Knowing your meter’s firmware version is an important bit of information. Many hardware manufacturers embed firmware in their products and then release CyberSecurity updates on that firmware and expect customers to resolve these updates in the field. This article outlines three specific methods to check firmware in ION meters.
Option 1: Using ION Setup
Firstly, establish a communication link to your meter. Using ION Setup on your computer, (if you don’t already have this free tool, contact APT and we can help you get it installed), open the tool.
Secondly, enter your credentials, the default User is Supervisor and the Password is 0.
Thirdly, check the box that you are directly connecting to the meter with your computer, this will open a window in which you can select how you are connecting to the meter.
When ION Setup opens, you will need to select the meter/device from the left side of the page, since you are directly connecting then the window will open to the meter.
After that, navigate to and click on the stethoscope icon, this will open up the device diagnostics.
Finally, navigate to and click on the General tab to find the meter firmware version.
If you don’t have ION Setup
Find the firmware version by pressing a few buttons on the front display.
Option 2: From the Meters Display
First, like this PM8000 meter, press the Home button on the front of the meter to open the Home screen with several tabs to select from.
After that, scroll down using the down arrow button until you find the Nameplate selection, then press enter (the button below the checkmark icon).
The Nameplate screen shown to the left will open and display the meter information including the firmware version.
Pressing the home button will return the screen to the default summary screen.
Last But Certainly Not Least
You can use the power monitoring software itself to inventory all the connected devices and display their firmware information. This option only works for software supported devices. Moreover, it assumes you already have a connection from the meter to the power monitoring software.
APT’s Specialty
We help our clients maintain their meter inventory and electrical infrastructure for hardware, firmware, and software. For more than twenty-five years we have been a trusted partner for businesses large and small. For more information, subscribe to the APT blog or contact us for help on tools to manage your meter inventory.
Nick Skarvelis, Senior Electrician APT