Abstract: A progressively contacting switch includes a set of contacts connected to an input. The set includes a first sacrificial contact formed of a first metal and a first conducting contact formed of a second metal. The switch further includes a movable set of contacts connected to an output. The movable set includes a second sacrificial contact formed of the first metal and a second conducting contact formed of the second metal. The switch includes an element configurable to connect the movable set of contacts such that the first sacrificial contact connects to the second sacrificial contact at a first time, thereby causing a current to flow from the input to the output, and while the first sacrificial contact remains connected to the second sacrificial contact, the first conducting contact connects with the second conducting contact at a later time.

Abstract: A system can include a server, various application servers, various database servers, and a system database. The application servers can be divided into application server groups that each include an application server. The server receives data from a data source and the data includes a source identifier and a key identifier associated with the data source. The server determines a particular application server group that is associated with the data source based on the source identifier of the data source and transmits the data from the data source to an application server of the application server group. The application server determines a particular database server associated with the application server group and transmits the data to the database server, which determines a particular partition of a system database in which to store the data based on the key identifier of the data source.

Abstract: Certain aspects and features include a system and method for validating fundamental-only power measurements. A meter testing application calculates an expected registration for a meter under test by comparing a fundamental demand indicating an amount of power expected to be delivered by the fundamental component to a known load with a wideband demand indicating an amount of power expected to be delivered by the wideband voltage to the known load. The application further measures, from the meter under test, a measured registration by applying the wideband voltage component and the known load to the meter under test, which is configured to measure power consumption from the fundamental component only. The application calculates based on the expected registration and the measured registration, an error for the meter. When the error is outside a tolerance, the application identifies the meter under test as non-compliant.

Abstract: An arrangement includes an A/D converter and a processing circuit. The A/D converter is configured to generate digital samples of voltage and current waveforms in a polyphase electrical system. The processing circuit is operably coupled to receive the digital samples from the A/D converter. The processing circuit configured is to obtain contemporaneous phase current and voltage samples IA, IB, IC and/or IN, and VA, VB, VC. The processing circuit is further configured to determine source leg current sample values based on three of the current samples of IA, IB, IC, and IN, and also based on a ratio of the impedance on one leg of a center-tapped source transformer secondary winding to another secondary winding of a source transformer. The processing circuit is further configured to determine a VA value based at least in part on the source leg current samples.

Abstract: This disclosure involves neighboring node discovery in a network. For instance, a neighboring node discovery method includes receiving, at a first node, a neighbor solicitation message. The neighbor solicitation message includes an indication that a second node is a low power device and a first scheduled response time. The method also includes transmitting at the scheduled response time, by the first node, a first neighbor advertisement message. The first neighbor advertisement message includes an indication of no availability in a neighbor cache of the first node and a second scheduled respond time. Further, the method includes removing one or more nodes from the neighbor cache, and receiving, at the first node at the second scheduled response time, a second neighbor solicitation message from the second node indicating availability in the neighbor cache. Additionally, the method includes linking the first node and the second node.

Abstract: A demand management module may determine a demand interval that is associated with an electrical utility provider. In addition, the demand management module may determine a threshold amount of electricity received by an electrical meter during the demand interval. In some cases, the demand management module may determine a forecasted consumption during the demand interval, for load devices that receive electricity via the meter. Based on a comparison of the forecasted consumption and the threshold, the demand management module may determine whether to control electrical consumption of one or more of the load devices during the demand interval. For example, the demand management module may issue a command to a load managing device to increase or decrease the consumption of the load device.

Abstract: A radio and advanced metering system. In an example, a multi-device module includes a host device interface configured to connect to a host device. The host device interface includes a communications interface that can send communications to and receive communications from the host device. The multi-device module includes a radio that can to connect to a wireless network and a microcontroller configurable to perform different functions.

Abstract: A method for transmitting unicast messages includes: obtaining, by a first node configured to communicate on a primary time-slotted channel hopping (TSCH) network, a media access control (MAC) address of a second node configured to communicate on the primary TSCH network; determining whether the first node and the second node are also configured to communicate on a secondary TSCH network; and in response to determining that the first node and the second node are also configured to communicate on the secondary TSCH network: offsetting transmission of a unicast message until a second portion of a timeslot for the primary TSCH network; synchronizing to a channel hopping sequence and frequency of the secondary TSCH network for the second node, and transmitting, by the first node, the unicast message to the second node on the secondary TSCH network during the second portion of the timeslot.

Abstract: A tool listening device comprising a transceiver is configured to listen on a radio channel selected from a discovery channel hopping sequence. The tool listening device is configured to identify a preamble, indicating a start of a packet. The tool listening device continues to listen until a packet header is received. The tool listener extracts, from the packet header, a source address, a destination address and a frame type. The tool listening device adds the source address, the destination address, and the frame type to a data structure, and transmits the data structure to an external device, where the data may be visualized. The tool listening device is further configured to select another radio channel from the discovery channel hopping sequence.

Abstract: An adaptive load control system includes: a load monitoring and control device configured to monitor operating conditions of a load connected to an electrical power grid, and transmit load operating condition data; and a head-end load controller configured to: receive the load operating condition data; obtain data from externals sources about external factors that influence the load operating conditions; and generate load control profiles based on the data from external sources that control a duty cycle for the load during a scheduled load control event. The load control profiles include instructions to increase the off time of the duty cycle for the load when the scheduled load control event overlaps a normal off time of the load, and one of the load control profiles is selected based on a comparison of the data from external sources and a forecast of external conditions during the scheduled load control event.

Abstract: A meter assembly includes an meter, a meter collar, and a modular antenna assembly. The meter includes a meter antenna housed within the meter. The meter collar is coupled to the meter and includes a collar connector electrically coupled to the meter antenna through a coaxial cable. The modular antenna assembly includes a modular antenna and a modular antenna connector. In some cases, the modular antenna assembly is detachably mounted to the meter collar, and the modular antenna connector is configured to detachably connect with the collar connector such that the modular antenna is electrically coupled with the meter antenna. In various examples, a gain of the modular antenna is higher than a gain of the meter antenna.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for reconstructing a personal area network (“PAN”) after a failure in a system or network. A method can include detecting, by a node, a power failure in a system. The method can further include storing, by the node, data about a parent node in the system at a time of the power failure. The method can further include detecting, by the node, power restoration in the system and entering a restoration state in response to detecting the power restoration. The method can further include transmitting, by the node and to the parent node, an enhanced beacon request via a particular frequency channel associated with the parent node. The method can also include receiving, by the node, an acknowledgement response from the parent node via the frequency channel and receiving, by the node, an enhanced beacon request from the parent node via the frequency channel.

Abstract: A system may include a dial wheel having a first magnet located at a first orbital position of the dial wheel and a second magnet located at a second orbital position of the dial wheel. A polarity of the first magnet at a surface of the dial wheel is opposite a polarity of the second magnet at the surface of the dial wheel. A sensor board includes a first magnetic sensor for sensing a magnetic field and is configured so that the first and second magnets cause the first magnetic sensor to generate an output pulse for each rotation of the dial wheel. The pulsed output is indicative of a volume of resource consumed.

Abstract: Systems and methods for secure team-based communication on existing wireless mesh networks are disclosed. In an example network with multiple network nods, a headend system designates a first network node and a second network node as a sub-group of nodes, generates a sub-group encryption key that is unique to the sub-group of nodes, and transmits the sub-group encryption key and the sub-group node list and to the first node and the second node. The first node encrypts an application layer message with the sub-group encryption key and sends the message to the second node. The second node decrypts the application layer message with the sub-group encryption key and performs an action based on the message.

Abstract: Systems and methods for managing nodes in mesh networks are provided. A parent node may switch PANs and coordinate the switch with its child nodes. The parent node and its child nodes may maintain timing synchronization information for a current PAN and a new PAN. The parent node and its child nodes may switch to the new PAN using the same switching time.

Abstract: A system can include a server and a device having a power source with a limited life span. The server receives data from the device and identifies a gap in the data from the device that indicates that at least a portion of the data from the device is missing. The server uses a gap reconciliation profile associated with the device to control the server to collect the missing data from the device. The server can generate a signal to request the missing data from the device based on the gap reconciliation profile and transmit the signal to the device to collect the missing data based on the gap reconciliation profile. A parameter of the gap reconciliation profile can be used to control generating or transmitting of the signal, which can preserve the limited life span of the power source of the device.

Abstract: In some aspects, a channel hopping sequence for communication on a mesh network is generated. The hopping sequence may include multiple channels assigned to respective positions in the hopping sequence. In some cases, a first channel is assigned to a first position such that the first channel may transmit communications in a first transmission mode, such as a low-bandwidth transmission mode. In addition, an additional channels adjacent to the first channel is also assigned to the first position such that the combination of the first channel and additional channel may transmit communications in a second transmission mode, such as a high-bandwidth transmission mode. In some cases, a whitelist is determined based on the assigned channels. The whitelist may indicate channels that do not conflict with the assigned channels during transmission of a communication. In addition, channels may be assigned to the hopping sequence based on the whitelist.

Abstract: An electricity meter assembly includes a meter and a module assembly. The meter includes a meter cavity, at least one electrical component within the meter cavity, and a module compartment having a module cavity. The module compartment is within the meter cavity and the meter cavity is isolated from the module cavity. The module assembly includes at least one supplemental board configured to supplement the at least one electrical component. The module assembly is removably positioned within the module cavity such that the module assembly is field-removable, and wherein the module assembly is hot pluggable with the meter.

Abstract: A method for responding to a voice activated request includes receiving a speech input request from a smart speaker requesting energy management data associated with energy consumption at a premises of the smart speaker. The method also includes generating a voice service request including a first query for a first data source. The first query includes a request for the energy management data. Additionally, the method includes communicating the first query to the first data source and receiving a first response to the first query from the first data source. Further, the method includes generating an audible speech output in response to the speech input request based on the first response to the first query and transmitting the audible speech output to the smart speaker. The smart speaker audibly transmits the audible speech output.