KR101506212B1 - Performance tester for PLC remote meter reading system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a performance tester for a PLC remote meter-reading system, which generates a tree structure about a network composed of a power line communications (PLC) master modem included in a data concentrator unit (DCU), a plurality of PLC slave modems, and a plurality of power meters, and then individually tests the performance of the PLC master modem, PLC slave modems, and power meters using the tree structure. The present invention enables a user to easily test the performance of at least one PLC slave modem or at least one power meter newly added to a network structure complicatedly composed of a PLC master modem, a plurality of PLC slave modems, and a plurality of power meters. In addition, the present invention enables the user to easily test the performance of a PLC master modem in case the PLC master modem is newly configured in a network composed of a plurality of PLC slave modems and a plurality of power meters. Moreover, the present invention can be easily carried and therefore can be directly connected to a PLC remote meter-reading system through a local network without using an internet communications network, thereby enabling the user to easily and individually test the performance of the PLC master modem, PLC slave modems, and power meters in any network structure.

Description

{Performance tester for PLC remote meter reading system}

The present invention relates to a performance tester for a PLC (Power Line Communication) remote meter reading system, and more particularly, to a power tester for a PLC (Power Line Communication) meter reading system, a PLC master modem (Power Line Communication Master Modem) configured in a Data Concentrator Unit A PLC master meter, a plurality of PLC slave modems, and a PLC remote meter meter for testing the performance of each of a plurality of meters, using a tree structure for a network composed of a plurality of meters, a power line communication slave modem, System.

Conventionally, the PLC remote meter reading system consisted of a data concentrator including a PLC master modem, a plurality of PLC slave modems, and a plurality of meters, and remotely meter each of a plurality of meters through an internet communication network and a server configuration.

When such a PLC remote meter reading system newly develops a PLC master modem, a PLC slave modem, and a meter that are dependent on the remote meter reading performance or newly constructs the existing PLC remote meter reading system, the meter reading message of the corresponding PLC master modem, PLC slave modem, It is necessary to examine the transfer capability and it is necessary to test compatibility with various watt-hour meters because the communication performance of PLC master modem, PLC slave modem, and meter varies according to the watt-hour meter maker / model.

However, in order to test the compatibility of the PLC master modem, PLC slave modem, and meters, it is necessary to install the PLC master modem, PLC slave modem, and meter in the PLC remote meter reading system, There has been a problem in that it is difficult to appropriately configure the test environment such as the construction of the Internet network and the server configuration, and the time and cost are considerably increased.

In addition, there was no performance tester that tested the performance of each of the PLC master modems, multiple PLC slave modems, and multiple meters on a network consisting of a PLC master modem, multiple PLC slave modems, and multiple meters.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a PLC master modem, a plurality of PLC slave modems, PLC slave modems, and multiple meters.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a performance tester for a PLC remote meter reading system includes a PLC master modem configured in a data concentrator and a PLC A first query message for analyzing whether the slave modems are linked to the PLC master modem and receiving a first response message containing one or more of the PLC slave modem link information below the PLC master modem and the one or more PLC slave modem Transmits a second inquiry message for analyzing whether another PLC slave modem is configured under the second PLC slave modem and receives a second response message including answer information indicating whether there is another PLC slave modem or not, The lowest level built under the PLC master modem Tree structure generation unit configured to perform repetition to the slave PLC modem generates a tree structure; In order to collect attribute information such as manufacturer, software version, PLC slave modem type (standard type to which one meter is connected, economic type to which a plurality of meters are connected), PLC master modem, An attribute collecting unit for transmitting a third inquiry message to the PLC slave modem of the PLC master modem, receiving a third response message including answer information on the attributes of the PLC master modem and the plurality of PLC slave modems, ; If a fourth inquiry message is transmitted from the property information to a meter connected to a plurality of PLC slave modems according to the PLC slave modem type through the PLC master modem to the PLC slave modem, the PLC slave modem again transmits the fourth inquiry message The fourth response message including the answer information of the meter ID is transmitted to the PLC slave modem. Accordingly, the meter ID is received through the PLC master modem A meter ID collecting unit for combining and constructing a meter ID in a tree structure in which attributes for each modem are built; A storage unit in which the tree structure generated by the tree structure generation unit is stored and the property information and the meter ID constructed in the meter ID collection unit are combined and stored in the tree structure; And a PLC master modem, a plurality of PLC slave modems, and a plurality of PLC slave modems, each of which is configured to extract a tree structure in which the stored property information and the meter ID are combined, display the selected tree structure on the user interface, A fifth response message including query information for inquiring what is the meter reading information to any one of the meters of the fifth response message, and a fifth response message including answer information about the meter reading information for the plurality of fifth inquiry messages And an application unit for calculating the ratio of the number of times.

As described above, the present invention can easily check the performance of a PLC master modem, a plurality of PLC slave modems, one or more PLC slave modems newly added to a complicated network structure with a plurality of meters, or one or more meters It is easy to check the performance of the PLC master modem when a new PLC master modem is configured on a network composed of a plurality of PLC slave modems and a plurality of meters. It is possible to test the performance of each of PLC master modem, PLC slave modem, and many meters easily in any network structure by directly connecting to a local network without using it.

1 is a block diagram of a performance tester for a PLC remote meter reading system according to an embodiment of the present invention;
2 is an exemplary network diagram for achieving a tree structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 illustrates a first query message and a first response message example for obtaining link information according to an embodiment of the present invention
4 is a diagram illustrating a second query message and a second response message for acquiring information on whether a PLC slave modem is connected under the PLC slave modem according to an embodiment of the present invention
5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a third query message and a third response message for acquiring attribute information of a PLC slave modem according to an embodiment of the present invention
6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a fourth query message and a fourth response message for obtaining a meter ID according to an embodiment of the present invention
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a tree structure displayed in an application according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
8 is a diagram illustrating a fifth query message and a fifth response message for obtaining meter reading information according to an embodiment of the present invention

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention Hereinafter, a configuration and an operation of a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a block diagram of a performance tester for a PLC remote meter-reading system according to the present invention. The performance tester 100 for a PLC remote meter-reading system includes a tree structure generator 110, an attribute collector 120, 130, a storage unit 140, and an application unit 150.

It is also preferable that the log generating unit 160 is further included in the tree structure generating unit 110, the attribute collecting unit 120, the meter ID collecting unit 130, the storage unit 140, and the application unit 150 .

More specifically, the tree structure generation unit 110 generates a tree structure by using any PLC slave modems under the PLC master modem for a network composed of a PLC master modem configured in a data concentrator unit (DCU: Data Concentrator Unit) and a plurality of PLC slave modems Link to the PLC master modem and receives a first response message containing one or more of the PLC slave modem link information under the PLC master modem and transmits a first response message to the PLC master modem under the one or more PLC slave modems A second inquiry message for analyzing whether another PLC slave modem is configured and receiving a second response message including answer information indicating whether or not the other PLC slave modem is present or not and transmitting the second inquiry message to the PLC master modem Repeat until the lowest level PLC slave modem built in the subordinate To generate a tree structure.

2, the tree structure generating unit 110 generates a tree structure by using a network configuration diagram for forming a tree structure. The tree structure generating unit 110 generates a tree structure by using any of the PLC slave modems 1, 2, 3 (201, 211, 212) is linked, the first query message is transmitted to the PLC master modem 200 as shown in (a) of FIG.

At this time, the first inquiry message includes a unique Mac address of the performance tester 100 in the source address and a MAC address (MAC Address) of the PLC master modem in the Destination Address, And includes query information as to whether there is any PLC slave modem 1, 2, 3 (210, 211, 212) under the PLC master modem 200.

Accordingly, the first inquiry message is transmitted to the PLC master modem 200 by the destination address, and the PLC master modem 200 transmits a first response message for the first inquiry message to the performance tester 100 of the present invention. To the tree structure generation unit 110 of FIG.

The first response message includes the MAC address of the PLC master modem 200 at the source address and the MAC address of the performance tester 100 at the destination address as shown in FIG. 200) includes one or more PLC slave modem link information.

When the first response message is transmitted to the tree structure generation unit 110 of the performance tester 100 of the present invention, the tree structure generation unit 110 of the performance tester 100 generates a tree structure And collects information as to whether the slave modems 1, 2, 3 (210, 211, 212) are configured.

Thereafter, in order to analyze whether another PLC slave modem is configured under one or more PLC slave modems 1, 2, 3 (210, 211, 212) configured under the PLC master modem 200, Sends a second query message to one or more PLC slave modems 1, 2, 3 (210, 211, 212) and receives a second response message for the second query message.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2, one or more PLC slave modems 1 and 2 (210 and 211) are connected to PLC slave modems 1 and 2 (210 and 211) The second slave modem 213 is connected to the PLC slave modem 212 under the PLC slave modem 212. At this time, the second response message for the second inquiry message is transmitted to another PLC slave Information indicating that the modem is connected is included and is transmitted to the tree structure generating unit 110.

4, the second inquiry message includes the MAC address of the performance tester at the source address, the MAC address of the PLC slave modem at the destination address, and the MAC address of the PLC slave modem under the PLC slave modem. Contains query information that queries whether there is a modem.

The second response message to the second inquiry message includes the MAC address of the PLC slave modem at the source address and the MAC address of the performance tester at the destination address as shown in FIG. 4 (b) Includes the reply information indicating whether or not there is another PLC slave modem.

On the other hand, if there is another PLC slave modem in the answer information of the second response message, the second inquiry message is transmitted to another PLC slave modem in the same manner as the second inquiry message is transmitted to the PLC slave modem, Transmits a query message such as the second query message to the PLC slave modem, and receives a response message such as the second response message.

Such a method is repeatedly performed until the PLC slave modem 210 configured at the bottom of the PLC master modem 200 as well as the PLC slave modem at the lowermost stage.

As a result, the tree structure generation unit 110 continuously repeats the above method and constructs a tree structure by analyzing the PLC slave modem to the lowest level.

The attribute collecting unit 120 collects attribute information such as a manufacturer, a software version, a PLC slave modem type (a standard type to which one meter is connected, and an economic type to which a plurality of meters are connected) for each of the PLC master modem and the plurality of PLC slave modems A third inquiry message is transmitted to the PLC master modem and the plurality of PLC slave modems in order to receive the third response message including the response information about the attributes of the PLC master modem and the plurality of PLC slave modems, Lt; / RTI >

That is, since each of the PLC master modem and the plurality of PLC slave modems is manufactured differently and the software version is different and the modem type is different, various attributes are produced differently. Therefore, the PLC master modem, The PLC slave modem is collected to classify the performance test results by the manufacturer, the software version, and the modem type when the performance test is completed.

The attribute collecting unit 120 transmits a third inquiry message to a PLC master modem, a plurality of PLC slave modems, and a third response message to the third inquiry message, It is received from the PLC slave modem.

At this time, the property information of the PLC master modem or the collection of the property information of the PLC slave modem is collected by the same or similar method, so that it is explained only by the PLC slave modem.

The third inquiry message includes the MAC address of the performance tester at the source address, the MAC address of the PLC slave modem at the destination address, and the attributes of the PLC slave modem as shown in FIG. 5 (a) And includes query information.

The third response message includes the MAC address of the PLC slave modem at the source address, the MAC address of the performance tester at the destination address, and the response information of the property of the PLC slave modem at the source address as shown in FIG. 5 (b) .

The attribute collecting unit 120 collects the attribute information of the PLC master modem and the plurality of PLC slave modems and combines the collected attribute information into the tree structure to form a tree structure in which the attribute information is displayed .

The meter ID collecting unit 130 transmits a fourth inquiry message to a meter connected to a plurality of PLC slave modems according to the PLC slave modem type from the property information to the PLC slave modem through the PLC master modem, The modem transmits the fourth inquiry message to the meter connected to the lower part, and thus generates the fourth response message including the answer information of the meter ID for the fourth inquiry message, generates the fourth response message to the PLC slave modem Upon receiving the meter ID, it receives the meter ID through the PLC master modem and constructs it by combining the meter ID with the tree structure in which the attributes for each modem are built.

The above PLC slave modem is operated by the same or similar method and action in both the standard type and the economic type, so that only the standard type in which only one meter is connected is described.

When the meter ID collecting unit 130 transmits the fourth inquiry message to the PLC slave modem through the PLC master modem, the PLC slave modem transmits the fourth inquiry message to the meter connected to the lower side of the PLC slave modem, The meter that generated the fourth response message transmits the generated fourth response message to the PLC slave modem, and the meter ID is collected through the PLC master modem.

In this case, the fourth inquiry message includes a MAC address of the performance tester at the source address and a MAC address of the PLC slave modem at the destination address as shown in (a) of FIG. 6, Information.

The fourth response message includes the MAC address of the PLC slave modem at the source address, the MAC address of the performance tester at the destination address, and the response information of the meter ID, as shown in (b) of FIG.

Therefore, when attributes are constructed for each modem in the tree structure by the tree structure generating unit 110 and the attribute collecting unit 120, the meter ID collecting unit 130 adds the attributes of the respective modems to the tree structure, ID is constructed.

The storage unit 140 stores a tree structure in which the tree structure generated by the tree structure generation unit 110 is stored and the attribute information and the meter ID constructed in the meter ID collection unit are combined.

The reason why the tree structure generated by the tree structure generation unit 110 is stored is that when the PLC master modem is replaced or a new PLC slave modem is added or removed or replaced, the tree structure is changed. It is necessary to store the reference tree structure.

Therefore, when the PLC master modem is replaced or a new PLC slave modem is added or removed or replaced, the storage unit 140 is newly updated and stored.

The tree structure in which the attribute information and the meter ID stored in the storage unit 140 are combined is stored in the application unit 150 to test the performance of the PLC master modem, the PLC slave modem, and the meter.

That is, the tree structure is displayed as shown in FIG. 7, the attribute information of the PLC master modem is displayed in FIG. 7A, the attribute information of the PLC slave modem is shown in FIG. 7B, The property information of the meter is displayed.

In addition, since the attribute information and the tree structure are displayed together, the manager can easily determine which meter is connected to which PLC slave modem.

The application unit 150 extracts a tree structure in which the stored property information and the meter ID are combined and displays the extracted tree structure on a user interface. The application unit 150 includes a PLC master modem that forms a tree structure in which property information displayed on the user interface, A plurality of fifth inquiry messages including inquiry information inquiring the inquiry information to any one of the plurality of meters, and response information about the inquiry information for the plurality of fifth inquiry messages The number of times of the fifth response message.

7, when the PLC master modem, the plurality of PLC slave modems, and the plurality of meters are displayed on the user interface, the application unit 150 selects and selects, on the user interface, The number of fifth query messages is transmitted at the same time, and the number of fifth response messages for the fifth query message is received.

In this case, the ratio means success rate, and the success rate is a criterion for judging whether the performance of the PLC master modem, the PLC slave modem or the meter is good or bad.

In particular, the query signal and the response signal are for calculating the ratio only through transmission and reception of signals irrespective of the information of the fifth query message and the information of the fifth response message. As a result, Message and the response signal corresponds to the fifth response message.
More specifically, the inquiry signal is a fifth inquiry message as shown in (a) of FIG. 8, and the fifth inquiry message includes the MAC address of the performance tester at the source address and the MAC address of the PLC slave modem at the destination address And transmits the information to the meter connected to the lower level to include inquiry information inquiring what meter reading information is.

8, and the fifth response message includes the MAC address of the PLC slave modem at the source address and the MAC address of the performance tester is included in the destination address. And includes answer information on meter reading information of the meter.

The meter reading information includes time information indicating meter reading and cumulative usage amount of meter.

Therefore, the meter reading information can be obtained by the fifth and fifth response messages, and the number of responses can be calculated and the performance can be tested.

For example, in the case of meter reading information, when a query message is transmitted to the PLC slave modem 10 times at the performance tester at a predetermined time in response to the response message related to the meter reading information, but the response message is received 8 times in the performance tester in the PLC slave modem And to check the performance of the performance tester by displaying it as a ratio.

In addition, the application unit 150 excludes the response signal (i.e., the fifth response message) from the number of responses when modulation or error occurs.

For example, if the response signal is a fifth response message as shown in (b) of FIG. 8, it is not a correct fifth response message that the fifth response message is modulated and received. Multiple PLC slave modems, and multiple meter performance.

Also, if there is an error in the fifth response message shown in (b) of FIG. 8, the PLC master modem, the plurality of PLC slave modems, and the performance of a plurality of meters can be determined by excluding the error from the number of responses.

The plurality of response signals (that is, a plurality of fifth response messages) are sequentially transmitted when the order of the plurality of response signals (that is, a plurality of fifth response messages) is sequentially received, If the same response signal (i.e., the fifth response message) is transmitted more than once, a plurality of response signals should be received in a predetermined format, and if the format type is changed, the plurality of response signals Response message) is judged as an error through CRC (Cyclical Redundancy Check), it is judged as an error and excluded from the number of responses.

For example, when the plurality of response signals (that is, a plurality of fifth response messages) are sequentially received and the order thereof is changed, for example, the plurality of different response signals are assumed to be response messages, A response message, a response message, and a response message should be sequentially transmitted. However, if the sequence is transmitted in the order of, for example, a b response message, a c response message, a d response message, and a response message,

When the same response signal (fifth response message) is transmitted twice or more, it is assumed that the plurality of response signals are a response message. For example, a response message, a b response message, a c response message, and a d response message should be sequentially transmitted, but if they are transmitted as a response message, b response message, b response message, c response message, and d response message, .

When a plurality of response signals (i.e., a plurality of fifth response messages) are received in a predetermined format, and the format type is changed, the plurality of response signals are assumed to be response messages. For example, There is a format of the format, which is changed / added / deleted in a new format beyond the original format.

If a plurality of response signals (i.e., a plurality of fifth response messages) are determined to be in error through a CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check), the plurality of response signals are assumed to be response messages. For example, The PLC 150, the PLC slave modem, and the meter, it is determined as an error through a mathematical technique for detecting an error when data is transmitted from the modem.

As described above, it is preferable that the ratio of the tree structure creation, the property information, the meter ID collection, and the number of response signals to the plurality of query signals is made through a query message and a response message for the operation.

The log generation unit 160 generates log information on the modulation or error when the response signal (i.e., the fifth response message) has a modulation or an error, and when the modulation or error does not occur, And generates the log information.

That is, the response signal (fifth response message) corresponds to, for example, the fifth response message shown in FIG. 8 (b) and generates log information for the fifth response message.

Such log information is used by the user to obtain the error information if an arbitrary PLC slave modem has error log information, and the user re-develops any PLC slave modem so that the error is corrected.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to cover further limitations anddisclamping the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. It is not.

Therefore, it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

100: Performance tester for PLC remote meter reading system
110: tree structure generating unit 120:
130: Meter ID collecting unit 140:
150: Application section 160: Log generation section
200: PLC master modem 210: PLC slave modem 1
211: PLC slave modem 2 212: PLC slave modem 3
213: PLC slave modem 4

Claims (6)

Transmitting a first inquiry message to the PLC master modem for analyzing which PLC slave modems are linked to the PLC master modem under the network composed of the PLC master modem configured in the data concentrator and a plurality of PLC slave modems, Receiving a first response message including one or more of the PLC slave modem link information under the modem and transmitting a second inquiry message for analyzing whether another PLC slave modem is configured under the one or more PLC slave modems, A tree structure in which a second response message including answer information indicating whether or not there is a PLC slave modem is received and the second inquiry message is repeatedly transmitted to the lowest level PLC slave modem built under the PLC master modem to generate a tree structure A generating unit;
In order to collect attribute information such as manufacturer, software version, PLC slave modem type (standard type to which one meter is connected, economic type to which a plurality of meters are connected), PLC master modem, An attribute collecting unit for transmitting a third inquiry message to the PLC slave modem of the PLC master modem, receiving a third response message including answer information on the attributes of the PLC master modem and the plurality of PLC slave modems, ;
A fourth inquiry message is transmitted from the property information to a meter connected to a plurality of PLC slave modems according to the PLC slave modem type through a PLC master modem to a PLC slave modem, The fourth response message including the answer information of the meter ID is transmitted to the PLC slave modem. Accordingly, the meter ID is received through the PLC master modem A meter ID collecting unit for combining and constructing a meter ID in a tree structure in which attributes for each modem are built;
A storage unit in which the tree structure generated by the tree structure generation unit is stored and the property information and the meter ID constructed in the meter ID collection unit are combined and stored in the tree structure; And
A PLC master modem, a plurality of PLC slave modems, a plurality of PLC slave modems, and a plurality of PLC slave modems, each of which has a tree structure in which the stored property information and the meter ID are combined and displayed on the user interface, The method comprising: transmitting a fifth plurality of query messages including query information querying any one of the metering devices to inquire what is the meter reading information and counting the number of fifth response messages including answer information on the meter reading information for the plurality of fifth query messages Of the PLC remote meter reading system.
The method according to claim 1,
And a log generation unit generating log information on the modulation or error when the fifth response message generates a modulation or an error and generating log information on the success log if no modulation or error occurs, Performance tester for PLC remote meter reading system.
The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the storage unit
Wherein when the PLC master modem is replaced or a new PLC slave modem is added or removed or replaced, the stored tree structure is newly updated and stored.
The method according to claim 1 or 2,
Wherein the calculation of the tree structure creation, the property information, the meter ID collection, and the ratio of the number of response signals to the plurality of query signals is performed through a query message and a response message.
The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the application unit
And the fifth response message is excluded from the number of responses when a modulation or an error occurs, thereby performing a performance test for the PLC remote meter-reading system.
6. The apparatus of claim 5,
If the fifth response message is sequentially received and the order of the fifth response message is changed, the fifth response message should be sequentially transmitted. If the same fifth response message is transmitted more than once, If the response message is to be received in a predetermined format and the format type is changed, the fifth response message is judged as an error through CRC (Cyclical Redundancy check: a mathematical technique for detecting an error when transmitting data from the modem) And the number of times of response is determined to be an error, and the calculated result is excluded from the number of responses.

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