Thread by @VkBoit

Why do we have to key in tokens after buying them?

Since this works, then it simply means that the hardware communicates with the server to verify the keyed-in token code to verify its validity. So why not just query the server automatically? 🧵1/9

With this in mind I concluded that it had to be a firmware issue and as such an update on the firmware should solve this.

I was consulting for a company who are buying the smart meters for gas and water from China and they were using similar APIs as KPLC use.

Except that this one uses #LoRa while the KPLC smart meters use PLC(Power Line Communication: it's why you have to plug in that device on a wall socket to top up). While at it, I got to understand more how it works.

Since the devices(Meter and Switch) are theirs(Chinese Metering Company), then the communication server is theirs and all KPLC does is interact through a user interface provided to generate tokens and do very little. It's why broken power meters are replaced and not fixed.

And why a small firmware update like what I think would reduce this redundancy of buying and keying in tokens cannot be done, because they are not allowed to tamper with the meters in any way.

A fix like this would in turn reduce the cost of the meter since there wouldn't be need for a keypad or screen, heck even the small token-input device altogether.

If there is an available server with all the information about my meter, then why not build an #IoT UI where you can login and view all this data? This is what we do at Veno Autobotics(@veno_it ) btw

We build hardware(smart meter) to source data, build platforms to visualize and analyze them and use the hardware to actuate the respective action (switch off a meter when token runs out).

This also gave me a thought on how easy it would then be to mitigate power theft. But that is the premium info I'll disclose to the KPLC team as they let us work on a solution for this ;)