I have my Flukso V2 ready to go, and have purchased a pair of pulse-output kw/h meters which mount to the DIN rail in my electricity meter box. I have a 100 amp meter for consumption and a separate 32 amp meter for solar generation. These meters are connected in-line with the mains from the relevant breakers.
As my meter box is outside, I'm planning on using my ethernet wiring to carry the pulse feed (+5v) from the Flukso (inside the house) to a custom cable which plugs into the closest Ethernet socket, then to the server rack where that port is patched into the wires directly from the meter box.
What is the maximum distance for a pulse cable over solid core Ethernet wiring, and also would you consider it safe?
You can also use a Power over ethernet solution, and install your meter in the box outside.
http://www.interprojekt.com.pl/adapter-standard-power-supply-devices-p-1...
My watermeter is connected over a 25meter cable, and i have no problems.
Not sure how well the wireless will go, stuck inside a metal meter box....
If you use power over ethernet then you don't need to use wireless, it's data and power over the same cable ...
Ah, sorry I totally misread what you were saying.
I guess I just figure if I'm running cables to the meter box, that cable can be either PoE or it can be the pulse cables. I guess I just didn't really want to leave an open ethernet port in a public area, as my router doesn't support the creation of a DMZ, or VLANs.
But if I run some Cat5e, I'm assuming that I'll be able to safely use it for pulse metering. The wire will run through wall cavities and the roof of the house, probably about 15 metres in length.
The pulse port is in a way compliant to DIN 43864 which defines a current loop for "information transfer"; 15m should be no issue for that kind of wiring; "normal" telephone installation wire that is capable to be fix mounted (under the plaster) should do also in a rougher environment, that is to an external box; Cat5 will also do and it offers the possibility to add three more pulse counters if you dare ;-)
By the way: The +5V you mention are "just" 3.3V and play no role as the switching is against GND - the switch/pulse port, so to say, short-cuts the pulled-up port.
To be very correct: +5V are the microcontroller's Vcc, but those are not available externally; pulse count is against GND towards a pulled-up interrupt port ("on a falling edge"); 3.3V would be externally available from the RS485 port, e.g. to power an optical sensor - but this just on the fringe...