Hi All
I am just curious to know about "automatic meter reading system" because it save a lot of time and cost. Let's suppose I want to design system that give the information of meter reading, power cut, total load used, power disconnect through SMS. This information is being sent and received by concerned energy Provider Company.

Project design :I think All meter should be connected with internet so that we can monitor each meter. so I think I have to connect Raspberry Pi / ESP8266 module with meter. I will prefer esp8266 because of its low cost.Information is being sent and received through sms so I think I need GPS + GSM module

Project = Meter + ESP8266 +( GPS + GSM)

What do you think, Is this enough to implement project. Do I require any other device

Note : I am not going to implement this project practically. I just wanted to improve my project design skills.

 

Well you could start without the requirement of having everything connected to the web.

This country is becoming a hackers wet dream.

Sorry, but that is my only suggestion.

 

If you're in the USA, that meter is the property of the incumbent utility and it is a crime for you to modify it in any way. That's why it has a seal on it. Most meters already have some remote monitoring capability.

 

Note : I am not going to implement this project practically. I just wanted to improve my project design skills.

Designing something on paper is a good start but until you actually implement it you won't whether it will actually work as designed. It is the implementation of the design that will really teach you about that design.

 

If you're in the USA, that meter is the property of the incumbent utility and it is a crime for you to modify it in any way.

I am from India and I don't thinks its crime in india, still here, a person come to note reading of meter. If I make this type of meter then It can be help me to get job in any company. No one give chance to fresher everyone want to hire experience guy.

Designing something on paper is a good start but until you actually implement it you won't whether it will actually work as designed.

Now,I do not have any plans to make it but I would like to make it practically after becoming good in programming. It's very big project I still think I am not very good in programming. That's why I asked only about hardware design. Now I just want to collect information about project.

I have explained what's the hardware device I need for project. Do you think I am missing somethings

 

Why do you need GPS? Every meter used with a utility service has a unique serial number and the utility knows where that meter is installed.

 

Interesting project! There's a few ways this can be achieved, the first thing to consider is: Do you want to read the measurement made by the "Meter" itself or do you want to make a power (kWh) measurement independant of the meter?

If it is the latter, openenergymonitor.org has alot of resources for making a power consumption meter using an Arduino and has it's own Arduino library (this is the easy one). If it is the former then it becomes a little bit more challenging. One method for digital meters is to read how many times the consumption LED "blinks" on the meter. If it is an analog counter variant then you will need something like a raspberry pi to take a photograph of the numbered digits and some OCR image analysis program to read the physical digits like this one

 

Why do you need GPS? Every meter used with a utility service has a unique serial number and the utility knows where that meter is installed.

I have read somewhere that GPS and GSM is necessary to send the message. I still have doubt I think I only need GSM to send message
But I thought that gsm and gps are in the mobile then both will have to use.

. One method for digital meters is to read how many times the consumption LED "blinks" on the meter. If it is an analog counter variant then you will need something like a raspberry pi to take a photograph of the numbered digits and some OCR image analysis program to read the physical digits like this one

I will prefer second method. I am doing some research on it and I will back here

 

I will prefer second method. I am doing some research on it and I will back here

OCR or counting LED "blinks"?

 

OCR or counting LED "blinks"?

counting led blinks

 

----> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_meter_reading