A comprehensive smart metering solution it includes the Wireless M-Bus software stack and wireless starter kits. The Wireless M-Bus solution is portable across Silicon Labs' wide array of ARM-based microcontrollers (MCUs) and sub-GHz wireless ICs, and it supports all modes for smart metering in Europe including the popular 169 MHz N modes.
The open Wireless M-Bus protocol provides an easy-to-deploy wireless connectivity solution for smart metering and smart grid applications. Based on the EN13757-4/3 European standards, Wireless M-Bus specifies sub-GHz RF communication between smart utility meters, data concentrators, mobile readout devices and heat cost allocators.
Wireless smart meter applications require long life for battery-powered meters such as water, gas and heat meters and to address this, the Wireless M-Bus protocol requires very little overhead for the small amounts of data used by meters, enabling battery life of up to 15-20 years.
Silicon Labs' Wireless M-Bus platform solution covers all region-specific requirements throughout Europe. The software stack complies with the Wireless M-Bus specification (EN13757-4), the Wireless M-Bus Application Layer (EN13757-3) and the Application Layer of the Open Metering System (OMS) Group. The stack also supports a wide range of modes at 868 MHz and 169 MHz, from the physical layer to the application layer. Supported modes include T1, T2, S1, S1-M, S2, C1, C2, N1 and N2 (a-g), with ultra-fast preamble detection for the N modes without sacrificing RF performance.
The Wireless M-Bus platform solution has been optimised for modularity and scalability, high RF performance, ultra-low power and a small memory footprint (as small as 32 KB flash depending on mode and device type). The software stack provides application programming interface (API)-based access for both application and extended data link layers. The stack also includes an optional serial command interface to enable control of the Wireless M-Bus software from an external host processor. The Wireless M-Bus platform also uses a hardware AES encryption engine to provide security for metering systems.
The Wireless M-Bus solution's modular architecture features an open hardware abstraction layer (HAL), and the Wireless M-Bus software is available in binary/object code format for Silicon Labs' 32-bit EZR32 sub-GHz wireless MCUs, as well as a combination of EZRadioPRO sub-GHz RF transceivers and the entire 32-bit EFM32 Gecko MCU portfolio.
The Wireless M-Bus software package includes a quick start guide, complete API documentation, precompiled libraries (for ARM Cortex-M0+, M3 and M4 cores), and PC tools to configure a meter or collector with a demo application.
