB drivers, download the USB drivers from FTDI found here: http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm

In the Local tab of the EKM Dash software select your USB Com Port. This can be any number from COM 8 to COM 24 or some reference to USB Port.

Click "OK"

Remote:

If you are using an iSerial to read your meters either over your LAN network or over the Internet, please use this section:

Make sure you have the correct settings in your iSerial.

Open a web browser (Firefox is preferred)

Go to this URL to access your iSerial: 192.168.1.125 If your LAN network has a different range you will have to follow the instructions found on the iSerial spec sheet.

Enter User ID: admin

Password: admin

Click on UART

Set the UART Control to:

Baud Rate: default 9600(v.3 meters) or 1200(v.2 meters)

Character bits: 7

Parity Type: Even

Stop Bits: 1

Hardware Flow Control: None

Click "Update"

Set the iSerial IP address and Port. This is best explained on the iSerial spec sheet.

If you are reading your meters over the internet:

You will have to open a port in the firewall of your router.

You will have to get assigned a static IP or use a service like dynDNS to acquire a static name. Instructions for doing this are best found on the iSerial spec sheet.

Do not change any other settings. Do not click Firmware Update or Bootloader Update.

Setting up Remote in the EKM Dash

Click the "Remote" tab

In the Meter Address or iSerial Address field enter the IP address of your iSerial. This can either be the IP address on the LAN network (if you are reading it locally, for example 192.168.1.123), the remote internet public static IP address (for example 144.145.187.30), or your internet name (for example meters.ekmmetering.com)

Enter the Port

Default is 50000