Time and again the terms „data concentrator“ and „data logger“ pop up in the world of Smart Metering. We also use both terms simultaneously for our products. Is there a real difference or are the terms really identical?
We get to the bottom of this question.
Data loggers are electronic devices that automatically record various data over time. The data logger captures data / information from connected sensors and probes and stores these data.
Data concentrators are components of a Smart Metering system. They monitor intelligent meters, the so-called Smart Meters, respectively all connected meters for electricity, water, gas and heat via a communication channel and also communicate with a central system hosted by the energy provider which processes the data from all meters.
That means that the data concentrator captures the data of connected meters and transmits them bundled and compliant with the state of the art to the central system.
„Data concentrator“ is a term specific to the world of Smart Metering. In German, the term is blurred by the Smart Meter Gateway. In international usage, reference is made to a „data concentrator“, a „data concentrator unit (DCU)“ or a „remote data concentrator (RDC)“.
The function of a data logger, that is the data logging (capturing and storing the data) is merely a sub-function of data concentrators. Data concentrators are capable of more: selecting data, creation of time series, fixing storage intervals …
Our products of the MUC family are data concentrators offering a logging function, but much more beyond that.
Our sales department is glad to assist and advise you on the diverse functions and applications under +49 3677 7613066 or sales@solvimus.de.
