Patent ID: 7616656

Claim:
An intelligent electronic metering device for communicating over a network via an open channel, the device comprising: an adapter to couple the electronic metering device to the network and to receive a message in a protocol of the network, the message including a request formatted in at least one metering communication protocol, wherein the adapter formats the request in a serial protocol of the electronic metering device by stripping a network protocol header and footer from the message in the protocol of the network and building a serial header and footer of the serial protocol around the request without changing the request, the protocol of the network being different than the serial protocol; a serial channel coupling the adapter to a processor; and the processor to receive the request from the adapter through the serial channel after the adapter formats the request in the serial protocol, generate a response to the request and transmit the response to the adapter via the serial protocol of the electronic metering device, wherein the adapter formats the response in the protocol of the network by building a network protocol header and footer around the response without changing the response and transmits the response with the network protocol header and footer over the network via an open channel.