Polling And Logging Water Meters to Excel or OpenOffice

A complete guide to read data from RS232 or RS485-connected water meters and exporting parsed values directly into a Excel or OpenOffice sheets with your value-column binding.

1. Protocol Configuration: Flow & Water Meters

Communication Type: Active Polling (M-Bus / MODBUS)

Industrial water meters usually communicate via M-Bus (Meter-Bus) over RS232/RS485 using a level converter. Use the 'M-Bus Data Parser' plugin. The logger sends a REQ_UD2 (Request for Class 2 Data) frame to the specific meter address, and the parser will decode the responding telegram into volume, flow rate, and temperature variables.

Apply this base configuration for the serial connection:

{
  "port": "COM2",
  "baud_rate": 2400,
  "data_bits": 8,
  "stop_bits": 1,
  "parity": "even",
  "protocol": "mbus_en13757",
  "poll_interval_ms": 60000
}

2. Database Setup: Microsoft Excel

Use the 'Direct Excel Connection' or 'Local Database' export plugin. RS232 Data Logger uses OLE/DDE to write directly to .xlsx or .csv files, meaning MS Office does not strictly need to be installed on the server.

Use the following SQL script to create your target table. Limit active files to 1 million rows (Excel's maximum). Use the software's 'Log File Rotation' feature to automatically create a new Excel workbook daily or weekly to prevent file corruption.

No SQL required. Create an Excel template with headers in Row 1 (e.g., Timestamp | Port | Value). The software will automatically append new incoming serial data starting at Row 2.

3. Protocol-Specific Troubleshooting

• Receiving garbage hex data instead of M-Bus telegrams: M-Bus strictly requires Even parity. Check your COM port settings in the Data Logger and ensure it is set to 8 Data Bits, 1 Stop Bit, and Even Parity.
• The logger displays non-readable data (strange characters) instead of expected HEX codes: You need to change the "Data View" mode in logger's settings. Select "Display as #XX" for all byte ranges.
• What values can the logger read: M-Bus allows the logger to read all available values at once. The logger exports them as separate values (variables).

4. Database-Specific Troubleshooting

• File is locked or cannot be written to: If a user has the target Excel file open on their desktop, the logger cannot write live data to it. Schedule your data exports during off-hours, or log to a temporary CSV first.
• Excel shows a strange number instead of a date value: This is a formatting issue. You can select a colum data type in our software as 'datetime' and select the necessary date format.
• How can I add column headers for my data: You can create an empty template file and specify it in the settings. When the logger starts a new file, it copies this template to the destination folder, and starts writing data from the configured cell.
• How to use data in the Excel file while the logger writes data to it?: Unfortunately, it is not possible. But, for example, you can create a new Excel file more frequently and use a closed (previous) Excel file for your needs. Or use a database instead and link to your sheet as a data source.