Industry
Smart Water and Utility Metering Electronics
Utility metering electronics are installed and largely forgotten for a decade. Battery life targets are contractual commitments, and per-unit key injection traceability is part of the security and metrology obligation. Assembly has to handle LiSOCl2 cell passivation correctly, and every test record needs to survive long after the production run ends.
Buyer pains we hear most
- Sleep current variance between units directly undermines the 10-year battery life claim
- LiSOCl2 cell passivation during reflow thermal profiles requires careful process control
- Per-unit key injection for encrypted wM-Bus payload must be traceable to individual serial numbers
- Metrology documentation is required even when the contract manufacturer is not the legal manufacturer under MID
Typical product traits
- Sub-microamp sleep MCU with aggressive power gating
- LiSOCl2 primary cell with passivation-aware handling in assembly
- Ultrasonic transducer or pulse input flow front end
- Encrypted wM-Bus payload with per-device key management
Regulatory environment
Wireless M-Bus
EN 13757-4
Measuring Instruments Directive
2014/32/EU (MID)
EU Radio Equipment Directive
2014/53/EU (RED)
Heat meter standard
EN 1434
Test plan considerations
- Per-unit sleep current measurement against maximum threshold with full production traceability
- wM-Bus transmission and reception functional test with encrypted payload verification
- LiSOCl2 cell voltage and passivation recovery check before final assembly
- Per-unit key injection verification with record tied to serial number
Frequently asked questions
How do you handle embedded software and secure provisioning?
We support X.509 certificate enrollment, secure-element key injection (ATECC608, NXP EdgeLock), eFuse and OTP programming, and provisioning to AWS IoT Core, Azure DPS, and custom PKI. Private keys can be HSM-generated and never exposed to host systems.
How do you serialize and label units?
Per-unit MAC, UID, and serial number assignment with GS1 DataMatrix or QR labels. Polyimide or polyester label stock based on environmental requirements. Every label is logged against board lot, firmware hash, and test result for full traceability.
Do you support RoHS and REACH compliance?
Yes. We work with RoHS-compliant component selection and SAC305 lead-free solder by default. REACH substance documentation comes from supplier declarations forwarded with each batch.
Quote smart water and utility metering electronics
Send your product files and a short description. We respond within one business day.