Utilities historically have had limited insight into the condition of the distribution grid, despite this being where a majority of outages originate. In the absence of distribution-line monitoring devices, grid operators have relied upon static and outdated models for state estimation.

However, these protocols are rapidly changing with the implementation of smart meters. Today, smart meters serve as key assets at the edge of the distribution grid, capable of recording both historical, and real-time data, in turn, enabling utilities to analyze the state of the grid in new ways.

As smart meters gain worldwide traction in the grid, adding communication technology to a meter can come with significant challenges. Experts from Freescale will help demystify end-to-end connectivity solutions for smart meters and then address products and software from Freescale and our partners to help design robust communication solutions for the smart grid.

Presentation by Dr. Howard Porter, ESMIG International Alliances Director at Metering Europe 2012 on 10 October 2012 - Amsterdam

Echelon's recent webcast 'Your Blueprint for Grid Modernization Starts Here' covered the following discussions: Key lessons from NRGi's deployment and their plans to use grid health data from meters to troubleshoot problems in the low voltage network; How to get beyond billing and offer new applications that can maximize your investment; How other leading utilities plan to expand beyond billing using Echelon's multi-application platform.

Learn when to consider a microcontroller over other devices in a design and understand some design considerations to keep in mind when implementing microcontrollers. Understand the different types of microcontrollers and their unique functions and capabilities. Discover some unique, low-powered applications where microcontrollers can be used. See a demonstration of the LC88F85D0A, ultra-low power 16-bit microcontroller in a solar battery powered solution suitable for metering, home security, portable equipment, etc.

Emmanuelle Todd, ON Semiconductor Product Engineer

Learn when to consider a microcontroller over other devices in a design and understand some design considerations to keep in mind when implementing microcontrollers. Understand the different types of microcontrollers and their unique functions and capabilities. Discover some unique, low-powered applications where microcontrollers can be used. See a demonstration of the LC87F7932B, ultra-low power 8-bit microcontroller solution suitable for water and gas metering, home security, portable equipment, etc.

Jill Daugherty, ON Semiconductor Product Engineer

Göran Näslund of Vodafone M2M and Olivier Beaujard of Sierra Wireless provided insight into key considerations for utility organizations looking to:

(i) learn about products and services that enable customers to reduce complexity and cost of large deployments;
(ii) successfully integrate cellular connectivity to support long term rollouts;
(iii) understand critical success factors for energy deployments

Göran Näslund of Vodafone M2M and Olivier Beaujard of Sierra Wireless

Moderated by: Jonathan Spencer Jones, Editor, Metering International

Freescale is powering innovation for a more sustainable, greener world by enabling end-to-end smart energy solutions.

We are investing in key areas of smart energy by developing smart metering reference designs, home energy management systems, support for standard communications inside and outside the home and participating in community wide collaborations such as the Pecan Street Project, focused on reinventing the energy delivery system.

Derek Phillips and Mike Dow, Freescale

Moderated by: Jonathan Spencer Jones, Editor, Metering International

电表的自动远程抄录（AMR）是实现智能电网的重要组成部分。PLC技术因为不需要额外布线以及相对较低的成本，广泛应用于AMR系统。其中，采用S-FSK调制方式遵循IEC61334标准建立的AMR系统更是兼顾了高效、可靠的数据通讯与较低的设备及安装费用。本次研讨会结合在欧洲市场成功的应用介绍安森美半导体PLC解决方案的特点。

Implementing Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) Using PLC Modem from ON Semiconductor

Metering in Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) is an important component of implementing smart grid. With advantages such as avoiding extra wiring and relatively lower cost, Power Line Communication (PLC) technology is widely adopted in AMR systems. AMR systems based on S-FSK modulation following the IEC61334 standard combines high efficiency, reliable data communication and lower equipment and implementation cost. This webcast introduces PLC modem solution from ON Semiconductor, which has seen successful deployment in European markets.

Harry Liu, ON Semiconductor

In applications such as solar-powered outdoor LED lighting there is a requirement for controllers that manage the charging of lead acid batteries from solar panels and implement maximum peak power tracking techniques.

Most conventional solar controller battery chargers rely on significant digital content to address this requirement. In this webcast, we will look at how the manipulation of the power stage, power tracking and battery management can be controlled with analog circuitry in a more cost-effective manner.

Bryan McCoy, applications engineer, ON Semiconductor

An interview with Kevin Brown, a smart grid security engineer and analyst for EnerNex. Kevin discusses several aspects of physical and cyber security for smart devices in the smart grid. This work is in support of the national smart grid roadmap and standards development effort lead by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST - nist.gov) and the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP - sgipweb.org).