The three LoRa-based smart meters launched are: single-phase meter, prepaid single-phase smart meter, and three-phase smart meters, which meet most of the residents' expectations.
These smart meters are based on ZTE's smart meter product series and comply with IEC 62056-DLMS/COSEM, IEC 62055-STS payment systems, and other smart metering protocols. They support not only LoRa communication technology but also RS485, MBUS, ZigBee, RF-MESH, PLC, GPRS, and other communication methods when the corresponding modules are configured.
LoRa communication technology offers a new solution for last-mile data transmission in smart meter reading systems. The LoRa-based solution has several advantages over traditional data communication solutions, including long-distance communication, flexible and adjustable transmission speed, environmental adaptability, and low power consumption. With these advantages, LoRa communication technology has become the most applicable short-distance communication solution for smart meter reading systems.
ZTE's LoRa-based smart meters can achieve a sensitivity of -136 ± 1 dBm @ 240 bps, and their power levels can be flexibly adjusted to suit different distances and tariffs during data transmission. Forward Error Correction (FEC) and digital spread spectrum technologies are also used in the LoRa digital signal processing, allowing the LoRa communication technology to better adapt to communication environments and have greater anti-interference capabilities. LoRa communication technology also significantly reduces the power consumption of the communication modules: the transmit current is less than 90 mA @ 17 dBm, the receive current is less than 13 mA, and the standby current is less than 0.7 µA.
