1. Program equipment on the Equipment page

Program equipment on the Equipment page

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The Equipment page is where you program a property's devices one at a time: the Gateway, Repeaters, and each unit's Transceivers, Remote Readers and Leak Sensors. For programming a new property or making large changes, we recommend the Program page.

Before you start

The property needs a listing with its buildings and units. See Create a property listing, then add the buildings and units: see Add buildings and units below, or Program a new property on the Program page.

Scan serial numbers, don't type them

Serial numbers are easy to misread or mistype. Use a barcode scanner, or the Cloud Scanner in the NCSS mobile app, whenever you enter one.

Add buildings and units

On the property's Equipment page, select + Add:

  • Add a Unit: one unit. Choose its building, name it, and pick a utility type to start programming it.
  • Add Multiple Units: several units in a building that already exists.
  • Add a Building: a new building and its units.

Add a building

Select + Add, then Add a Building.

Web portal Equipment page with the + Add menu open: Add a Unit, Add Multiple Units and, below a line, Add a Building, which is outlined in orange.

In Name, type the building's name and select it with (Create New). Add a Description if you like.

The New Units window. Building 5 (in this example) has been typed in the Name field, and the option under it, Building 5 (Create New), is highlighted. The field and the option are outlined in orange. Under # of Units, 10 is entered, and Auto Increment is checked.

Under # of Units, enter how many units the building has. With Auto Increment on, name the first unit and the others are numbered after it (Unit 1, Unit 2 and so on). You can change any name. Then select Save.

The New Units window filled in for a new building: Name is Building 5 (in this example), Description is empty, and # of Units is 10 with Auto Increment checked. The unit count, Auto Increment and the first unit name, Unit 1, are outlined in orange; the units below are numbered Unit 2 to Unit 10. Save, at the bottom right next to Cancel, is outlined in orange too.

Add Multiple Units opens the same window, but with an existing building already in Name (Add a Building leaves it empty). Keep it to add units to that building, or type a new name to create a building.

Program the Gateway and Repeaters

Open the property, select Equipment, then the Network tab.

Web portal Equipment page for a property (Rohan Apartments in this example), with Equipment selected in the left menu and the Network tab selected at the upper right, next to Units. With no Gateway on the property yet, the page shows Program a Gateway with an empty Serial Number field, which has a small barcode icon at its right end. A File button is at the upper left.

Select the Gateway's Serial Number field and scan the barcode. It's on the back of the Gateway and on its box.

Under Repeaters, select the Serial Number field and scan each Repeater's barcode. It's on the back of the Repeater and on its box.

The Repeaters section of the Equipment page's Network tab: under the Repeaters heading, Program a Repeater with an empty Serial Number field, which has a small barcode icon at its right end.

Add a location, description and comments

Select a Gateway or Repeater to open its details.

A Gateway's details, open on the Network tab (serial number DA101313 in this example, marked Synced). On the left is a street map with the device icon on it. In the middle are its connections: Cellular Disabled (AT&T), Ethernet Disconnected and WiFi Disconnected. On the right are a connection diagram and the Sync History chart. A blue strip along the bottom has Description, Comments (0) and Enable Cellular on the left and Delete on the right.

  • Location: drag the device icon on the map to where the device is, or will be, installed.
  • Description: notes about where the device is.
  • Comments: anything else worth knowing.

Program a device on a unit

This covers Transceivers, Remote Readers and Leak Sensors. To see a unit's reads and details afterwards, or add notes, see The Unit Details page.

Open the property and select Equipment. On the Units tab, find the unit and select Program a Device.

Equipment page, Units tab. Building 1 (10 Units) is selected in the building list on the left, with + Add a Building below it. On the right are Unit 101, Unit 102 and Unit 103, each with a Program a Device button at its right end.

Select a utility type, or Leak Sensor.

The window for Unit 103 of Building 1 (in this example), with Delete, Notes and Edit Unit at the upper right. It reads: Before you can program equipment here, you will need to select a utility type. To get started, choose one below. The choices are Water, Gas and Electric, then, below a line, Leak Sensor. At the bottom: Need other options? and a Show More Utilities link.

If the unit already has a utility type but no device, you go straight to the Program a Device field instead. You can change the utility type there if you need to.

The Edit Unit 102 window (in this example), for a unit that already has a utility type. Building (Building 1) and Unit (Unit 102) are at the top. Below, the Program a Device field shows Serial Number, with a barcode icon at its right end, then a water-drop icon, the Utility Type menu set to All Water, and + Add Meter. Cancel and Save Unit are at the bottom right.

Scan the device's barcode into the serial number field.

TransceiverRemote ReaderLeak Sensor

The barcode is on the side of the Transceiver.

The edit window for unit 101 of building 1149 (in this example), with an All Water section. The Transceiver field holds the serial number BA000003, with a green check mark. Next to it are Meter Type, Generic Meter (x100 Gallons), and Initial Meter Read (IMR), 29 Gallons. A Show More link is below. + Add a New Meter is at the bottom left, and Cancel and Add Unit are at the bottom right.

Programming 3rd party devices

3rd party devices can only be programmed through a file upload, when a 3rd party system is first upgraded. If a 3rd party device stops working, replace it with a NextCentury device.

For more about upgrading a 3rd party property, see 3rd Party Equipment Upgrade.

Choose the meter type. The Meter Type menu lists meters you've already used for this utility; for a new one, use the Meter Builder. The meter type fills in the multiplier and unit of measure, which are required and stay highlighted in red until they're filled in.

If the device is connected to a pulse output meter, also enter an IMR (Initial Meter Read). For RR4-TRs, select the meter signal type. To set up a second meter, select + Add Meter on Port 2.

Animation of choosing a meter type. First, in Edit Unit 101 (building 1149 in this example), the Transceiver has Generic Meter (x10 Gallons) as its meter type, and selecting the meter icon at the end of the Meter Type field opens the Meter Type Builder. Second, typing Ne in Manufacturer lists matching makers, such as Neptune, Generic and NextCentury, and NextCentury is chosen. Third, M201C is chosen as the Model, with Multiplier 10, Unit of Measure Gallons and Size 3/4, and a meter drawing reading 1 Pulse = 10 Gallons. Last, Save closes the builder, and the Meter Type field now reads M201C NextCentury (x10 Gallons).

Recommended: enter the meter serial number. Optional: add a custom ID.

Edit Unit 101 (building 1149 in this example), All Water section, opened with Show More. Transceiver BA000003, Meter Type M201C NextCentury (x10 Gallons) and IMR 29 Gallons are filled in. Below them, Meter Serial Number is 204D68 and Custom Meter ID is 123456. Save Unit is at the bottom right.

Select Save Unit to save your changes, or Cancel to discard them.

Add another utility to a unit

A unit can have a device for each utility, for example cold and hot water.

Select the unit, then Edit.

Select + Add a New Meter, then choose the utility type to add.

Animation in the Edit Unit 2 window (building 1255 in this example), which has a Cold Water section with a Transceiver. Selecting + Add a New Meter at the bottom left opens a list of utility types: All Water, Hot Water, Commercial Water, Gas, Electric, Run Time and Thermal Usage. Choosing Hot Water adds a Hot Water section under Cold Water, with empty Device Serial Number, Meter Type (Enter meter type) and Initial Meter Read (IMR) fields.

Program the new utility's device the same way, from step 3 above, and select Save Unit.

What happens next

Once you save, the programming syncs to the Gateway automatically.

Due to updated regulations and product improvements, Next Meters reserves the right to change the product specifications without notice.