Itron 50ESS Electric Utility Meter Module User Manual Marketing ation
Itron, Inc. Electric Utility Meter Module Marketing ation
  
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Contents
- 1. Marketing documentation
- 2. Installation manual letter
Marketing documentation

Internal Design Concept 
A3 ALPHA® Meter with SSD ERT® 
For many years, Itron ERT® devices have provided an economic 
method to collect consumption data from electricity meters. Until 
now, however, there has been no similar solution for collecting 
billing data from demand metered accounts. An ABB 
A3 ALPHA® meter equipped with an under–the–cover Itron Solid 
State Demand (SSD) ERT solves this problem. 
The SSD ERT is designed to fit under the cover of the A3 ALPHA 
meter to simplify installation and reduce costs. 
An A3T ALPHA meter (TOU meter) equipped with a SSD ERT 
performs automatic scheduled self reads (with demand resets). 
The SSD ERT retrieves all billing data directly from the meter 
registers and transmits the following information: 
•  previous billing period consumption value (kWh) 
•  previous billing period maximum demand value (kW) 
•  date of last demand reset 
Because the SSD ERT is always reporting the data from end of 
the previous billing period, you have a full billing cycle to collect 
the data. The SSD ERT for the A3 ALPHA functions similarly to 
the Itron 41ER-1 ERT and continuously bubbles up these data 
elements in three different SCMs (Standard Consumption 
Messages). 
The data may be collected with any of the following Itron reading 
systems: 
•  Handheld OMR (includes PremierPlus 4, Integrator, & 
MVRS) 
•  Mobile AMR 
•  Fixed Network 
As additional security for the billing data, the A3 ALPHA meter 
will store 15 self reads that contain the billing data for the last 15 
months.  
Meter Status 
Included in the SCM messages are multiple error, warning, or 
status flags that provide key information about the site conditions 
and enable you to detect possible tamper conditions. 
•  Standard ERT Meter Removal & Inversion Tamper Flags 
– Always Included in SCMs 
•  Examples of up to four additional flags in SCMs (actual 
list to be determined): 
•  End of Calendar Warning 
•  Internal Meter Error 
•  Phase Outage Warning 
•  Low Battery Warning 
•  Reverse Power Flow Warning 
Read Schedules 
The A3T ALPHA meter provides an extensive and flexible 
calendar permitting the use of both recurring and nonrecurring 
dates. This calendar is used to define the read schedules 
(demand reset dates) for meters with an SSD ERT. Using ABB’s 
Metercat™ software you can create and define a calendar 
schedule for each read cycle. 
•  If the read calendar is completely defined using 
“recurring dates” then a perpetual calendar will exist in 
the meter and no calendar updates will be necessary. 
•  If no recurring dates can be defined, the A3 ALPHA can 
provide up to 10 years of scheduled non-recurring 
monthly resets. 

208 S. Rogers Lane 
Raleigh, NC 27610 
Website: www.abb.com/metering 
© 2001 by ABB Automation Inc. 
Printed March 2001. All rights reserved. 
2818 North Sullivan Road 
Spokane, WA  99216 
Website: www.itron.com 
A3 ALPHA Meter 
The A3 ALPHA meter is the newest addition to ABB’s line of 
ALPHA electricity meters. The A3 ALPHA meter builds upon the 
strengths of existing ALPHA meter designs. Like its 
predecessors, the A3 ALPHA uses ABB’s patented digital 
measurement techniques that offer high accuracy, repeatability, 
and low ownership costs. In support of open architecture 
standards, the A3 ALPHA meter is the first ABB meter with full 
ANSI C12.18, C12.19, and C12.21 communication protocol 
support. 
A standard A3T ALPHA meter is used to support the SSD ERT. 
Should your AMR needs change in the future, this meter, like all 
A3 ALPHA meters, can be upgraded to support the functionality 
and communication options that you require. 
Alpha Key Upgrades  Communication Options 
•  Reactive metering 
•  Advanced four 
quadrant metering 
•  Loss compensation 
•  PQM 
•  Load profiling 
•  Instrumentation 
profiling 
•  Internal modem 
•  RS232 
•  RS485 
•  External serial interface 
•  20mA current loop 
The A3 ALPHA supplies many standard features such as: 
•  Self reads (15 self-reads may be kept at all times) 
•  Over 50 different instrumentation display quantities 
•  System service checks 
•  Class 0.2 accuracy for transformer rated and self-
contained 
A3 ALPHA Meter Forms Available  
with SSD ERT 
Single phase - 1S, 2S, 3S, 4S 
Polyphase - 35S, 36S, 9S, 12S, 16S 
A3 ALPHA Technical Specifications 
Operating Ranges 
Voltage  Nameplate nominal range  Operating range 
 120V-480V 96V-528V 
Current  0 to Class amperes 
Frequency  Nominal 50 or 60Hz ±5% 
Temperature range  -40° to 85°C inside meter cover 
Humidity range  0 to 100% non-condensing 
General Performance Characteristics 
Starting Current   
Form 1S and Form 3S  10mA for Class 20 
100mA for Class 200 
160mA for Class 320 
All other forms  5mA for Class 20  
50mA for Class 200 
80mA for Class 320 
Startup delay  <3s from power application to pulse accumulation 
Creep 0.000A  
(no current) 
No more than one pulse measured per quantity, 
conforming to ANSI C12.1 requirements 
Primary time base  Power line frequency (50 or 60Hz), with selectable crystal 
oscillator 
Secondary time base  Meets the ANSI limit of 0.02% using the 32.768kHz 
crystal. Initial performance is expected to be equal to or 
better than ±55 seconds per month at room temperature 
Outage carryover 
capacity 
6 hours at 25°C. Supercapacitor rated at 0.1 Farads, 5.5V 
Battery (optional)  LiSOCl2 battery rated 800mAhr, 3.6V and shelf life of 20+ 
years. 5 years continuous duty at 25°C 
Communications baud  Optical port  9600 baud (nominal) 
 Remote port 1200 to 19,200 BPS 
ANSI Standards 
C12.1  C12.10 C12.20 C12.18 C12.19 C12.21 
SSD ERT Technical Specifications 
Transmit Frequency  Spread spectrum 910-920 MHz 
Data Integrity  Verified in every data message 
Operating Temperature  -40°– +85° C 
Operating Humidity  5 to 95% non-condensing relative humidity 
FCC Compliance  Part 15 certified 
ANSI Compliance  Meets or exceeds ANSI C12.1 Standards 
Disclaimer: Information in this data sheet is based on the development 
intent of ABB Automation Inc. and Itron, Inc. This information is subject 
to change during the course of product development.