Landis & Gyr Focus AXR-SD Power Meter

[thomastech]

Thank you for sharing your project! I'd like to integrate it with my OpenHabian system to monitor power usage. But for initial testing I installed it on a Win10 Intel desktop.

With SDR# I can see/hear brief data chirps every 17 seconds at 914.889MHz and 915.040MHz (simultaneously). But no data is dumped while in rtlamr.

I've experimented with the msgtype and tried all 5 formats. I also tried centerfreq 915040. No luck so far.

My power meter is a Landis & Gyr Focus AXR-SD, FCC ID OWS-NIC507. After some searching I found the github discussion in closed ticket #55 that explained this meter is not supported if it is using an encrypted communication method. A confirmation would require checking the FCC ID info.

I checked the FCC database and could not find any reference to the communication protocol. Do you mind looking to see if there is hope of adding it as a supported meter? Here's a direct link:
https://fccid.io/OWS-NIC507

• Thomas

[bemasher]

If you'd like to investigate the possibility of adding support, I'll need some signal samples. Take a look at this tool:
https://github.com/bemasher/rtlcap

In particular this section:
https://github.com/bemasher/rtlcap#squelch

5-10 minutes worth of samples at 913.689MHz with 2.4MHz sample rate would be a good place to start. Keep in mind that the squelch level is sample rate dependent.

[thomastech]

Thanks for lending a helping hand!

I couldn't find a compiled Windows compatible version of rltcap (only linux). Do you know if it is available? If not, is there another Windows RTL or SDR# tool that will record the data you need?

In case it helps in any way, I've attached a wav file snippet from SDR# that has two sequential data burst chirps in it. It was captured at 914.8889MHz in DSB radio mode.

SDRSharp_20170421_031254Z_914888900Hz_AF.zip

• Thomas

[bemasher]

You'll need to install the go toolchain at some point to test new decoders with your meter, so you may as well install it now in order to build rtlcap from source.

[thomastech]

I was afraid you were going to say that. Too bad a Windows tool is not available so I can quickly record the samples that would confirm my AXR-SD power meter is a good candidate.

I don't want to disturb my OpenHabian system since it is actively running my home automation. I will purchase & configure another RaspberryPi to do the rtlamr investigation. Hopefully things turn out well and this isn't an unnecessary purchase. Long story short, I'll be back after I have the new RPI to record the sample signals.

• Thomas

[thomastech]

Sorry for delay! Here is the rtlcap file I captured on a new Raspberry Pi 3 Model B that I purchased specifically for this investigation:
rtlcap.zip

My DVB-T tuner had a dipole antenna tuned for 915MHz. The power meter was less than 15 feet away so RF signal strength from my Power meter was quite high. I set the -squelch so that neighboring meters were ignored, or so I believe.

Here are the rtlcap command settings used to capture the data:
sudo ./rtlcap -centerfreq=913.689M -tunergainmode=false -gainbyindex=10 -server 192.168.1.208:1234 -bytes 100000 -squelch=12.0 -o /var/log/rltcap.dat

• Thomas

[bemasher]

That sir is FSK with arbitrary length packets. Not likely a good fit for rtlamr due to some early design decisions that are not easily changed. Support for your meter is not likely to happen unless you can come across some good documentation describing the protocol that I've not been able to find. FSK support is doable, and arbitrary packet length can probably worked around, but if the protocol is encrypted, I'm not interested in adding support for it.

[thomastech]

Understood, thanks for looking at it.

• Thomas

[pidge]

Is it possible this is 802.15.4g? Silver Springs (the radio module supplier) has a press release about the standard. According to this page, 802.15.4g also uses FSK, has a variable packet length, and is used in the right frequency range in the US.

[thomastech]

The FCC docs say that the meter incorporates a 900 MHz frequency hopping i210 Mesh radio and a 2.4GHz 802.15.4 Zigbee Home Area Network (HAN radio).
https://fccid.io/OWS-NIC507/Test-Report/FHSS-portion-of-test-report-1007997

Does @thomastech's information help at all? These meters are quite common in Texas

[thomastech]

@arcooke: This old ticket is officially closed but maybe your fresh post will change that :). I'm still interested in monitoring my AXR-SD Power Meter. Sounds like you have this meter and want to read it too.

My AXR-SD meter has the standard configuration port on it (as noted by the triangle depression in the clear cover). Unfortunately it does not have the optional ANSI C12.18 optical port for reading meter data (round magnetic interface). It lacks a blinking LED too, so no way to monitor watt hours.

I suspect the RF method is the only option to monitor the power consumption data; Too bad this meter is not supported by rtlamr.

• Thomas

[Jaharmi]

I’d also be interested in whatever can be done with the Focus AXR-SD. It’s in use by the utility in my area of Southeastern Pennsylvania.