Meters
Wireless Mesh network at 918–924 MHz.
Technology
A network that builds itself
The meters communicate by radio and form a Mesh network: each device can relay the others' data.
Messages hop from meter to meter until they reach an Internet-connected gateway. No cellular signal or wiring needed, and every new installation makes the network stronger.
Gateway
Internet uplink over Wi-Fi, LAN or 4G.
Platform
Web-based management with CLOUD AMIAR.
The path of a data point
From the meter to the decision
Telemetry is lightweight: one message every 5 minutes per meter. That's why a single gateway supports up to 1,000 meters.
The meter measures
It samples every 2 seconds and builds the record for each 5-minute interval.
The network carries it
The message hops from meter to meter along the available path to a gateway.
The gateway uploads it
It sends it to the platform over Wi-Fi, LAN or 4G. With a battery, even during a power outage.
CLOUD AMIAR displays it
Readings, alerts and exports. And disconnect commands travel the same path in reverse.
Real-world ranges
How far does each hop reach?
It depends a lot on where each device is installed. These are values measured on the first networks, in Mar del Plata and in rural cooperatives in the province of Buenos Aires.
City center
Meters inside homes and shops, 2 m above the floor.
Along avenues
With the same indoor installation, on more open streets.
From a sixth floor
A device on a rooftop reaches meters installed indoors.
From a 35-story building
To another outdoor device: a few high points cover a large city.
In the countryside, we plan for 6 km per hop
With an external antenna, links of 8, 10, 12 and even 15 km are achieved between a tower gateway and a meter. We prefer to be conservative: the first point at 6 km, the next one another 6 km out, and so on up to links of 40 to 50 km.
In the city, density and redundancy
As installations are added, the network gains alternative paths. If a gateway loses Internet, another takes over all messages immediately and automatically.
Comparison
Why Mesh radio and not another technology
There are three ways to connect a smart meter: over the power line, over cellular or by radio. What sets AMIAR apart is that every meter is also a repeater.
| Technology | How it communicates | Range | Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| PLC | Over the power cable | 80 to 100 m on the best line | Devices must be grouped on the same transformer |
| Cellular (2G, 3G, 4G) | SIM card in every meter | Wherever there is coverage | No signal across much of the countryside; plans and network shutdowns |
| Point-to-point radio (LoRa) | Each meter talks to one antenna | Limited to that antenna's range | Meters don't relay other meters' messages |
| AMIAR Mesh | Every meter relays for the others | Up to 4 km per hop; tens of km over multiple hops | Doesn't depend on cables, SIM cards or cellular coverage |
More stable connections
Multiple paths for every message.
Less field service
Automatic routing, no setup.
No SIM card
No per-meter plans.
No obsolescence
Doesn't depend on cellular networks that get shut down.
In-house technology
The Mesh module
It is the transceiver inside every meter and gateway. Deitres developed it in 2013, in a project funded by the Inter-American Development Bank and implemented by Argentina's Ministry of Science and Technology. The same technology already runs in more than 200,000 homes and businesses with CityMesh, in 12 countries.
- Protocol
- IPv6 · Mesh topology (RPL)
- Setup
- No initial setup required
- Transmit power
- Up to 900 mW (29.5 dBm)
- Sensitivity
- −109 dBm
- Modulation
- OFDM, immune to noise, interference and multipath
- Firmware
- Remote updates
Try it at the most difficult spot on your network
We install a gateway and two meters with external antennas where you've never been able to read remotely.