Read pulse meters over NB-IoT
Connect up to four meters with an S0 pulse output – electricity, water, gas – to NB-IoT. The pulse output is still the most common output in the field. No new meter, no electrician, no site visits.
meters
interface
configuration
Manual reading visits are your real cost
Based on a conservative estimate of €25 per site visit for technician time, travel, and admin, typical for Central European deployments. Western European costs are typically €40–60.
Hardware is a one-time cost. Reading visits are eliminated permanently. Year 2+ saving equals the full annual visit cost.
Built for these situations
Most electricity meters have an S0 output. Read consumption per tenant, per machine, or per circuit without touching the main meter.
Split consumption into high and low tariff windows. The scripting interface handles the logic on the device itself.
Any water or gas meter with a pulse output reports remotely. IP67 protection and battery operation included.
No power socket nearby? The converter runs on its own battery and even supplies 3.3 V to the connected sensor.
The pulse output is the lowest common denominator in metering. Almost every meter has one, and it is the same regardless of brand. Four inputs cover most sub-metering points we see. If your meter already speaks M-Bus or wM-Bus, those converters are usually a better fit. S0 is the right tool when a simple pulse is all the meter gives you, which is still most of the time.
Every detail counts in the field
Built for harsh environments
- IP67 rated – fully waterproof and dustproof; suitable for outdoor cabinets, basements, and heat stations
- External NB-IoT antenna supplied in the box; route it outside a metal cabinet for full signal when needed
- Euroclamp terminal block – wire all four inputs comfortably
Single battery for up to 10 years
- Single battery 19 Ah D-Cell – primary lithium, −40 °C to +85 °C rated, no self-discharge concerns
- 8 years battery life at SF12, 15-min readings – verified in real deployments
- Over 10 years battery life at 1-hour readings – ideal for billing-grade metering
- User-replaceable battery without tools – sourced from distributors across Europe
Dual battery for up to 20 years
- Dual battery 38 Ah 2xD-cell – double capacity in the same enclosure footprint
- 16 years battery life at SF12, 15-min readings – cuts maintenance visits in half vs. single cell
- Over 20 years battery life at 1-hour readings – set it and forget it
- Drop-in swap – same enclosure, plug-in pack; field replacement takes under two minutes
The best fit for advanced users
A pulse output carries no metadata. The device sees edges on a wire, not units. One pulse can mean 1 Wh, 1 litre, or 10 litres, and only the meter's datasheet says which. There is nothing to auto-detect. The Lua scripting interface is how we map each input to real units and the logic you actually need, and we set it up with you.
Define each meter
Tell the device what a single pulse means for each input. Pulse weight, unit, and debounce if the meter needs it. This is where raw counts become kWh, m³, or litres.
Set inputs and intervals
Pick which of the four inputs are active and set the reading interval. Add alarm thresholds where a spike or a leak should trigger an immediate message, regardless of the interval.
Finish configuration
Save the configuration to the device. You can later change or modify the configuration via downlinks.
Why installers choose retrofit
The pulse output is on almost every meter, regardless of brand or age. Connect up to four devices to a single unit – electricity, water, gas, and more.
If you want to connect ECTS (European Train Control System) and monitor pulse patterns, if you want to implement two-tariff logic or you want to get values from 4 meters via single device, you have the flexibility to do so.
Easy remote configiration. Change meter reading intervals, add meters, or update addressing via NB-IoT downlink, without a site visit.
Designed and produced in the Czech Republic. Full firmware control, Cyber Resilience Act ready, long-term support guaranteed.
One device instead of one radio per meter
Putting a separate wireless module on every pulse meter sounds simple – but it multiplies cost and installation work for points that often sit side by side.
One radio per meter
- Cost multiplies per meter – a separate module and battery for every single pulse output, even when four sit in the same cabinet
- More devices to install and maintain – each one commissioned, mounted, and battery-tracked on its own
- Fixed logic – most simple loggers cannot do dual tariff, on-device history, or custom thresholds
- More airtime – separate uplinks per device add load to the network
- Cost multiplies per meter – a separate module and battery for every single pulse output, even when four sit in the same cabinet
- More devices to install and maintain – each one commissioned, mounted, and battery-tracked on its own
- Fixed logic – most simple loggers cannot do dual tariff, on-device history, or custom thresholds
- More airtime – separate uplinks per device add load to the network
ACRIOS S0 converter
- Up to four meters, one device – connect four pulse outputs to a single converter and a single uplink
- Works with any pulse output – the S0 interface is the same across brands; manufacturer and age do not matter
- Scripting for real logic – dual tariff, sampling, history, and custom alarms run on the device itself
- Remote and replaceable – reconfigure over the air, swap the standard battery without tools
For wM-Bus, M-Bus or Modbus protocols, ACRIOS also makes converters. Ask us if your site has mixed meter types.
- Up to four meters, one device – connect four pulse outputs to a single converter and a single uplink
- Works with any pulse output – the S0 interface is the same across brands; manufacturer and age do not matter
- Scripting for real logic – dual tariff, sampling, history, and custom alarms run on the device itself
- Remote and replaceable – reconfigure over the air, swap the standard battery without tools
For wM-Bus, M-Bus or Modbus protocols, ACRIOS also makes converters. Ask us if your site has mixed meter types.
Works with any NB-IoT network
The pulse concentrator uses UDP protocol over NB-IoT. Any NB-IoT network can receive and forward the frames.
Trusted by teams across Europe
We connected existing pulse meters to NB-IoT with no gateway and no local network. Four meters per device kept the hardware count and the project cost down.
DEPLOYMENT
ACRIOS set the pulse weights and units with us, so the readings arrived already in kWh and m³, ready for our system.
When the network dropped, the device kept counting and resent the last values once it was back. We never lost a reading.
Specifications
Hardware
Order codes
Supported features
- Reads any meter or device with an S0 pulse output
- Connects up to four S0 meters per converter at the same time
- Works with electricity, water, gas and heat meters
- 32-bit pulse counter, up to 33 Hz, inputs up to 24 V
- Configurable pulse weight and units per input via Lua scripting
- Dual-tariff measurement, continuous sampling and history storage via scripting
- Alarm thresholds send an immediate message regardless of the reading interval
- Stores pulse counts and resends the last three values after a network outage
- Battery-powered (single or double) or externally powered versions available
- Dual D-cell batteries provide over 10 years of operation
- User-replaceable battery in battery-powered versions
- NB-IoT communication with the possibility to use any NB-IoT SIM card
- Remote configuration over NB-IoT downlink, including pulse weights and intervals
- Local configuration over cable via ACR-CONFIG and the configuration app
- Firmware updates over the air (FUOTA)
- Reading intervals from 15 minutes
- Works with any NB-IoT operator network
Everything you might need on site
Optional accessories available directly from ACRIOS. Ask us when ordering.
Configuration cable
USB to 3.5mm jack serial cable for local device configuration. FTDI chipset, optically isolated, 1.8 m. Required for first time local setup via scripting interface Lua.
D-Cell battery
Replacement D-cell battery, 19 000 mAh, with a JST-XH 2-pin connector compatible with the converter. Primary lithium cell for long-term battery-powered operation.
2×D-Cell battery
Replacement 2×D-cell battery pack, 38 000 mAh, with a JST-XH 2-pin connector compatible with converter. Double capacity for the longest maintenance-free service life.
Not sure which accessories you need? Ask us when requesting a sample – we'll include what's relevant for your setup.
Works with meters you already have
Verified with 30+ meter models. Any Pulse S0 standard-compliant meter should work, these are confirmed in the lab and in the field.
Frequently asked questions
Everything a first-time buyer typically wants to know. If your question isn't here, ask us directly.
No gateway is needed. The converter communicates over the public NB-IoT network through an NB-IoT SIM card, so it sends data directly to your system wherever there is operator coverage.
NB-IoT now reaches almost everywhere, including indoor and hard-to-access areas. Where the signal is weak, the external antenna can be extended by cable, and we can help verify coverage before deployment.
The converter reads any meter or device with an S0 pulse output, such as electricity, water, gas and heat meters. You can connect up to four meters to a single unit at the same time.
A pulse output carries no units, so one pulse can mean 1 Wh, 1 litre or 10 litres depending on the meter. We use the Lua scripting interface to set the pulse weight and unit for each input, and we configure it with you.
The converter keeps counting and stores the pulse values locally, then sends the last three readings once the connection is restored. You can also set alarm thresholds that trigger an immediate message regardless of the reading interval.
The converter can be remotely reconfigured over NB-IoT, including the active inputs, pulse weights and reading intervals. Settings can be updated without visiting the installation site.
Yes. Sample units are available for testing, pilot projects and integration validation before larger deployments.
Everything you need to integrate
Lua scripting interface
Integration manuals, protocol specs, installation guides, video tutorials.
Do you need support? Connect us via our service desk.
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