M-Bus Meter Reading Software

What it does

M-Bus Meter Reading Software is a Windows desktop program that reads meters on a wired M-Bus (EN 13757) line through a computer's serial port. The main screen is a single table: each row is one meter, holding the flat number, the occupant's name, the meter number, the register values and the consumption side by side. A field team can read every meter in a building in one session and see the results straight away in that table.

Its main functions:

• Scan: probes the primary addresses from 0 to 250 one by one and adds every meter that answers to the list. When meter addresses are unknown, this step builds the list.
• Read: reads the meters in the list one after another, decodes the data and writes it into the table.
• Excel import and export: the meter list can be imported from Excel and the readings exported back to it, so flat and occupant details are prepared once and reused every billing period.
• Reading history: past readings are stored per meter and remain in place after the program is closed and reopened.
• Backup and restore: the meter list and settings are backed up in one step and restored when needed.
• Special read and reset commands: some meters have their own read-and-reset step.

The program reads meters that communicate over the EN 13757 protocol, regardless of brand.

How it works

The computer connects to the meter line through an M-Bus master converter. With a USB M-Bus master there is no separate driver to hunt for; it ships with the reading program's installer. In the settings, the user picks the COM port and the timeout values.

Once reading starts, the program wakes each meter in turn, requests its data telegram, decodes the reply and writes it into the matching row. If a meter does not answer, or the line drops at that moment, the program keeps running: the row is marked red and it moves on to the next meter. When the run finishes, the missing meters stand out in the table and only those need to be tried again.

For troubleshooting, a separate window shows serial port traffic; it is capped so long sessions do not slow the interface down.

Technology

The program is built with Python 3 and PyQt5, and telegram decoding relies on an open-source M-Bus library. It installs into the user's own application folder and does not need administrator rights. The meter list and settings live in a configuration file, while the reading history is kept in a local SQLite database in the installation folder.

Licensing is tied to the hardware. The program derives a product code from the computer's hardware; the licence key is bound to that code with an RSA-2048 / SHA-256 signature, and its expiry date is checked. Because the operating system version is not part of the product code, Windows updates do not break the licence, while the same key is rejected on another computer. Without a licence the table is limited to 300 rows, and the scan and special reset steps are disabled.

At start-up the program checks for a newer version. A downloaded installer is verified against its SHA-256 digest; if the digest does not match, the file is deleted without being run. The interface is available in Turkish and English.

Where it is used

The software is designed for periodic, on-site reading of meters in apartment buildings and housing complexes wired with an M-Bus line. Because the table keeps flat and occupant details on the same row as the meter, a reading can feed straight into consumption sharing or billing preparation. An Excel file serves as the shared format between the two steps.

For reading teams, unknown addresses are found by scanning, the list is set up once and reused every period. Meters that fail to answer show up on site immediately, and past readings are ready for comparison next time.

Product site

The current installer is downloaded from the product site, m-bus.com.tr, which also distributes program updates. The same site presents the M-Bus master converters and the wM-Bus reading program built for wireless meters.