ELEMENTS OF PREPAYMENT METER SYSTEM

A - Electronic Meter
B - Smart Card
C - Credit Sales Points and Data Center

A - ELECTRONIC METER
Electronic meters are water consumption metering devices consist of semi-conductor components. In the system subscribers make the advance payment prior to water distribution. Purchased credit is loaded to the meter via IC smart card. When credit ends, meter closes itself and cuts off water distribution.

• ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT
The unit that analyses all consumption and status information, controls LCD, closing unit and card reader unit.
• LCD SCREEN
The unit that displays all information of meter.
• CARD READER
The interface that smart card is inserted to and provide communication between meter and smart card. Credit
is easily loaded to the meter when the smart card is inserted to the card reader unit. After loading the credit,
there is no need to leave smart card on the meter. Subscriber should remove the smart card from the meter.
• CUT OFF UNIT
Meter has a cut off unit for usage control. Cut off unit is a valve in water meter. When credit finishes or unauthorized interventions take place, cut off unit is activated, consumption is stopped automatically.
• Occupancy rate of battery is reported to the subscriber by the LCD. Occupancy rate of the battery is also
reported to the authority by the smart card. This way, ran out batteries are followed up and changed by the
service.
• When battery runs out, consumption information is saved to the non volatile memory. Tengyue prepayment water meters shutdown itself and stop consumption when the battery runs out.
• Meters have two security switches. These switches are under main body cover and battery cover. If any of
these covers are opened by unauthorized personnel, meter record these intervention details (date, time, type
etc.) in to the memory and active cutoff unit to close itself and stop water consumption. In this
case, meter only opens by the auhority service.

ELECTRONIC METER FEATURES

• Electronic meters in the system have automatic open/close units. Water meters’ open/close
feature is achieved by the subscriber’s smart card. Consumed water amount is deducted from the
loaded credit.
• There is no need to leave smart card on the meter, Subscriber should remove the smart card after loading credit.
• When the loaded credit in the meter drops below a predefined level, “CREDIT LOW” message is displayed on
the LCD. Subscriber is alerted to buy credit by the messages. Subscriber should purchase new credit and load to the meter via smart card.
• If the subscriber does not take this message into consideration, cutoff unit gets activated when the remaining credit is used up. In order to use water again, credit must be loaded as soon as possible.

• There are two locations in meter memory for credit information: Main Credit and Backup Credit. Backup credit system is developed for subscribers to be able continue using energy and water in case of credit finishing out of office hours and weekends where they can not buy new credit. Backup credit is defined by the authorities according to the longest holiday time.
• When subscribers purchase credit, purschased credit is installed to subscriber’s smart card. This credit is
transfered to the meter when the smart card is inserted to the meter. Transfered credit is first loaded to the
backup credit location in the memory, then remaining credit is loaded as main credit.
• Meter starts to use backup credit after main credit ends. When the main credit ends, meter close valve/relay and stop consumption. In order to use the backup credit subscriber have insert the smart card to the meter. Meter will open itself for consumption. This way subscriber is warned and reminded to buy new credit.
• When the backup credit ends before the subscriber loads new credit, meter will close valve and stop
water consumption.
• Subscriber may purchase and load new credit before the credit ends. New loaded credit will be added to
the remaining credit in the meter.
• Every subscriber have their own smart card. One subscriber can not use other subscriber’s smart card.
Subscriber’s meter does not accept other subscriber’s smart card.
Subscriber’s meter and smart card is one to one matched.
• Every smart card has an authority defined unique ID number. Meter checks for this ID number in each process and compares with the matching of the meter number.
• Subscribers apply to the authority when they loose their smart card and get a new smart card whose ID is
matched with their meter. Lost smart card is canceled by the authority. Even if the subscriber find the lost card, it can not be used.
• If subscribers want to return smart card and the purchased credit for any reason, they apply to the
authority. Authority transfer the loaded credit in the meter by using “RETURN CARD” process and receive back
the credit at the sales point. Returned credit value is paid back to the subscriber. After this process no credit is left at the meter.
• All the electronic units of the meter are isolated from mechanical units. Meter’s batteries are also isolated from the mechanical units.
• Meter’s energy source is 3.6V Lithium battery. Lithium battery life is around 10 years.
• Subscriber can not change the battery. They have to call the service. There is security switch under the meter’s battery cover. When the cover is open, meter closes itself. “PENALTY” message is displayed on the screen.
• When the service personnel remove the battery from the meter, data in the meter’s memory is protected. No data loss takes place.
• All the information in the memory is safe during the battery cover.
• “PENALTY” message continues till battery cover is closed. This message requires authority intervention to the meter.
• Subscriber understands the necessity of battery change from the “BATTERY LOW” message on the screen.
• If the battery change operation is not done one time, battery runs out and “BATTERY FINISHED” message is
displayed on the screen. Energy and water consumptions is stopped.

• Meter close itself if meter’s terminal, battery or body covers open. Energy and water consumption is stoped
and “PENALTY” message is displayed.
• When meter enters into penalty mode it close itself automatically. In water meters electromechanical valve and is activated. In order to open meter authority must intervene with “AUTHORITY CARD”.
• Authority may cancel subscriptions. If any subscription is canceled for any reason, credit in the meter is
returned. This operation is shown by “CANCELED” message on the screen.
• If the meters are connected to the authority via AMR (Automatic Meter Reading) systems, authorities have the ability to reach credit sales, reporting, statistical information and works, subscriber controls and meter status information.

LCD MESSAGES
SERVICE: Implies a problem about the valve. Valve could not finish operation on the required time. Subscriber
should call the service.
PENALTY: Unauthorized intervention took place. It can be cleared by Authority card prepared for that subscriber.
BATTERY LOW: Battery voltage is low. Subscriber should call service.
BATTERY END: Battery is out of order. Subscriber should call service.
CANCEL: Meter is canceled by the authority temporarily. Credit and consumption information is stored. It can
be solved by authority card prepared for that subscriber by the authority service.
CREDIT LOW: Credit amount is below a predefined critical limit.
BUY CREDIT: Credit finished. Cutoff unit(valve) is activated. Subscriber should buy credit.
ERROR: Smart card read by the meter do not match. Card’s error coefficient is decreased by 1. If this error
happens 4 times card is blocked and can not be used again.