EZReadIt Gold
| Contents | ||
| Click the hyperlinks below to jump to that section. Use the upward pointing arrow at the beginning of each chapter to jump back here. | Revised
3/29/07 |
Chapter 2. Program Installation and Setup
B. View Invoices Tab
C. Scheduled Meter Reading
Appendix A. Software Revision History
Appendix B. Communication Hardware Setup
Appendix C. Third Party Billing
The EZReadIt Gold program is offered free to users to demonstrate how applications can be structured to read the EZ Meter Plus and Plus IO watthour meters. The program may be used as is or the user is free to modify it to meet his specific needs. Anyone with a working knowledge of Microsoft Access and Visual Basic for Applications should be able to follow the program logic and customize it.
The program consists of three modules. The EZReadIt.mdb file is an Access 2000 database and contains all the forms, queries, reports and VBA code. It is linked to the EZMeter.mdb file that contains all the user data. The EZMeter.exe program is the communication module and functions as a stand-alone program with limited functionality or as an ActiveX module that can be used to communicate directly with the meters from third party programs. Details of the interface are in Chapter 5.
The program is capable of handling multiple facilities with multiple meters at each facility. It can be used solely for data collection or it can be used for billing. While the integral billing function prepares invoices for power, water, gas and rent, it does not have any receivables tracking functions. A planned feature will allow the invoices to be exported to Intuit’s QuickBooks program.
Hardware Requirements: Computer with Windows 98, Windows 2000, or Windows XP or later. Hard drive requirement is dependant on how the program is used. The program requires Microsoft Access 2000 or later. A free runtime version is included with the program. Installing the runtime version of Access 2000 may overwrite registry entries and render full copies of Access 97 and earlier as runtime only.
Chapter 2. Program Installation and Setup
A. Initial Installation
Note to Windows 98 users. If you are going to install the program on a Windows 98 machine, you need to install DCOM98 before you install EZReadIt. This is a Microsoft program that is needed for the database functions to operate properly. The program is on the CD-ROM. If you are installing from the internet, you can download the program from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=08b1ac1b-7a11-43e8-b59d-0867f9bdda66&displaylang=en or search for DCOM98 and DOWNLOAD on Google. If you are using Windows 2000 or Windows XP, a newer version of DCOM is included so you should not install DCOM98. There is also a DCOM95, which might allow the program to run under Windows 95, but we have not tried it.
Installation modules are offered on the Davidge Controls web site and on CD-ROM. The files on the web site are available in ZIP format and in self-extracting EXE format. Follow the instructions on the web site or Start.htm file on the CD-ROM (It should start automatically when you put the disk in the drive) to download and install the program and Access runtime if needed. If you want to install the program in a different folder than the one offered by the install program (C:\Program Files\EZReadIt), you will need to redirect the link to that data file. You need the full version of Access to do this. See instructions below.
Once you have installed the program, you can access it by clicking the Start button, then select All Programs then EZReadIt Gold. This folder contains three shortcuts. 1) to this Help file, 2) to the EZRead communication server program and 3) to the EZReadIt Gold database. Click on the EZReadIt Gold shortcut and the program will be launched and the main menu will appear.
Once you have started the program you need to set up at least one facility and at least one meter location before you can do anything useful with the program. If you will be using the billing feature, you should create your rate structure before entering any customers. You can go back and modify it if you need to, but you need to enter the name of the applicable rate when you enter the customer data.
To use a different drive or folder for data. To do this you need the full version of Microsoft Access. The runtime only version will not do it. Start Access. Select File | Open and navigate to the EZReadIt.mdb file. Hold the Shift key down while you click the Open button. The program will open the EZReadIt : Database window. If the EZReadIt program runs, you probably did not hold the Shift key down long enough - start over. Click Tools on the menu bar at the top of the screen. Select Database Utilities, then select Linked Table Manager. (If Linked Table Manager does not show up, check the Access documentation for instructions for installing that add-in.) Check the Always prompt for new location box, click the Select All button, then click OK. Navigate to the new folder and click the EZMeter.mdb file. Click Open. Close all the windows and restart the program. If you are using the program without the automatic meter reading, you can use this technique to place the data file in a folder that will be backed up daily without having to back up the whole program. But if you separate the program and data files, the communication server will not see the remote database and it will not be able to read the meters.
Most software updates involve only the EZREADIT.MDB file. You can simply copy the new copy of this file to your C:\Program Files\EZReadIt folder and you are done. If an upgrade to the MDB file is available on the website, you can use this upgrade method as long as your communication server version is new enough as detailed on the website.
In some cases, the communication server is updated also. In these cases, you must do a complete reinstall. Beginning with version 0.9.0, you no longer have to back up your database to prevent it from being overwritten by the new installation. However, it is still good practice to back up the database periodically and especially before a version upgrade. Some features might have changed the way they work and do something you don't expect.
Chapter 3. Menu & Navigation
The menu screen may have different choices on it depending on whether or not the billing feature has been selected for the active facility. If billing is not selected, you will not see buttons to select customers or rates. Click on one of the buttons to bring up a screen with that feature. The Help button brings up this document. The Quit button ends the program and returns you to Windows.
Most of the screens have a button bar with one to ten buttons. The First-Previous-Next-Last buttons move you through the available records that are in the database. Use the Add New button any time you want to create a new item that is not already there. Click the Add New button and all the fields will clear or load with a default value that you can change if needed. Clicking the Next button when you are already at the last record has the same effect as hitting the Add New button. Click the Save button or one of the navigation buttons when you are finished. The Undo button will cancel any changes you have made to a record and the Delete button will delete the record completely. When you are finished, hit the Menu button to return to the main menu.
The program comes with a sample facility and a few locations for you to look at. It is probably easier to create a new facility and add new locations and other data than to change all the sample data to reflect your facility, but you can do either.
Chapter 4. Facilities
The purpose of the Facilities feature is to set up communication and other parameters for groups of meters. If you have multiple serial ports in your computer and a separate RS-232 Interface (Model 4810) attached to each one, you would set up a separate facility for each port. If you are metering power in several apartment buildings that you call with a telephone modem, you would have a separate facility for each different phone number.
Facility Number. The program will automatically assign a facility number when you add a new record.
Facility Name. You should enter a short descriptive name for each facility that you set up. When you work with meter locations, the locations will be grouped by facility names so it is helpful if the names are easily remembered. If you want to change the name of a facility, click the Change Facility Name button and enter a new name. Do not add a new facility with the different name because all the locations are linked to this facility number.
Vendor Name. The Vendor Name and address will be printed on the invoices as the place where the customer should send payment. You do not need to enter anything here unless you will be using the program to print invoices for your customers
Communication Connection. This tells the program how you will communicate with the meters. Your choices are Direct Connect RS-232, Telephone Modem, or TCP/IP (LAN or internet). See Appendix B for more information on setting up a Telephone Modem.
COM Max Timeout. This is the time the computer will wait for an answer from a meter before it retries or gives up. 500 ms will usually work but you may need to increase it if you are using a radio link or internet connection.
Times try to communicate with meter. This is the number of times the computer will try to communicate before it gives up. Leave it at 3 unless you have a noisy line and a lot of com failures.
COM Port. This is the port number of the RS-232 port or modem that is used for communication with the meters. See Appendix B for instructions on determining the COM port for an internal modem.
Phone Number. Enter the phone number that the modem should dial. A one and area code should be included if needed to complete the call. The field is shared in the database with the IP address so you may see an IP address there if one has been set up before hand. This field only appears if you have selected Telephone Modem as the communication type. If you need a 9 to get an outside line, begin this field with 9 and a comma. The comma will cause a one second pause so the outside line can connect. Be sure to enter the rest of the number just the same as you would if you were to dial it manually with a 1 and/or area code as needed.
Baud Rate. The baud rate for a direct connection is fixed at 1200. For a telephone modem connection, the default baud rate is 9600, but it can be any number 1200 and above. Higher baud rates have better error correction than lower rates so baud rates of 9600 or above are recommended. It is not applicable for a TCP/IP connection.
IP Port. This is the port number in the RS-232 to TCP/IP interface used to communication.
IP Address. This is the IP address of the RS-232 to TCP/IP interface.
Select this Facility for Billing or Data Logging. If you have multiple facilities, you can have the program prepare invoices or do data logging for selected facilities. Check this box if you want this facility to be one of those selected. Some of the reports also let you report on selected facilities.
Normally Online. Check this box if you have a direct RS-232 connection or TCP/IP connection to the meters. If you have a dial up telephone connection or you are just using the program to bill customers because you do not have computer readable meters, leave this empty.
This is the Active Facility. Locations in the active facility are shown when you select Locations from the main menu and all new locations are entered into the active facility. You can choose a different facility on the Locations screen, but this one will be active when you start the program again.
Set This Facility as Active. You will see this button any time another facility is active. Click this button to change the active facility to the one showing on the screen.
Chapter 5. Locations
If you are using the billing feature, a Location is the name of a tenant space that has a meter. In a marina, it would be a slip number. In an apartment building, it would be an apartment number. If you are not using billing, it would describes the function being monitored, perhaps a solar panel inverter or a particular machine in an industrial plant. Keep the name short or it won't show up properly in the drop down boxes.
After you have set up your first facility and made it the active facility, you need to add locations to it. Click the Locations button on the main menu. If there are not any locations, the program should take you to the New Location screen. If you are at the Locations screen, click the Add New button on the button bar in the upper right corner.
You add new meters by filling in the Location and Serial Number fields. For the first one you enter, you should verify the default values of the other fields. They will stay the same for subsequent locations that you enter.
Location. The name of the location as described in Initial Setup above.
Online. If the meters being added on connected at the time they are entered in the database, the program will attempt to read them and fill in the meter type field. If they are not online at the time, the program will wait several seconds while communication is attempted. We suggest that you leave this off unless you are sure communication is working on most meters.
Customer. If you have already entered all your customer data, you can choose a customer at this time. It is generally easier to enter customers from the Customers screen.
Serial Number. The serial number shown on the label of the meter. Do not enter leading zeroes or the hyphen.
Model. This is the model number of the meter as shown on the meter label.
Number of Digits in Counter. This number should match the electro-mechanical counter you are using so the program will roll over from all nines to all zeroes at the same time the counter does.
How many red wheels? This should really be named 'How many decimal places in counter output?'. Standard meters rated at 200 amps or less usually increment the counter every tenth of a kilowatt hour so the right most wheel in the counter is a different color and you would enter a one in this field. California requires the meters to advance every hundredth of a kilowatt hour so there are two different colored wheels on the right side of the counter and you enter a two in this field.
Display Code. This is the terminal on the meter that the display is connected to. For most meters, it is simply DISPL because there is only one display counter. For the two in one meters, select DISP1 or DISP2 as appropriate. If you want to use both parts of the meter for one location (using a Denali in place of a Yosemite for instance), connect one of the wires on the counter to both DISP1 and DISP2 terminals and select BOTH from the drop down box.
Select for reading and billing. The reading and billing functions in the program allow you to read all locations, all selected locations, or a single location. Check this box if you want want this location to be read when it reads all selected locations.
Log all Readings. Check this box if you want all readings to be logged so you can go back and view them later. If this box is not checked, the program keeps the last reading of the meter and discards all previous data.
Firmware Version. This is usually set to B. If your meters have a different version of firmware, enter it here. Do not change this without contacting Customer Support.
IO Capable. Check this box if your meter has three IO ports. If nothing is connected to them, you can leave this unchecked and it will speed up the program because it will not try to read them. If you check this box, it will display three boxes where you can choose which function you want for each of the three ports. Your choices are Input (allows the meter to be connected to a switch to detect tampering with the meter or some other use), Output (allows you to connect a relay to the meter so you can turn lights or appliances on or off), or a pulse input from a gas, water, or other electric meter. If you choose one of the pulse inputs, the program will also you how many pulses are needed for each unit that displays on the meter. For instance the American Meter Company gas meter we sell indicates 100s of cubic feet and puts out 400 pulses for each counter increment. The meter counts each change of state as a pulse so the meter counts two pulses if the input switches from open to closed, then back to open. The Rollover Digits box should have the number of digits in your display (Do not count any digits that indicate tenths or hundredths of units). When this is entered properly, the value in the computer will roll over to all zeros at the same time the counter rolls over to all zeros.
Save. When you have finished entering data for a location, click the Save button. The program will increment the serial number by one and take you to the field to enter a new location name. If you have a lot of meters, this can be a big time saver if you have a list of meters and locations in serial number order.
Undo. If you don't want to exit without saving the last record, click the Undo button before clicking Done.
Done. Click this to return to the main Locations screen. We suggest you use this button when you are finished. If you click the X in the upper right corner of the screen to close it, you will get an error message if you do not have a Location Name and Serial number specified.
The Locations screen is the screen you will use when working with the individual locations. You navigate through the different locations using the left four buttons in the button bar in the top right corner or you use the Location Lookup drop down box in the upper right corner.
Locations Lookup. To change locations, you can either click the button with the down arrow on the right side of the box or click in the box and start typing the name of the location.
Location Name. This field is for information only. You can't change it here.
Facility. The drop down box displays the available facilities. You can use it to change the active facility, but you must use the Facilities screen to change the default active facility (the one that is active when you start the program).
Meters Online. Check this box to establish communication with the meters. If you connect via a modem, this will cause the modem to dial the remote location. It may take a full minute to connect.
Communication Status. This field tells you whether communication has been established or not without reading any meters. If you use a direct serial connection, it tells whether or not the port is open for communication. If you use a dial up modem, it tells if there is communication with the remote modem. If you use TCP/IP, it tells if you have established contact with the remote TCP/IP to RS-232 interface.
Meter Status. This field reports the status of the last attempt to communicate with the meter. Normally it will show OK. It may also show that communication failed and why.
Customer at this Location. This drop down box shows the customer, if any, assigned to this location. You can change customers here, but it is better to do it from the Customer screen because you can enter a starting reading there. If you do it here, the customer's starting meter reading will be the last billed reading for the previous customer. This field will not be visible unless you have selected this facility for billing.
The Meter Data tab displays the latest information about the location. It displays the latest data from the database until you click the Read Meter button which causes the data to be updated. To set a meter simply type the current reading from the meter's display counter into the Last KWH Read box and click the Set button. The program will attempt to set the meter then read it to be sure it got the right value. Check Meter Status on the left of the screen to verify that the meter was set. Retry if necessary.
See the IO Capabilities section if the meter IO ports are enabled.
The Meter Setup tab is pretty much like the New Location screen, with a couple of additions.
Reset Meter. This button clears any internal error messages from the meter. If IO Capable has been checked, it also updates all the IO features.
Who Are You? This button causes one meter that has the test jumper installed to respond with its serial number. You can use this to check a meter if it does not seem to respond, perhaps because the wrong serial number was entered or because the wrong meter board is in the plastic box. It only works if there is only one meter with the test jumper on because all the meters so jumpered will respond at once and nothing will get through. If you have the older version A firmware, you need to connect the three IO ports to COMN to make the Who Are You? function work.
Get Option Byte. The meter has the capability to store a small amount of configuration data for use by the program. It is not currently used for anything.
This tab shows the history of meter readings with the most recent ones on the top.
This tab shows some of the underlying data not very useable by the user, but helpful to a programmer trying to troubleshoot a malfunctioning system. If you call for technical support, you may be asked to read some of this data to the technician. The main part of the tab shows the messages that were sent to the meter and the reply that was received, if any. The left hand column in the name of the message. 1R is the last request sent by the computer. 1A is the response. 2R is the previous response and so on. The data of greatest interest to the user is the number of times communication was attempted before a good answer was received. This is the first number after one of the R (as in 1R, 2R etc.). If the number is 1, you have a good connection with little or noise. If it is greater than 1, you may have a problem with your wiring. If the meter never replies or replies with a corrupted answer, the number shown should be the number you set in the Facilities setup for the number of times to try to communicate with the meter. The number of lines with data will vary depending on how your system is setup. The entire screen is cleared and redrawn each time you click one of the buttons on the locations screen that cause communication with the meter.
Meters with IO capabilities can be used for 1) monitoring a switch position, 2) activating a relay, or 3) counting pulses from a water meter, gas meter, door switch or any other type of switch closure. There are three ports and each port may be used independently. If you have a dual, 2-in-1 meter, one, or two ports can be assigned to one location and the remaining port(s) assigned to the second location.
You use the Meter Setup tab to configure the IO capabilities. If you check the IO Capable box, you will see three columns with IO Port #1, IO Port #2, and IO Port #3 headings. These correspond to the terminals on the meter with the same IO numbers. Under each heading, is a dropdown box that contains the different functions possible for each port. If you choose one of the pulse counting functions, you will be presented two more fields to tell the program about the display resolution in the same manner you do for electricity.
After you have selected IO Capable and chosen the functions, the Meter Data tab will display current data about the IO features. Labels identify each port, its function and its current status. For an input, On means the switch is closed. For an output, On means the relay is activated. To change the state of a output, use the drop down box, then click the Set button underneath it. The water, gas and pulse features operate just like the electricity ones do.
Chapter 6. Data Logging and Billing
The Billing screen has two tabs: Billing Action and View Invoices. The View Invoices tab only appears if you select EZReadIt Billing.
This screen changes appearance depending on which billing type is selected.
No Billing. Use this option if you
want to read the meters and log the data but not prepare an invoice for
each location. Select the locations of the meters you want to
read. The bottom choice reads the meters at locations where you have
checked the 'This Location Selected for Reading' box in the Meter
Setup tab of the Locations screen. At this point you can click
the 'Read Selected Meters Once' button or you can enter the number of
seconds between the start of each read cycle. If you enter one or any
number less than the time it takes to read all the meters, the readings
will be taken continuously. Click the 'Start Data Logging' button
when you are ready. The meters will be read at the requested
interval until you quit the program. When you restart the
program, you have to manually start the data logging again.
EZReadIt Billing. Select the locations for the meters you want to prepare a bill for or those you want to read the meters and log as above.
If you check the Read Meters box, the program will read the meters immediately before preparing invoices. We suggest you read the meters first, print a report of meter reading sorted by date and correct any problems you may have with meters that did not read properly.
Check the 'Mark meters as billed when creating invoice data' button so that the next billing cycle will begin with the current reading as the Last Billed reading (see the Meter Data tab on the Locations screen). If you want to experiment printing invoices and be able to reprint them, leave this box unchecked. If you mess it up, you can edit the value in Last Billed in the Locations screen.
Select the Print Option. 'Print Later' allows you to print the invoices from the Reports menu. 'Print while Reading' will print the invoice right after the meter has been read. Do not use this option if any of your tenants rent more than one location or they will get a separate invoice for each location. 'Print after Reading' will have cause all the invoices to be printed after they have been calculated. If you have not checked the 'Read meters before billing' box, the program will behave the same way after the invoices have been calculated (ie, the legend should say "Print while calculating invoices' instead of 'Print while reading.')
Click the 'Prepare Invoices' button when ready to proceed. If you click the 'Start Data Logging' button, the program will perform the same function as described above under 'No Billing.
Invoices will not print for vacant Locations. Be sure a customer is assigned to the Location before printing an invoice. You can assign a house account to track power used by vacant Locations and common areas if desired. You can edit your company name as it appears on the invoice in the Facility setup screen.
Third Party Billing. This option creates a comma delimited text file (.csv) that can be imported into other programs with the current meter readings. See Appendix C for details.
Future Enhancements. A QuickBooks interface will appear in a future release of the program.
The View Invoices tab still has some unresolved issues. We suggest you use the Reports Menu to view invoices.
C. Scheduled Meter Reading.
If you do not want to leave Access and the EZReadIt Gold program
running all the time, you can the EZLog.exe program that will read
selected meters and log the data every time you click it. You can also
put it into Windows Scheduler and have it read the meters on whatever
schedule you choose. Run the program from the Start Menu and
click the
Help button for an explaination of how to configure the program to read
the meters you want. If you want to use any of the command line
options, you will need to (1) type in the options you need every time
you run the program from the Start | Run... option, (2) create a
desktop shortcut to the EZLog program then edit the properties to add
the command line options, or (3) put the program in Windows
Scheduler
so it will run on whatever schedule you choose.
To add the program to Windows Scheduler, click Start | All Programs | Accessories | System Tools | Scheduled Tasks. The program will ask you what program you want Windows to run. Navigate to the folder wheou installedf EZReadIt and choose the EZLog program. Now the meters will be read every day at 7:00am or whenever else you have chosen. You may need to add a password for the username you use when you start Windows. The Scheduler seems to require it.
Chapter 7. Reports Menu
Select the Report you want first, then select the items you want to include in the report and the sort order. Finally select either the Screen or Print button to generate the report. If you choose screen, you can choose to print the report either by hitting Ctrl-P or selecting File|Print from the Access menu.
Not all the possible menu selections have a report to go with them. If the 'Screen' and 'Print' buttons are grayed out, there is no report available. Some of the Include and Sort options are also grayed out if they are not applicable to the selected report.
Chapter 8. Customers
Most of the fields on the Customer screen are self explanatory. The exceptions are:
Rate Group. Choose the rate group that was set up earlier that will apply to this customer. If a customer will have two different rates for different spaces, you will have to put the customer in twice with slight variations in name to distinguish them.
Selected. Check this box if you want this customer to be included in reports for Selected customers.
Name of other charge. This is the name that will appear on the customer's invoice for an unmetered charge such as rent. Put the amount of the charge in the field below.
Look up customer. This drop down box contains the names of all the customers sorted in order selected in the Sort Order box immediately below. If you sort by Company Name or Phone Number, the drop down box may appear to be empty. Scroll down because it is probably populated with several records that do not have company names or phone numbers entered.
Sort Order. Select the field that you would like the list of customers sorted by. This applies to the Look up customer drop down box and to the First, Previous, Next, Last navigation buttons at the bottom of the screen.
Billing Start Entry. Select how you would like billing to start. Your choices are 1) Online reading meaning that as soon as you assign a location to this customer, the computer will read the meter and that value will be the starting value for future billing; 2) Manual Reading in which the computer will ask you to put in the value; and 3) Don't Set Now will allow you to set the value later from the Meter Data tab of the Locations screen.
Add Meter Location. Click this button and you will be asked to choose one of the vacant locations. If the location you want is not visible, it probably means the location is still assigned to the previous customer. Navigate to that customer, vacate the location and return to add the location to the new customer.
Remove a Meter Location. Use this button to vacate a customer from a location. If the customer has used power that he has not been charged for, the program will ask if you want to continue vacating the location or create an invoice. If the customer has several locations shown in the grid, you must click on one of them to highlight it in black before you click the Remove button.
Vacant Customer. The Vacant customer is a placeholder for locations that are not assigned to another customer. Assigning a location to a customer removes that location from Vacant. Vacating a location from a customer assigns that location to Vacant.
Chapter 9. Rates
Utility rates can be terribly confusing. There are endless possibilities of how rates can be structured. This program tries to accommodate most of them, but there is no support for rates that have a demand feature (if your maximum usage during any given period goes over a certain level, you pay more) or rates that vary by time of day (usually lower rates at night). The meters are capable of supporting a program like that, but this is not the program.
This program is set up so that the user can define different rate groups. A rate group has the rates for electricity, water, gas and room for one other metered item. You may only have one rate for everyone or you may have separate rates for different customers, partners, employees, charities, etc.
Unless you want to modify the demo rates, begin by clicking the Add New button in the button bar at the bottom of the screen. Type a name in the Rate Group field and click anywhere outside that box to create the group. There are four meter type available: KWH, Water, Gas and Pulse. After you set up the KWH rates, you can click the Meter Type drop down box to enter the rates for the other utilities if you will be using them.
Fixed Charge. This is a fixed charge that applies in addition to charges for power or other metered substance. It is frequently called a service fee or meter reading fee.
Minimum charge. If a customer does not use much power, this is the minimum charge that will apply. It usually includes a meter reading and processing fee.
Maximum charge. This is the maximum a customer would be charged, no matter how much power is used. It applies only if an amount above zero is entered.
Unit Range and Price per Unit. This grid allows you to enter up to six tiered charges for power. Enter the number of units (kwh for electricity) from zero to the top of the first tier in the top field and the appropriate unit charge in the field to its right. Do the same for each additional tier. When you get to the last tier, fill in the rest of the right hand rate column with the amount for the maximum rate.
Tax rates. You can enter two separate tax types (sales tax, utility tax, etc.) Fill in the name of the tax in the Tax Type fields and enter the applicable tax rate in the columns below the name. If one of the taxes is on the amount of the sale plus the other tax, you have to calculate the combined tax rate and enter it. For instance, if there is a utility tax of 10% and a sales tax of 7 % on the amount charged for power plus the utility tax, you would enter 10% for the utility tax and 7.7% (1.10 times.07) for the sales tax rate.
Chapter 10. File Maintenance
Delete Log File Entries. This choice allows you to delete unwanted meter reading log entries. You can choose to delete all the entries, all the entries for a specified Facility, or the entries for only one Location. You can also specify a date. Only entries before the date entered will be deleted. After you delete log entries, you will not be able to view them again, either on the screen or in reports unless you restore a backup made prior to the deletion. See below about Compact the Database.
Delete Invoices. This choice allows you to delete old invoices, either all or those for a specific customer. Like the Log File Deletion, you can also specify a date and only invoices dated before that will be deleted. See below about Compact the Database.
Backup the Database. The EZReadIt Gold program consists of two Microsoft Access databases: The EZReadIt.mdb file contains the program and the EZMeter.mdb file contains all the data you have entered and all the meter reading data. It is this file that will be backed up when you use this feature. The default folder to hold the backed up database file is the \Backup folder under the folder where you installed the program. You can also specify another drive and/or folder. If the folder does not exist, it will ask you if it should create it. If you say No, the backup will be aborted. If you say Yes, the program will try to create the folder. If it fails, it is probably because you entered a non-existent drive or you violated Microsoft's folder naming conventions.
Note. The program uses a VBScript function to copy the file and some anti-virus programs may warn you that it is a potentially malicious script. You should allow the script to run to continue the backup process. If you choose not to let it run, you may do a manual backup of the EZMeter.mdb file using Windows Explorer or My Computer.
The backup file will be named with the date followed by "EZMeter.mdb" so it will look line 080904EZMeter.mdb where 08 is the month, 09 is the day, and 04 is the year. The backup file will have the same system date as the original file.
Restore the Database. There is no Restore feature in the program. Use Windows Explorer or My Computer to rename the backup file to EZMeter.mdb and copy that file to the folder where the program is installed, overwriting the existing file.
Compact the Database. When Access deletes an entry, it simply marks that entry as not available. When you compact the database, all the deleted entries are permanently removed, the database is made smaller, and it may run faster depending on how many entries have been deleted. Access will close all the files for this procedure and the program will restart when it has completed.
Update the Database. If you are running a version of the program prior to 0.5.3, you should run this program once to update your data to the new format. Running it a second time will not hurt your data.
Chapter 11. Technical Support
Free technical support is available to registered owners of EZ Meter Plus and EZ Meter Plus IO meters. Call (805) 688-9696 between 8:00AM and 5:00PM Pacific time, Monday through Friday excluding major holidays. For other users, support is available for $40.00 per incident charged to your MasterCard or Visa.
Appendix A. Software Revision History
Rev 0.6.3 Added new feature that allows all meters to be read by clicking an icon on the descktop or on a regular schedule using Microsoft Scheduler. 3-29-07
Rev 0.6.2 Added support for modems that are unable to establish communication. Communication Server updated. Bugs fixed in adding multiple facilities. 12-18-06
Rev 0.6.1 Fixed bug that affected Firmware Version A meters when reading meters before preparing invoices. 8-1-06
Rev 0.6.0 Changed install procedure so it does not overwrite the EZMeter.mdb database when a new version of the EZReadIt program is installed. 4-20-06
Rev 0.5.9 Implemented the Third Party Billing feature. Improved operation of the automatic meter reading function when water or gas meters are involved. Partially implements View Invoices tab on Billing page. Fixed bug in com server that only affected Firmware version A. 4-11-06
Rev 0.5.8 Added report that lists meters that were not read the last time they were automatically read. Implemented automatic telephone modem communications into the program. Added Appendix B to this manual for communications hardware setup. 1-20-06
Rev 0.5.7 Added debugging support to the Locations page, added support for fractional pulses in pulse counting setup. 12-21-05
Rev 0.5.6 Fixed problem with allowed values when changing firmware version. 11-27-05
Rev 0.5.5 Added automatic update of database structure. Added capability to designate meter firmware version in Location setup screens. Fixed minor cosmetic errors. 8-23-05
Rev 0.5.4 Fixed issues with installer on certain versions of Windows. 6-1-05
Rev 0.5.3 Updated EZCom server to correct problem introduced in Rev 0.5.1 that caused Automation Errors when switching from one module to another. Added section in Defaults table to make resolution reporting optional. Fixed problem with locations not assigned to a customer not being included in Current KWH Readings report. All locations not assigned to another customer are assigned to a customer named Vacant. Reading meters when billing now reads pulse meters. Added new report for gas and water meter readings. Corrected minor problem in selecting report items. 3-21-05
Rev 0.5.2 Corrected problem with entering IO functions for new locations. 2-5-05
Rev 0.5.1 Added feature to EZCom server to allow Active-X compliant programs to be able to read meters without entering a Display code. 12-30-04
Rev 0.5.0 Added capability to assign the number of pulses per billable unit for pulse counting systems. This involved changes to both the Access database and the Active-X Communication server. 12-28-04
Rev 0.4.9 Fixed problem with writing log entries when two reading pulses and kwh within the same second. 08-24-04
Rev 0.4.8 Added a File Maintenance section to the Main Menu. See Chapter 10 above for a description of the new features. Fixed several problems with invoices not printing properly. 8-9-04
Rev 0.4.7 Fixed problem that limited the Locations page to the Sample facility only. Multiple facilities are now supported. Eliminated error message that occurred if you click done and there is no serial number or location name. 7-19-04
Rev 0.4.6 Completed fix of problem in last rev. 7-16-04
Rev 0.4.5 Partial fix of problem entering new locations 7-16-04
Rev 0.4.4 Fixed issue with meter not online when entering a new location. Fixed issue that prevented data logging from working properly if user had not first visited the Locations page. Fixed several cosmetic items. 5-5-04
Rev 0.4.3 Fixed major issue with the installer.
Appendix B. Communication Hardware Setup
This Appendix will help you configure your computer and other hardware so that you can communicate with the Model 4810 RS-232/Twisted Pair Interface, the gateway to the meters.
If you are using a direct connection or telephone modem (not ethernet or TCP/IP), you must communicate through a serial port and enter the port number in the appropriate place on the Facility Setup page. If you will be using an RS-232 port on the back of your computer, identifying the port is easy because there should be a label next to it. Troubleshooting tip: Serial ports are sometimes installed in computers, but disabled in the BIOS. Push Delete (or whatever it says on the screen) when initially turning on power to the computer to enter the BIOS setup program.
If you only have USB ports or are using a telephone modem, its not quite so easy.
USB Ports. A USB to RS-232 Adapter is required for a direct connection and for setting up a remote modem if you do not have an RS-232 serial port in your computer. We recommend adapters that are built into the connector at the end of the cable. The connector will plug directly into the Model 4810 adapter. A warning!! We have found that these adapters work flawlessly when plugged into a desktop PC, but if they are plugged into a laptop, they will cause the laptop to freeze when it boots up. The solution is to unplug the cable from the USB port before turning on your computer. These adapters are powered by the USB port and they take more power than the laptop can supply when powering up.
If the USB adapter manual does not tell you what the port address will be, click the following icons in order shown (for Windows XP): Start button | Control Panel | System | Hardware tab | Device Manager button | Double click on Ports (COM & LPT). The available ports will be listed. You will probably see something like "USB Serial Port (COM4)" as well as whatever printer ports are part of the computer. In the example, you would enter 4 in the COM Port box on the Facility Setup Page.
Telephone Modems. The easiest way to determine the port assignment for a modem is to click the following icons in order shown (for Windows XP): Start button | Control Panel | System | Hardware tab | Device Manager button | Double click on Modems | Double click on on the modem installed that you plan to use | Click the Modem tab. The Port assignment will be displayed at the top of the page, most likely as one of the following: COM1, COM2, COM3 or COM4. The number of the COM port is what you will enter in the Facility Setup section of EZReadIt.
If you are using an RS-232 port that is built into your computer, use an RS-232 extension cable with 9 pin connectors on each end, one male and one female. We suggest a short cable so you can place the 4810 interface where you can see it from the computer. It make troubleshooting communications problems easier if you can see the LEDs on the front panel.
If you are using a USB adapter cable, just plug it into the 4810 interface.
A new instruction sheet is available for setting up a modem. Click here.
Two modems are required to communicate with remote meters: one in, or attached to, the local PC running the EZReadIt Gold program (the local modem) and one at the site where the meters are located (the remote meter). Each one must be set up correctly or communication will not be possible.
Most PCs already have a telephone modem installed. Most are fax modems. If you are running software to receive faxes, you will have to disable it to communicate with your meters.
The Facility Setup screen will require that you fill in the COM port number (just the digit) and the Baud rate. See the section above for determining the COM port. The baud will default to 9600, but can be anything 1200 or above. The higher speeds have better error correction than the lower speeds and are more reliable.
Other Parameters. If you have the full version of Access, there are two parameters in the Facility table of the EZMeter.mbd database that you can manually change if needed. The default time for the modem to dial and connect to the remote modem is 60 seconds. This field, ConnectTime, can be increased if the meter appears to dial, but not connect.
When the connection is made, the modem will usually report CONNECT to the program. If your modem replies with something else, you can enter it in the ResultCode field. If the ResultCode field is left blank, the program will wait the entire ConnectTime number of seconds, then assume the connection was made. Sometimes the result code will be reported as a number. You may be able to force the modem to report CONNECT instead of a number by entering ATV1 in the InitString field. Other modem initialization commands can also be entered here. Consult your modem manual as necessary.
You can see what result codes are reported by using the HyperTerminal program that comes with Windows (Start | Accessories | Communications | HyperTerminal). Create a new connection using the COM port you created above. If you create a connection using the named modem, it will connect without showing the result codes. Type AT then hit the Enter key and the modem should reply AT. Type ATDT followed by the phone number and the Enter key. The modem should connect to the remote modem and the result code will display on the screen.
Not every modem can be connected to the meters. It must be capable of communicating at 1200 baud out its serial port to the Model 4810 RS-232/Twisted Pair Interface. Old 1200 baud modems from the early 1980s will work, but only for local calls because they do not have adequate error correction for reliable long distance calling. The better solution is a modem like the MultiTech MT3334ZDX modem that can be set to communicate between modems at high speed and with the meters at low speed. It has an internal buffer that allows it to work reliably without loosing data. The instructions that follow are for setting up this modem.
When you take the modem out of the box, it is not set up to answer calls and communicate with the meters. You must connect it to a PC in the same manner as described above for a direct connect to the 4810 RS-232/Twisted Pair Interface.
Once it is connected and turned on, start the HyperTerminal program as described in the previous section and create a new connection to the COM port you connected it to. Type AT and hit the Enter key; the modem should reply OK. That is your signal that the modem is properly connected. Now type the following line and hit Enter when finished. (All the 0 characters are zeroes, not ohs):
ATL0$SB1200&D0S0=1&W
You should get an OK back after you hit Enter. Note: The code above sets the modem speaker to low volume. If you would like to turn off the speaker instead, enter M0 instead of L0 after the AT.
A null modem cable with male connectors is required to connect the remote modem to the 4810 Interface module. You can probably buy the cable from the same place you buy the modem. Many computer stores also sell null modem cables.
We suggest you test the remote modem with it installed near the PC running EZReadIt Gold. This can be at the site where the meters are if you have an extra phone line there or it can be in your office with just one meter connected to it. The idea is to establish the communication links while both units are together so any problems can be solved easier. One suggestion is to make use a direct connection of the PC to the 4810 interface before installing the modems. That way you will know you have the software set up properly for the meter locations.
Appendix C. Third Party Billing
1. Overview of Third party Billing
Clicking the Write Text File for Remote Billing button will cause the program to write a fixed column, comma delimited file to the folder in which the program resides. The checkboxes and Select radio buttons all work as described in Chapter 6. The program will read the Locations data table and use the watthour data from it. This feature does not support pulse meters (water or gas).
2. File Naming and Structure
The text file generated will be named EZ followed by the date with a .CSV extension. An example would be EZ021307.csv for a file created on February, 13, 2007.
Each line of the text file contains four fields in the following format:
hh:mm,xxxxxxx,wwwww.ww,mo/da/year where
hh = hour (in 24 hour format) when meter reading occurred
mm = minute when meter reading occurred
xxxxxxx = location name (7 characters, spaces pad end if name less than 7 characters)
wwwww.ww = the kilowatt hour reading at the date and time specified
mo = month when meter reading occurred
da = day of month when meter reading occurred
year = year when meter reading occurred
A carriage return and line feed terminate each line.
A sample file might look like:
13:23,101
,10101.10,02/13/2007
13:23,102 ,20202.20,02/13/2007
13:23,103 ,03333.30,02/13/2007
13:23,104 ,12345.60,02/13/2007
13:23,105 ,00557.10,02/13/2007