INTRODUCTION
The Badger Meter® Fluid Management System has been designed to control and monitor the consumption and inventory
balances of automotive fluid products with minimal installation and programming costs . Badger Meter has used its years of
expertise in the automated meter reading market to develop a modular control system using RF communications .
The high end system hardware consists of one Master Keypad and at least one Dispense Keypad as well as at least one radio
frequency (RF) electronic preset meter . The Master Keypad handles serial communication between the PC or a host server
(ERP system) and RF communication to the Dispense Keypads in the system . The system verifies the operator’s pin number
and validates the work order number, fluid quantities and the valid hose/meter .
The Master Keypad can communicate with up to 36 Dispense Keypads that can be positioned to support the workflow of the
facility the best way . Each Dispense Keypad can control up to 24 meters, for a total of 250 meters . The system supports up to
16 tanks and 16 fluids as a part of the system configuration . The system supports 250 unique operator IDs and pin numbers .
The system uses direct sequence spread spectrum RF technology to prevent communication problems with other equipment
in the facility . The RF system will look for a clear channel for transmission to insure that there is reliable communications at all
times . Communication distances are typically up to 100 meters, but can go up to 300 meters with unobstructed line-of-sight .
A remote antenna is available for situations where multiple buildings are involved in the installation .
The PC is used to configure the system, maintain system data and enter work orders . The service desk would use the PC to
enter a work order selecting the fluid and quantity required . The PC can stack as many work orders as required, limited only by
the disk storage space of the PC . There is no need to predetermine where the work is going to occur . This allows the flexibility
to service a vehicle at any open bay and select a meter when the work is going to be performed . When the work order is
going to be performed, the service personnel simply enters their pin number, work order and hose that is going to be used at
the Dispense Keypad .
There are a number of system utilization reports by user; fluid type, tank or meters available for the system’s management .
Optionally, the system can be connected with an ERP or DMS system via its RS232 interface . The real-time communication is
based on an open interface protocol (ASCII-code) and can be easily adapted to local conditions .
A unique, patented feature of the system is that the RF meter’s dispense trigger is locked until an authorization from the
keypad is received . After the dispense batch is completed, the user can top off if more fluid is required, the actual dispensed
amount is sent back to the keypad and the meter returns to the locked status . Additionally, the meter can be installed on
portable dolly systems offering control and monitoring of high-cost lubrication products .
Introduction
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December 2014
FMS-UM-01200-EN-01
