Patent ID: 11940311
Assignee: ITRON, GLOBAL SARL
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 10:
11. A method of manufacturing gas meters having at least two designs, the method comprising:
installing a first instance of a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) into a first gas meter, wherein the PCBA comprises:
a processor;
a memory device in communication with the processor; and
commands stored in the memory device, comprising:
first commands stored in the memory device and accessible by the processor to operate a first metrology device of the first gas meter;
second commands stored in the memory device and accessible by the processor to operate a second metrology device of a second gas meter, wherein the second gas meter is configured to measure gas flows that are greater than can be measured by the first gas meter;
third commands to recognize which one, between the first metrology device and the second metrology device, is in communication with the processor, thereby recognizing an available metrology unit; and
fourth commands for selecting and executing only one of the first commands or the second commands, wherein the selecting is based on a type of the available metrology unit recognized by the third commands;
installing a second instance of the PCBA into the second gas meter;
installing the first instance of a first bus pass-through device in the first gas meter to allow first data communications between, but prevent a first gas-exchange between, an air-environment and a gas-environment of the first gas meter; and
installing the second instance of a second bus pass-through device in the second gas meter to allow second data communications between, but a second prevent gas-exchange between, an air-environment and a gas-environment of the second gas meter.