Interval channel entity

An interval channel is a data quantity recorded by a meter on a precise frequency, with a predictable and exact time between readings. Common interval frequencies are 15-minute, 30-minute, and 60-minute.

The interval frequency is commonly called the interval length.

IEE supports several interval lengths for interval channels. Each length value must divide evenly into 60 minutes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20, 30, 60.

Interval Channel Numbers

Each recorded interval quantity represents its own channel on a meter. A meter can have 0 to n channels.

• A two‑channel meter can record both a kWh channel and a kVARh channel.
• The description of a quantity being measured is commonly called the unit of measure (UOM).

Channel numbers usually reference channels on a meter.

The first channel on the meter is channel 1, the second channel is channel 2, and so on. Channel numbers do not directly relate to UOMs. Channel 1 on one meter may measure a completely different quantity than channel 1 on another meter.

Interval Channel Source and Recording Meters

Each interval channel has both a source meter and a recording meter.

• The source meter measures the quantity.
• The recording meter records the results that are measured by the source meter.

The source and recording meters associated with a metered channel can be either separate meters or the same meter.

Where the source and recording meters are separate meters, the source meter is commonly called a pulse meter, and the recording meter is commonly called a recorder.

• A pulse meter can measure and act as the source meter for more than one channel.
• A recorder can record values (pulses) from more than one source meter.

Interval channels traditionally had separate source and recording meters. With most modern meters, the same meter measures and records an interval channel. In this case, both a given channel's source meter and recording meter are the same meter. This meter is commonly called an under‑glass meter, indicating that the recorder is under the glass of the meter.

On most under‑glass meters, you can program the number of channels to record and the quantity to record on each channel. As a result, the channel number that records a particular UOM, or even the UOMs that are being recorded, change at a site as a result of a meter change.