Preparing iRZ modems for operation using CSD technology using a terminal program. What is data transmission in modes: CSD, GPRS? Data and fax transmission megaphone
All modems of the RX series are configured by default to transmit data using the CSD protocol.
First, let's take a look at what CSD is and why modems work by default in this mode.
1. What is CSD?
Let's go to the Wiki for information:
Circuit Switched Data(CSD) is a data transmission technology developed for mobile phones GSM standard.
The CSD uses one time slot to transmit data at 9.6 kbps to the Network and Switching Subsystem (NSS), where it can be transferred via the equivalent of a normal modem connection to the telephone network.
The CSD call works very much like a regular voice call on GSM networks. A single time interval is allocated between the phone and the base station.
Data transmission in the GSM network has been improved since the advent of CSD. Because the maximum data rate for a single timeslot is 9.6 kbps, many operators allocate two or more timeslots for CSD calls.
To work with this technology, it is necessary to order the connection of the CSD service from the mobile operator (if this service is not already connected).
In most cases, the CSD service is disabled by default.
We can draw up the principle of interaction [program<=>modem<=>modem<=>device]
Those. the program starts sending AT commands to the modem's interface port, the modem, in turn, with its SIM cards, makes a voice call to a number SIM phone card installed in another modem.
The remote modem answers the call.
This creates a communication channel between the two modems through which we can send or receive any data.
2. Interrogation of equipment by CSD
To understand how access to a meter or any other equipment works, to configure it or read readings, let's look at a simple example:
Interrogation of the counter Mercury 230 ART-01 PQRSIN with two modems TELEOFIS RX101-R4 and TELEOFIS RX108-R4
Initial data:
Counter Mercury 230
The RX101-R4 modem has USB-B interface connection to a PC, so it will be the calling modem.
The RX108-R4 modem has an RS485 interface and is connected to the Mercury 230 meter, so it will be a Receiving modem.
Two SIM cards with a positive balance and activated CSD service
Software Universal meter configurator Mercury, for connection to the meter: Download configurator
Let's define the connection scheme:
Let's connect our modems according to the above diagram.
For RX101-R4, install drivers on a PC (Only drivers, you don’t need to connect the modem to the Internet!):
For RX108-R4, nothing needs to be installed.
Let's open the survey program:
In our example, the connected modem is assigned a COM15 port.
Fill in the parameters for communication with a remote modem
Enter the SIM card number of the receiver modem
Type of interface through which we will make a request (GSM)
And we press the button Connect
We see the connection process
The process of obtaining information can be observed at the bottom of the window
After 100% filling, we will see the read information from the counter
After we get all the necessary information and make the necessary settings, we must not forget break established connection, so as not to waste cash.
Additional Information.
How to connect the service and get access?
If you do not have an agreement for communication services with PJSC MegaFon, you need to contact the Corporate Client Service Center, conclude an agreement and write an application for connecting the M2M-Monitoring service. If you are already corporate client, you can independently connect the service through the "Personal Account" or submit a written application in the form established by the Operator.
How to log in via API?
- URL: https://m2m.megafon.ru:3333
- Request format: https://m2m.megafon.ru:3333/openapi/v1/tokens-stub/get?login=M2M_xxxxxxxxxx&password=xxxxxxxx
How to enter the service interface?
Follow the link "Personal account of the service" at the top of the screen. On the authorization page, you must enter the login and password received by SMS to the subscriber number of the service user, as well as the symbols located in the picture. The user has four attempts to enter an incorrect password to access the service interface. After the fifth input of an incorrect password, access to this login is blocked. The user is able to get New Password through the service interface, or by contacting the center for work with corporate clients.
How is the Subscription fee calculated?
When connecting the M2M-Monitoring service, all corporate clients are provided with a trial period of 7 calendar days, during which subscription fee not charged.
In the first month, the subscription fee is debited from the Personal Account of the Corporate Client on the first day of paid use of the service based on the number of SIM cards with the service activated in proportion to the number of days remaining until the end of the month. Further, the subscription fee is deducted in full on the first day of each month.
For which companies is this service intended?
"M2M-Monitoring" will be useful to all companies using SIM-cards in devices and equipment. The service can be useful for companies working in the field of vehicle monitoring, banks and trade enterprises, car manufacturers, companies from the energy sector and housing and communal services, fuel and energy companies, as well as companies specializing in security services, security, logistics companies, consumer electronics manufacturers and system integrators.
Can I connect M2M-Monitoring on my own?
If your company is a corporate client of PJSC MegaFon, then you can independently connect M2M-Monitoring through your personal account of the Corporate Portal. To do this, you need to connect to SIM-card numbers with any corporate tariff plan:
- "M2M-Monitoring" for loading the required SIM-card onto the platform of the M2M-Monitoring Service and the possibility of managing it through the Service Interface;
- M2M Portal User — a setting that allows you to identify the user of the Service and provide access to manage SIM cards through the Service Interface;
- M2M-Portal Administrator — a setting that allows you to identify the administrator of the Service and grant access to managing SIM cards through the Service Interface.
The login and password for accessing the interface of the M2M-Monitoring service will be sent in an SMS message to the number of the employee who is connected to the "M2M-portal User" or "M2M-portal Administrator".
What notification capabilities does the service have?
You can set up notifications for various events, for example, for changing the device in which the SIM card is installed, for reaching the limits of data transfer, SMS, voice communication services, etc. You can also control the sending of notifications and configure sending settings: address Email, phone numbers to receive SMS notifications.
What messages can I send using the service?
You can send messages to selected numbers with activated "M2M-Monitoring" service to determine the activity of the SIM card in the network. You can also send messages to the numbers of mobile operators of the Russian Federation, entered in the "Contacts" section in the service interface.
Hi all!
With this publication, we begin a series of articles about devices and technologies involved in the process of energy metering and energy saving. In such articles, we will rely only on our own experience and the experience transmitted to us by users of the Eldis electronic dispatcher.
Let's start slowly.
Today we have a generalized topic on the menu about CSD technology and modems using this data transfer technology. We decided not to look for differences in two identical pictures, but to analyze CSD modems as such, without getting personal.
Surprisingly, but the CSD modem, when communicating with its fellow modems, uses an information transfer technology called CSD.
CSD (Circuit Switched Data) is a digital data transmission technology in GSM networks. The same network that each of us uses several times a day, or even spends the main part of the weekday in it. I say hello to the technical support department =)
The CSD coverage area corresponds to the GSM coverage area, which is due to the use of a voice channel for information transmission. Today, this is the main advantage and disadvantage of this technology. But first things first.
At the birth of CSD, the benefits were not limited to this, due to the lack of alternatives. The information transfer rate over CSD is 9.6 Kbps, while the bandwidth of modern 4G is 1 Gbps (kilobit - 10 to the 3rd power, gigabit - 10 to the 9th power). The technology involves the simultaneous communication between two devices, by analogy with talking on a mobile phone or how a fax works.
CSD works in GSM networks, which implies that for such a service, if we suddenly need it, we need to contact the operators mobile communications. Yes, yes, these are the same guys who sell SIM cards for phones, and then offer new tariffs every month. Let's find out what they offer us today.
CSD traffic was valuable for mobile operators until every person had a mobile phone, and the price of communication fell to a minimum, due to high competition between operators.
Why has the growth of mobile phone users begun to kill interest in CSD?
The fact is that when transferring data from one device to another, CSD occupies a voice communication channel that can be used for its intended purpose and at a higher price.
Also, as a standard for information transmission in the arsenal of operators, there is an alternative with a higher bandwidth and not loading voice channels: GPRS, 2G, 3G, 4G.
In this regard, mobile operators are constantly increasing tariffs for CSD and, as far as possible, obsolete it.
Today, the CSD service in most cases exceeds the price even for a faster and more modern GPRS and is present only in specialized tariffs that include CSD packages for several thousand minutes that operate within one region and one operator cellular communication.
Thus, cellular operators act as a catalyst in the process of destroying CSD technology.
Letter to JSC "Eldis" from JSC "MegaFon"
Retirement from CSD will not go unnoticed, and no, the retirement of this technology will not be accompanied by a lavish celebration with tea and cookies, on the contrary, it will be painful for the most part. This technology has been successfully implemented and is used to transmit readings from various electronic appliances installed in hard-to-reach places.
Let's move on to our favorite topic.
After the release of Federal Law 261, which obliged the installation of metering devices in each apartment building, the task of promptly collecting readings from all installed computers became acute.
Without constant monitoring of energy metering units, there can be no question of any energy efficiency, and putting a person for observation on each computer is a very expensive pleasure.
Then CSD modems came to the rescue, attracting with their low cost (about 4 thousand rubles) and prevalence. most standard software, which is included in the set of modern calculators, supports work on CSD, for example: VKT-7 Easy2, Prologue, ArchiVist, Rise of the joint venture, TesmaStat, StatReport and others.
With the advent universal programs for remote collection of readings from metering devices through various data collection and transmission devices (modems), CSD modems have another indisputable advantage - the ability to simultaneously work in several energy metering systems at once.
Thus, when working in one or another system for collecting readings from metering devices of the Eldis type, owners of CSD modems do not take any risks and at any time can transfer their metering units to another similar system, unlike GPRS modems.
Sadly, not only CSD technology, but also modems operating on it, are at risk of disappearing from the shelves.
Recently, most manufacturers of radio components have begun to produce budget versions of SIM modules that do not have the function of working in CSD mode. A striking example is the upgrade of the SimCOM Sim900 line to Sim800. Now only one module from the entire 800s line has CSD mode. There is a suspicion that the next series of modules will be completely without CSD.
In total, the following can be distinguished as minuses of CSD modems:
- slow information transfer rate;
- the speed of polling calculators directly depends on the number of polling modems installed on the server, due to the impossibility of parallel communication of one CSD modem with several;
- high price traffic. About 1.25 rubles per minute, for the same money you can transfer 1 mb of information via GPRS (for text information, this is really a lot. For comparison: the entire work of L.N. Tolstoy “War and Peace” takes less than 4 mb.);
- obligatory setting of the modem to work with the calculator is carried out using a computer via the RS-232 interface, which is not available on modern PCs and laptops;
- the presence of only one data transfer interface or RS-232 or RS-485;
- inability to remotely configure and update software;
- threat of withdrawal from production;
- the threat of eradication of CSD support by cellular operators;
- the modem is disconnected from the dispatching system by default, it is connected only for the period of data transfer and cannot always be online.
Despite all the shortcomings and antiquity of CSD technology, there are not enough fingers of both hands to count the manufacturers of CSD modems. Until the technology has become obsolete and has not been completely replaced by mobile operators, there is a good demand for it. The device is not difficult to manufacture and has a wide range of applications.
Basically, competitive modems do not differ much from each other. Most often, the main distinguishing feature is the case and the logo on it, less often the sim module. If we talk about the market leaders in terms of prevalence, we can distinguish: iRZ, Teleofis and Siemens.
Let's summarize.
Modems based on CSD technology, despite their wide popularity, are on the verge of extinction due to the threat of discontinuation of components for them. Also, over time, the likelihood of mobile operators refusing to sell CSD services increases, as well as a constant increase in prices for CSD traffic.
The cost of CSD-modems by leaps and bounds is approaching the cost of modern modems that support GPRS operation. Affects both the rise in price of the first, and the cheapening of the second.
When choosing a data transmission device for installation on a dispatching object, we recommend paying attention to a CSD modem only if there is no alternative communication on site, in otherwise better to pay and buy modern appliance, working on GPRS or take universal option- GPRS/CSD.
Note!
Not all modems whose specifications indicate operation via GPRS can independently communicate via GPRS, limited to the good old CSD.
This is often a clever marketing ploy by manufacturers that allows misleading consumers and selling a CSD modem at the price of GPRS.
The trick is that the modem, without the help of additional equipment, be it a calculator or a computer that will send specialized AT commands to it, is not able to initialize the GPRS connection. Heat calculators capable of sending such commands to the modem and making it work via GPRS are, for example, SPT943 and TMK-N120.
Let's return to the problem with GPRS coverage.
Cases of the absence of a GPRS signal in the CSD coverage area are not a myth, and have happened more than once in our practice: in the Tver region (Ostashkov), in some cities of the Pskov region and even in the Krasnogorsk district of the Moscow region.
Based on the statistics obtained in the process of surveying clients of the Eldis electronic dispatcher, modems operating only on CSD technology are currently installed in approximately 75% of objects in relation to the total number equipped with transmitting devices. Complete failure mobile operators from the provision of data transmission services via CSD will entail huge costs for the re-equipment of dispatching facilities.
Every month, the number of CSD-modems connected to Eldis is significantly increasing, and with it, the monthly traffic for CSD-connection is also growing. The graph below shows statistics on the use of CSD traffic by all modems operating on this technology in the electronic dispatcher for the current year.
Dynamics of CSD traffic usage by Eldis users
With this article, we do not urgently call for removing old modems and buying new data transmission devices, but we warn of possible difficulties in the near future.
We accept requests for a review of devices from the list of supported equipment. We promise an objective assessment and adequate criticism of any device. In case we do not have enough materials to review the device you proposed, sorry, we will postpone it for later.
An important role and incentive for writing articles is played by the presence of comments.
Thank you for your attention! That's all for today.
In this article, we have collected information for you about the so-called "data transmission by voice" in the MTS network. The text below will come in handy if you are thinking about purchasing alarm sensors, fire safety sensors or remote communication with another device.
To begin with, we will briefly describe what kind of technology it is and why it is needed.
Circuit Switched Data (CSD) is a circuit switched data transmission technology developed for GSM mobile phones.
It uses one time slot to transfer data at a rate of 9.6 Kbps. This is a kind of call, calculated in seconds and minutes, but during them you will not hear the interlocutor on the other end, as completely different information is sent - numbers, conventional signals that only machines can recognize. Also, the channel is available for sending faxes, SMS, as well as access to the Internet. You just need to get the right device.
Previously, before CSD, such information was sent via regular phone with access to the worldwide network or a separate modem with a SIM card. But the data transfer rate suffered greatly due to the unsuitability of such a connection for tasks: the speed did not exceed 2.4 kbit / s.
Also, GSM technology assumed the "facilitation" of the transmitted sound due to encoding - in the case of data, this leads to such a reduction in speed, which will not be even in analog telephone networks. The advent of CSD provided full access to digital opportunities GSM networks - and increased speed parameters by 4 times. And if the operator allocates not one, but several time intervals for "machine" calls, then the speed also increases significantly.
The question of the quality of the channel was not accidentally raised at the beginning of the article. It depends on how quickly and completely information will be delivered from your sensor to the reader. Quick response is important, for example, in smoke detectors or security systems. And accuracy cannot be dispensed with in the accounting and monetization of gas and electricity consumed by users.
Issue price
If we touched on the monetary issue, then we will consider it using the example of MTS tariffs. Basic rates for most tariff plans for calls of the "data" type are 2 rubles / min. The cost is relevant only on the territory of Russia and only for sending information to your native region. But there are exceptions.
Ordinary people
If we consider MTS tariffs from the standpoint of saving on your sensors, then we would advise, first of all, to take a closer look at the usual Red Energy ringer. But for guests of our country, as well as travelers within Russia, it is more profitable to connect your devices to the “Your Country” tariff and send data with double savings.
More details can be found in the table below.
In order to use CSD calls, you do not need to do anything - the service is included in the start list for any tariff.
For business people
As for representatives of business and government agencies, it is possible to optimize their budget through special CSD packages for any corporate rate or immediately selected tariff plan for telematics machines.
Machine communication packages
As in the mass market, the corporate offer from MTS in the form of data packages is valid in the region where the SIM card is connected and throughout Russia, and you can send a “package” only “home”.
You set the amount of a fixed monthly payment yourself: from 12 to 10,000 rubles. The number of minutes is from 10 to 50,000. According to the laws of the market, the larger the purchase volume, the lower the price per unit. So you can, with respect to the base price of 2 rubles, save from 80 kopecks. up to 1.80 rubles in a minute. At the same time, with a maximum volume of 50,000 minutes, the benefit will be quite a bit - 90,000 rubles.
It all depends on how much information you plan to transfer. Well, if you already know the source data, if not, then we advise you to start with small packages. You can find more details on prices on the official website of the operator at https://moskva.mts.ru/business/internet-veshhey-iotm2m/paketi-csd-trafika.
You can add a package to a valid SIM card either through your personal account login.mts.ru or by contacting the operator's office. Keep in mind that you will have to pay for the service immediately a month in advance. And on the same date of the next one, the money will be written off for any balance, even negative.
Unfortunately, you can't link packages, so choose only one. It will not be profitable to change your decision: the new option will automatically delete the old one, and the unused minutes will burn out.
M2M tariff
For SIM-cards that are used exclusively in data transfer devices, it is better to choose the appropriate tariff right away - Telematics. The standard CSD price here is 1.35 rubles/min. But the packages and call directions are similar to the previous service.
The advantage of the tariff is that all other calls are prohibited here, which will additionally protect you from unauthorized use of the number by employees or other persons. Provides protection free service"Call barring except CSD", included in the starter kit.
You can also cancel its action - just add to personal account or through the operator's employee the option "Access to voice communication". By the way, along with it you will also receive preferential prices for sending data to 3 “favorite CSD numbers”. In this case, phones can be absolutely any.
Also, when calculating efficiency, keep in mind that such calls are paid from the first second, and rounding is not per minute, as with regular calls, but per second. The exception here is trips around our country - bills are issued rounded to the nearest minute.
In conclusion, we note that for a small number of numbers in sensors and other devices, it is more convenient and cheaper to take a regular set with the Red Energy tariff, but for large volumes, try to form a corporation and choose one of the options for business.
CSD (Circuit Switched Data) is a data transmission technology developed for GSM mobile phones.
GPRS (eng. General Packet Radio Service - “general packet radio communication”) is an add-on over GSM mobile communication technology that performs packet data transmission.
GPRS allows the user of a cellular network to exchange data with other devices in the GSM network and with external networks, including the Internet. GPRS assumes billing by the amount of transmitted / received information, and not by the time spent online with CSD.
In CSD mode, a connection to a remote device is established by its telephone number, because this technology uses data transmission over voice channels.
In GPRS mode, connection with a remote device is made by its IP address. For GPRS, communication channels are allocated according to the residual principle after voice channels, i.e. cellular operators have higher priority voice channels than GPRS channels.
IMPORTANT : not all modems can be configured in such a way that after power-on the modem is ready to receive a connection in GPRS mode (to connect to the modem, the IP address of the modem and the TCP port “listened” by the modem are indicated).
