Page 1 of 2

Push 3 Installation Question

Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2023 10:14 pm
by Ezzie
I am setting up a Push 3 system for the first time and wondering what the USB port is for on the Push 3. There is no explanation about this connector or its use in the installation instructions. I tried to connect by 485Bee network to the Push 3 using a Blink converter plugged into the USB port but the Push 3 won't read the meters. This leads me to believe that I need to hardwire a 485Bee to the RS-485 connector before it will read my Omnimeters.

Re: Push 3 Installation Question

Posted: Sat Mar 25, 2023 9:45 am
by Ezzie
I have a 485Bee connected to the RS-485 port on the Push3 but I still cannot read my remote Omnimeter V.4's. The proper serial#s appear in the Push3 Gateway for the gateway and each of the meters. The gateway is connected to the internet and is uploading to the cloud (Internet LED flashes a long green on about 5 second intervals). The RS-485 LED is blinking a short red flash every couple of seconds. The Push3 is getting no data and the message for each meter is "Last read was partial or unsuccessful". I have run the Digi XCTU diagnostic tool (using another radio attached to a COM port on my PC) and the radio I have attached to the RS-485 port of the Push3 is working and routing traffic with all of the other meshed radios in my network. I have rechecked the wiring of my 485Bee to the gateway and it is all correct - A+ to A+ and B- to B-. Leads me to think that I have a configuration issue with the Push3 gateway??? Any ideas?

Re: Push 3 Installation Question

Posted: Sat Mar 25, 2023 9:50 am
by Ezzie
Note: The current configuration I use (and that I am trying to migrate from) is working perfectly. It is a 485Bee connected to a COM port on my PC (running Dash) and with a Blink RS-485 to USB converter. So, I know all my radios and Omnimeters are working fine.

Re: Push 3 Installation Question

Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2023 10:17 am
by Ezzie
The other things I am confused about are:
In the Dash configuration, the serial# (address) of each Omnimeter is a 9 digit number. In the Push3 account listing, the serial#'s are 12 digits (3 0's leading the serial#). Is this normal or could it cause an issue?? Also, what is the reason for all of the unique keys (36 characters each). In the Push3 account screen, I see that each meter has a unique account key, each gateway has a unique account key and my Push3 account is assigned a unique account key. Is there a reason for this and how is it used??

Re: Push 3 Installation Question

Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2023 10:27 am
by Ezzie
In the Dash configuration "Edit" menu tab, there are 3 additional tabs labelled "USB", "iSerial" and "Push". If I look at the USB setting, it is set to the COM port on my PC that the Blink is plugged into. I am not using iSerial. If I look at the "Push" setting, I see there is a place to put my account key. I tried to put the unique 36 character "User Account Key" that is displayed in the Push3 account screen in there, but it results in an error message returned from the meter (as displayed in Dash) saying "Invalid EKM Push User Key". I think this needs to be selected and filled in before the Push3 will recognize the meters in my mesh network so why will it not work and says it is an invalid key???

Re: Push 3 Installation Question

Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2023 10:41 am
by Ezzie
From the Push 3 account page, I click on the "account" link in the Meter account key field, the screen that comes up gives me a message "'This account is view-only. Account key is not owned by currently signed in user." Has this got something to do with why I can't read my meters with the Push 3???

Re: Push 3 Installation Question

Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2023 10:36 pm
by Jameson
Hello Ezzie,
what the USB port is for on the Push 3
The USB port is for connecting a USB stick, you can use either the SD card that comes with the Push3 gateway or a USB storage stick to store meter data. If the Push3 gateway loses connection to the internet, it will store data to the SD card or USB stick during the internet downtime and then upload this data when it re-establishes the connection to the the internet.

You do not need the USB Converter or a wireless 485Bee radio to read your Omnimeters. You just hardwire the Omnimeter RS485 A and RS485 B to the A and B of the EKM Push3 gateway (on the left most Terminal Block which has 3 ports, A, B, and Ground). Here are RS485 wiring instructions: https://help.ekmmetering.com/support/so ... ion-device
I have a 485Bee connected to the RS-485 port on the Push3
I would first get the RS485 data working with 1 of your meters and your EKM Push over a twisted pair hardwired connection. Please describe or post a photo of which ports on the Omnimeter your RS485 twisted pair wire is connected to and which ports on the EKM Push your RS485 twisted pair wire connected to. It sounds like you may have gotten sideways in the first step above.
So, I know all my radios and Omnimeters are working fine.
Please post screenshots of your EKM Dash setup. So I can see your Omnimeters and the data (if you dont mind publicly sharing the screenshot of your data)
9 digit number. In the Push3 account listing, the serial#'s are 12 digits (3 0's leading the serial#)
The Omnimeters have a unique 12 digit serial number which is printed on the face of the Omnimeter under the LCD screen. You can ignore the leading zeros for purposes of accessing the meter data or using the APIs. I can see in your Account Portal that your EKM Push is not able to read your Omnimeters.
I see that each meter has a unique account key, each gateway has a unique account key and my Push3 account is assigned a unique account key.
With the EKM Push system we can give you different levels of access to your data based on keys. Each key restricts access to the just the meter number(s) associated with the key.

Master Account Key: This key gives you access to all meters in the Master Account. This key can hold an unlimited number of Omnimeters and EKM Pushes. Our customers are assigned this Account Key when they buy their first EKM Push system. Only Master Account Keys allow meter settings via the Push3 system.

Meter Key: This key gives you access to just a single meter. Each meter comes with its own Meter Key in the Push credential email. Meter keys do not allow meter settings via the Push3 system.

Gateway Key: This key gives you access to just the meters from just a single EKM Push gateway. This key is also what is used if you want to access data directly from the EKM Push gateway using the Local API.

Sub-Account Key: These key gives you access to all meters in the Sub-Account. Sub-Account Keys can be setup to have between 2 and an infinite # of meters in them, from the Master Push Account. EKM will set these up for you upon request. We just need to know the name of the sub-account and the meter numbers to put in the sub-account. Sub-account keys do not allow meter settings via the Push3 system.

How to make Sub-Account keys:
https://help.ekmmetering.com/support/so ... count-keys

Keep your keys in a secure location and do not share them unless you want to give access to your data to a third party. If a third party has your key they will have full access to your meter data.
I tried to put the unique 36 character "User Account Key"
Please copy and paste your account key into the field, do not attempt to write it out by hand.

=====

So first step will be to get your Push3 gateway to read your meter over a hardwired connection. Once you have that working then you can better troubleshoot your connection from the EKM Push cloud to your EKM Dash software.

Re: Push 3 Installation Question

Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2023 9:40 am
by Ezzie
Thanks Jameson, you have answered all of my questions and it is now clearer how this all works. I can't take any of my Omnimeters down from the production 485Bee network since they are deployed at remote locations and being used on my Dash setup. I have another new Omnimeter V.4 in transit from you and once I get it I will hardwire it to the Push3 Gateway and diagnose the problem. I "think" I know what has happened. In speaking with your Customer Service Dept. yesterday, it seems they have deliberately blocked the Push3 gateway I just received. The first gateway I ordered (on Feb. 5th) did not arrive by March 15th so Amazon declared it lost and credited the purchase. I ordered another one on March 16th. I received a gateway on March 23 and assumed it was the second one. It was determined yesterday that the one I received was actually the "lost" one and that the second one I ordered is still somewhere in the mail system. There are no serial#s on the order or shipping paperwork so I couldn't tell at the time. So it seems that the one I am trying to set up now has an invalid key and won't work. Once I get the replacement gateway and the spare Omnimeter, I will try again.

Re: Push 3 Installation Question

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2023 9:02 pm
by Ezzie
I still am unable to move an Omnimeter V.4 from a working Push3 configuration over to a Dash configuratiom running on the COM port of a PC, either hardwired OR using 485bees. The COM port serial protocol defaults to 9600/8/N/1/N (9600 baud, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit, no flow control). What protocol does the Push3 UART for the RS-485 interface get set to and is it configurable???

Re: Push 3 Installation Question

Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2023 5:45 am
by Jameson
The serial settings of a v3 and v4 Omnimeter are 9600 baud, 7 data bits, even parity, 1 stop bit, no flow control:

https://documents.ekmmetering.com/Meter ... ter_v3.pdf
https://documents.ekmmetering.com/Omnim ... arsing.pdf