Which ConnectPort X2e gateway for recording meter data?

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I am trying to understand the difference between these two products:

  1. ConnectPort X2e ZB Wi-Fi (X2E-Z3C-W1-A)

  2. ConnectPort X2e ZigBee SE Router, Ethernet and Wi-Fi (X2E-Z1R-W1-A)

I am trying to record my electric usage directly from the meter. My plan is to get started by trying a Cloud app like Smartlee or Bidgely or Device Cloud by Etherios. After getting that working, I would like to keep the data onsite and collect it using a local computer.

It seems that both devices have the same Smart Energy Profile v1.1 so they should be compatible with my meter. I understand that these devices should connect to my Wifi (WPA2 security).

Is the first product more flexible for my application?

How difficult it is to directly record the data (minute-by-minute electricity consumption at high resolution)?

Thanks

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X2E-Z3C-W1-A - ConnectPort X2e gateway with standard ZigBee stack on it

X2E-Z1R-W1-A - ConnectPort X2e for Smart Energy Router gateway with ZigBee Smart Energy Profile 1.1 stack on it

The first Gateway is standard ZigBee, and the second is ZigBee with SEP 1.1 support, so the answer to your question is really going to depend on the Meter you wish to monitor.

My guess is that your Smart Meter is going to be a Smart Energy Coordinator, so the second Gateway is likely the one you’ll want to purchase/use, and the first would be incompatible in its present state.

To address your other questions:

" I understand that these devices should connect to my Wifi (WPA2 security)"

Yes, the Gateways designated with the W1-A designation are Gateways designed for use in North America, which support Wi-Fi (WEP, WPA-PSK, and WPA-EAP are supported).

“Is the first product more flexible for my application?”

First product is likely Not Compatible with your application, due to my suspicion that your Smart Meter is going to be SEP 1.1, and the first Gateway is standard ZigBee (i.e. non SEP 1.1) only.

“It seems that both devices have the same Smart Energy Profile v1.1 so they should be compatible with my meter.”

That is an incorrect understanding. Only our Gateways specified as SE (i.e. for Smart Energy) will work with other SEP 1.1 network devices. This is because Smart Energy Profile has additional requirements above and beyond standard ZigBee, namely in the area of additional security requirements such as Smart Energy Certificate management.

“How difficult it is to directly record the data (minute-by-minute electricity consumption at high resolution)?”

This is relatively easy when considering that the CP-X2e gateways in general (ZB and SE models alike) are tightly integrated for use with the Device Cloud by Etherios platform. All that would be necessary would be to create a reporting configuration on the Gateway, then access whatever data you’re interested in from that Gateway (likely client cluster 0x702, attribs 0x0 and 0x400 on a CP-X2e SE Router gateway provisioned to a Smart Meter’s network), via the Device Cloud. This configuration is quite common, and actively being used for this type of application by other customers currently.

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Thank you michaelt.

I have been asking these questions for a few weeks (Utility Company, Bidgely, Digi Tech Support via telephone) and have not received a clear response.

I believed that I was confused by the specification sheet about the compatibility of the first device with my meter. Here is the text & page:

ZigBee Public Application Profile: ZigBee SEP 1.1 (backwards compatible to 1.0) optional

http://www.digi.com/products/wireless-routers-gateways/gateways/connectportx2ezb#specs

It appears that I misunderstood this to be compatible with SEP 1.1.

I am glad that you confirmed that I can use an offsite Device Cloud to record the meter reading. How difficult would it be to do the same onsite? Is there some sample code that I could modify?

In any case, I plan to purchase the second item for my application.

Thanks.

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Smart Energy gateways are designed to upload data to the Device Cloud by Etherios by default. No sample code is available for implementing an “on-site” alternative. It would be a significant development effort. Your Digi Sales Representative would likely need to be contacted for possible development costs for an alternative cloud.

It is instead recommended that an application is designed to extract the data from the Device Cloud to a local server. Several examples are provided in the Device Cloud Programming Guide:

http://ftp1.digi.com/support/documentation/html/90002008/90002008_M/index.htm

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Thank you.

Since we would like to keep this information local, we will look at other solutions.