Automated Electronic Smart Gas and Water Meters
Gas and Water Meters use positive displacement flow meters to measure the number of times a unit volume of the fluid moves through the meter. Low power is critical, as these meters are generally battery powered. Silicon Labs provides customers with a complete communications and lower power processing solution with the Si10xx family of wireless MCUs.
In the typical gas or water meter, the Si100x/1x performs the metrology function, the actual sensing of the metered fluid, as well as the interface and network management of the wireless protocol. Many gas and water meters also use 3V lithium batteries, the flexible LDO and PMU in the Si10xx family of wireless MCUs provides the lowest active mode and sleep mode currents. This directly translates into longer battery life. Having up to 141 dB of link budget provides the greatest available range, this reduces or eliminates the need for repeaters outside the system or adding additional amplifier components.