New Brultech Energy Monitoring Model (ECM-1240) due in 2009

I'm under the impression, via the documentation, that the ethernet capability does not expose a COM port, but I could be mistaken which is why I'm posting here. It appears the only way to get data via the Ethernet is to utilize their ECMServer application. However, it appears that everyone is writing their own server application. Again, I may be wrong, but it appears that the applications have to be specifically written to communicate with the Ethernet versions. Hopefully somone will be able to clarifiy.
Thanks,
Jesse

So, I have to ask, does anyone have an ethernet version of the 1240 running with any software? So far, it sounds like the people that are writing interfaces to the 1240 are depending on COM port. However, from the documentation, I don't believe there is a COM port when you use the Etherbee or Etherport? So, if you go the network route, is there or will there be any software that will work with it?
Thanks,
Jesse

I don't think that is right. I have an box with Zigbee support but have been using the COM port for all my testing. I asked the question when I bought this version because I knew I wouldn't be using the radio stuff quite yet.
 
The ZigBee adapter shows up as a COM port in the OS. If you have an ethernet version, you could try using software such as HS VSP to use create a virtual COM port, allowing you to use the serial port based software until ethernet is supported. This is assuming the protocol for the ethernet and serial interface are the same.
 
So, I have to ask, does anyone have an ethernet version of the 1240 running with any software? So far, it sounds like the people that are writing interfaces to the 1240 are depending on COM port. However, from the documentation, I don't believe there is a COM port when you use the Etherbee or Etherport? So, if you go the network route, is there or will there be any software that will work with it?
Thanks,
Jesse

I don't think that is right. I have an box with Zigbee support but have been using the COM port for all my testing. I asked the question when I bought this version because I knew I wouldn't be using the radio stuff quite yet.

I have the 1240 hooked up with the EtherBee adapter... The Brultech Server software works fine with it, however you are correct none of the programs people have written will work with it as they are designed for com ports and a direct connection to the 1240...

I don't think that it would be difficult for them to add the network support as once the initial connection is made it is no different than the serial version, but I am guessing that they don't have an EtherBee to test it with.

I have been playing about with a Java application which polls the Brultech server software every second and then writes the data to a rrdtool database and graphs it (I attached one of the graphs below), however I am thinking about re-writing the software to directly receive data from the Brultech to remove one extra step and to allow the packet trigger function to work.

Geoff
 

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Thanks for the info. I wanted to go the EtherBee route also to easily support a second 1240 in the future. At the moment, the options do sound limited, however hopefully that will change in the near future. I looked around on the Brultech web site for any sort of technical information pertaining to the network communication and couldn't find any. I also imagine that one of us might be able to 'share' the data stream via the Internet to one of the program authors, thus they could probably add the functionality without having an EtherBee, just a thought. Plus, it seems like there are three different software packages in the works, so it will be interesting to see how wins out in the end...

So, I have to ask, does anyone have an ethernet version of the 1240 running with any software? So far, it sounds like the people that are writing interfaces to the 1240 are depending on COM port. However, from the documentation, I don't believe there is a COM port when you use the Etherbee or Etherport? So, if you go the network route, is there or will there be any software that will work with it?
Thanks,
Jesse

I don't think that is right. I have an box with Zigbee support but have been using the COM port for all my testing. I asked the question when I bought this version because I knew I wouldn't be using the radio stuff quite yet.

I have the 1240 hooked up with the EtherBee adapter... The Brultech Server software works fine with it, however you are correct none of the programs people have written will work with it as they are designed for com ports and a direct connection to the 1240...

I don't think that it would be difficult for them to add the network support as once the initial connection is made it is no different than the serial version, but I am guessing that they don't have an EtherBee to test it with.

I have been playing about with a Java application which polls the Brultech server software every second and then writes the data to a rrdtool database and graphs it (I attached one of the graphs below), however I am thinking about re-writing the software to directly receive data from the Brultech to remove one extra step and to allow the packet trigger function to work.

Geoff
 
I've got an ECM-1240 with the Zigbee radio and the Zigbee/USB dongle. I've written some code to run on my FreeBSD system to talk to the ECM-1240, and is a server that can accept TCP connections from one or more clients. Each client that opens a connection to the TCP port the server process listens on gets a copy of data transmitted to it. The server process parses the data stream from the ECM-1240, and converts it to a simple, ASCII-based CSV format, at whatever rate it squirts out of the ECM-1240. Additionally, the server process measures the delta between successive measurements and emits an "instantaneous" summary of power being consumed on each channel.

In my application, I have a low-power, small diskless computer running FreeBSD for a variety of home-automation tasks. (It's
a Soekris 5501 - http://www.soekris.com for info.) The "front-end" system is actually "in the cloud" at a colocation facility and will communicate as a client to the server running on the local box at the same location as the ECM-1240.

While I've only got one ECM-1240 at the moment, the messages that spit out to the client each include the serial number and unit number, so supporting multiple monitoring devices could be added in the future.

Just to be clear:
- I have some source code written in C that ought to compile on just about an *BSD-based OS. I don't use Linux, nor have I tried to compile it there, but it ought to go pretty easily. I don't do Windows and have no interest in developing for that platform.

- The code has no user interface of it's own; it's a background server that just listens for client connections that might do clever displays, update databases, etc. It similar to some other code that I've seen that broadcasts data on the local LAN on a UDP port; it's piping in the middle, not an end-user application.

If you dare, you can get an early snapshot of development in progress at compressed tar file here It will only work "out of the box" on FreeBSD systems (you'll need 7.1 or later for the USB driver support for the Zigbee dongle, most anything else if you're using a real serial port). You will need to compile it so it's a long way from an appliance you can just run. There's a README file in the tar file, and please heed the admonishments therein. If you're not using a FreeBSD box and comfortable compiling code, I really can't help you; this is really targeted to code monkeys at this point.

The message parser is based on documentation I asked for and received from Brultech; but I'm not able to redistribute copies of it. Happily, the point of the server process is that you don't have to care; you get a simple list of values and don't need to care how they got created. In fact, extending this framework to include talking to an ECM-1240 via the Etherbee probably won't that difficult, either.

Louis Mamakos


Thanks for the info. I wanted to go the EtherBee route also to easily support a second 1240 in the future. At the moment, the options do sound limited, however hopefully that will change in the near future. I looked around on the Brultech web site for any sort of technical information pertaining to the network communication and couldn't find any. I also imagine that one of us might be able to 'share' the data stream via the Internet to one of the program authors, thus they could probably add the functionality without having an EtherBee, just a thought. Plus, it seems like there are three different software packages in the works, so it will be interesting to see how wins out in the end...

So, I have to ask, does anyone have an ethernet version of the 1240 running with any software? So far, it sounds like the people that are writing interfaces to the 1240 are depending on COM port. However, from the documentation, I don't believe there is a COM port when you use the Etherbee or Etherport? So, if you go the network route, is there or will there be any software that will work with it?
Thanks,
Jesse

I don't think that is right. I have an box with Zigbee support but have been using the COM port for all my testing. I asked the question when I bought this version because I knew I wouldn't be using the radio stuff quite yet.

I have the 1240 hooked up with the EtherBee adapter... The Brultech Server software works fine with it, however you are correct none of the programs people have written will work with it as they are designed for com ports and a direct connection to the 1240...

I don't think that it would be difficult for them to add the network support as once the initial connection is made it is no different than the serial version, but I am guessing that they don't have an EtherBee to test it with.

I have been playing about with a Java application which polls the Brultech server software every second and then writes the data to a rrdtool database and graphs it (I attached one of the graphs below), however I am thinking about re-writing the software to directly receive data from the Brultech to remove one extra step and to allow the packet trigger function to work.

Geoff
 
How did you guys get a 1240 already? The webpage states that it is available soon...

Or did you get one of the Xbee or other options?

I'm looking to get just the RS-232 option.

--Dan

I bought the package that had the RS-232 unit with the Xbee radio built in, but did not get the dongle, etc.

tenholde


Same here, but still waiting on delivery (ordered March 24th), so I'm still singing the theme from "Annie" (Tomorrow, Tomorrow...)

Ha, ha, ha...I know how you feel, it took 13 business days to get my 1240. I emailed inquiring after the first 8 days, recieved a tracking number, and saw that it did not ship out until 4 days after I placed the order.

I also got the unit with the xbee radio built-in. Still couldn't beat the price for anything else similar.
Now "at the border"...

Looks like they must have been waiting for something (CTs?), because the unit wasn't shipped until the 14th. The package just cleared customs, according to the tracking number I received a couple of days ago, after a call to Brueltech. I'm guessing I'll see it here by the first part of next week.

And here I was thinking that Bullwinkle really did have the package, then stopped by Bar on the way, then... :)
 
What options are there for monitoring large sub-loads, like HVAC? The Mini CTs are supposed to be OK for up to 40A, but my HVAC breaker and heat strips breakers are 60A 2 pole. Would I need to use the clamp-on CTs? Can the clamp-on 60A CTs connect to the #1-5 inputs or must it go to the Channel1 or Channel 2 main inputs?
 
Good question Wayne...

I was just going through my circuits in the basement...and I had the same question.

The 40A guys are perfect for most of my loads (15's and 20's). Then there is the occasional 50 and 60 in there.

Does anyone recommend doubling the loop through the 40's to get higher resolution? Or does the 40CT produce enough resolution on a 15A branch?

--Dan
 
Good question Wayne...

I was just going through my circuits in the basement...and I had the same question.

The 40A guys are perfect for most of my loads (15's and 20's). Then there is the occasional 50 and 60 in there.

Does anyone recommend doubling the loop through the 40's to get higher resolution? Or does the 40CT produce enough resolution on a 15A branch?

--Dan


The current transformer 40A rating means that the CT accuracy decreases if you exceed the rated current. Now, if you loop the primary wire more than once, the effective error will decrease due to increased core efficiency at the expense of decreasing the rated current by the same number of times. However, I do not know if you can recalibrate Brultech so that it took into account the increased signal from the CT.
 
What options are there for monitoring large sub-loads, like HVAC? The Mini CTs are supposed to be OK for up to 40A, but my HVAC breaker and heat strips breakers are 60A 2 pole. Would I need to use the clamp-on CTs? Can the clamp-on 60A CTs connect to the #1-5 inputs or must it go to the Channel1 or Channel 2 main inputs?
Wayne, that's exactly my dilemma, OI have a geothermal furnace, which uses a 60A and 100A 2-pole breakers. I would like to group these together on Channel 2 if I can.



I'll run by my though an see if anyone thinks this will work. Since they are both 240V breakers, I believe doubling the current on a single leg will give the total current, so I would like to put a 100A clamp on the 100A breaker (one leg) and one on the 60A breaker and feed to Channel 2 as a dual. I think this will give me 1/2 the Kw of my HVAC.

Will this work?
 
Good question Wayne...

I was just going through my circuits in the basement...and I had the same question.

The 40A guys are perfect for most of my loads (15's and 20's). Then there is the occasional 50 and 60 in there.

Does anyone recommend doubling the loop through the 40's to get higher resolution? Or does the 40CT produce enough resolution on a 15A branch?

--Dan


The current transformer 40A rating means that the CT accuracy decreases if you exceed the rated current. Now, if you loop the primary wire more than once, the effective error will decrease due to increased core efficiency at the expense of decreasing the rated current by the same number of times. However, I do not know if you can recalibrate Brultech so that it took into account the increased signal from the CT.

Gotcha...

So, looks like for 15A circuits, I'll just put the 40A guy on there. As for the larger circuits...I can't imagine running 50A through the 40 is going to be that bad...but I can always supplement with my custom system...

I think I only have 1 50A that I want to watch...Everything else is 30 or below.

--Dan
 
Since they are both 240V breakers, I believe doubling the current on a single leg will give the total current, so I would like to put a 100A clamp on the 100A breaker (one leg) and one on the 60A breaker and feed to Channel 2 as a dual. I think this will give me 1/2 the Kw of my HVAC.

Will this work?

With a typical 240V appliance, power is current*240V. However, when you measure a single 120V voltage channel and the same current twice and then add up the current measurement, it is effectively equivalent to doubling the power/energy anyway ( 2*current*120V). You could have used a single CT and just looped the primary wire twice, but (a) it may not be easy due to the cable thickness, etc (B) the CT needs to be rated at 120 A at least since your load is 60A.
 
Gotcha...

So, looks like for 15A circuits, I'll just put the 40A guy on there. As for the larger circuits...I can't imagine running 50A through the 40 is going to be that bad...but I can always supplement with my custom system...

I think I only have 1 50A that I want to watch...Everything else is 30 or below.

--Dan
The other thing to remember is that just because it has a 50A breaker doesn't mean it draws 50 amps. Also I think code suggests or requires that a circuit not draw more than 80% of rated capacity continuously. So a 50A circuit shouldn't draw more than 40A continuously anyhow.
 
What options are there for monitoring large sub-loads, like HVAC? The Mini CTs are supposed to be OK for up to 40A, but my HVAC breaker and heat strips breakers are 60A 2 pole. Would I need to use the clamp-on CTs? Can the clamp-on 60A CTs connect to the #1-5 inputs or must it go to the Channel1 or Channel 2 main inputs?

The SPLIT-60 CTs will work on CH1 or CH2 only. You can use CH1 to monitor your main panel and CH2 with SPLIT-60s for the 60A load. The MicroCTs are rated for up to 40A. The MicroCT-2 have a 0.35" diameter for the larger 60A conductor and are rated up to 50A, however, this doesn't solve your problem totaly and the ECM-1240 circuit will become inacurate past 84A total (42A for each CT).

As RAM mentioned, chances are that the load will not draw more than 80% of the breaker amperage. You may want to check the nameplate on the HAVC system for an Amp rating. We can set you up with CTs identical in appearance to the SPLIT-60 but with a different winding/burden configuration.

Paul
 
Although the Hardware ECM-1240 wise may be quite good, I can't at least say much for customer service or delivery times (two weeks as of today and no delivery...:)). Not a peep either from an e-mail to customer service as to its whereabouts...

Anybody else have the same experience with delivery times and no response from customer service?

I agree, their shipping isn't the greatest but their product is top notch.

I have been patient for a 4 pack order of micro-CT's I placed on 3/24 and have not seen or heard from yet. Maybe this week?

That's when I placed the order. Perhaps they used "alternative shipping", I'll look for "Bullwinkle with a backpack", hope they didn't use an overstuffed passenger pigeon, the Rednecks would shoot it down ...

mdiehl,

I recieved the extra micro-CT's today from my order on the 24th (post marked 4/3). Did you get your meter?

Not a thing in the mail today, if nothing tomorrow I'll have to call em' Monday.
Odd for this long to get from Ontario to Ohio...

Finally got the 1240 yesterday (20th), not a word on why the delay, but at least everything got here OK. Up and running now via RS-232 comms.
 
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