With the rapid advancement of smart energy and the Internet of Things (IoT), gas meters — the vital link between gas suppliers and end users — are undergoing a profound “intelligent revolution.” Once limited to accurate measurement and fair billing, they are now evolving into IoT-enabled smart terminals with capabilities such as safety monitoring, data perception, and intelligent interconnection.
At the heart of this transformation lies a small yet powerful component — HOPERF’s 6862i digital pressure sensor.
1. Enhancing Safety — Detect Problems Before They Happen
Gas safety begins with early detection. Pressure changes are among the most direct and reliable indicators of potential hazards.
Developed independently by HOPERF, the 6862i digital pressure sensor uses a high-sensitivity capacitive sensing principle. It offers high precision, ultra-low power consumption, and a wide measurement range, capable of capturing even the slightest pressure fluctuations in gas pipelines.
When integrated into smart gas meters, the 6862i enables real-time monitoring of pressure variations during gas transmission. It can detect early signs of potential hazards such as leaks, loose valves, or ruptured hoses. Upon sensing abnormal pressure drops, the system can automatically trigger valve closure to isolate the gas source and prevent accidents.
Simultaneously, alerts are transmitted to the cloud via the IoT module — creating a complete safety protection loop of Detection, Cutoff, Alarm and Reporting.
Gas is compressible, and its volume fluctuates with changes in temperature and barometric pressure. When the pressure remains unchanged, the volume of the gas increases with the increase in its absolute temperature. This relationship is described by Gay-Lussac's Law.
The relationship between pressure, temperature and volume
Traditional gas meters measure only the operating volume, but accurate billing requires converting it to the standard volume. With the 6862i’s built-in temperature sensing capability, pressure and temperature compensated metering becomes possible. This feature is essential for both mechanical diaphragm gas meters and ultrasonic gas meters.
The processor inside the gas meter can automatically convert the operating volume to the standard volume using the appropriate formula, ensuring fair billing for users across different regions, temperatures, and barometric pressure conditions:
Standard Volume = Operating Volume × (Actual Absolute Pressure / Standard Absolute Pressure) × (Standard Temperature / Actual Temperature)
The 6862i’s integrated 24-bit high-resolution ADC and temperature drift compensation algorithm greatly enhance measurement linearity and stability, delivering industrial-grade accuracy and ensuring fair, consistent billing for users across varying environmental conditions.
3. Extending Battery Life — Designed for Long-Term Operation
Smart gas meters often rely on battery power, making low energy consumption essential. The 6862i supports three flexible operating modes: Standby/Command/Background, and has a built-in FIFO cache (up to 32 sets of measurement data), which can greatly reduce the polling frequency of the main control processor, thereby significantly reducing the power consumption of the entire device.
Even in battery-powered applications, smart gas meters using the 6862i can achieve years of stable operation, taking into account both performance and battery life.
4. Empowering Data-Driven Operations
When thousands of smart gas meters equipped with 6862i sensors transmit pressure data in real time, gas companies can create a comprehensive “Gas Pressure Map” of their entire network.
This allows for rapid identification of leaks, blockages, or pressure anomalies — transforming manual inspection into intelligent big-data monitoring.
By analyzing temporal and regional pressure distribution, operators can also predict gas demand, optimize dispatch, and improve overall efficiency.
In essence, the 6862i transforms the gas meter from a mere endpoint into a frontline sensing node within the utility’s digital management system.
HOPERF also offers a range of wireless communication solutions, including Sub-G FSK and LoRa, supporting WM-BUS and LoRaWAN networking. While achieving accurate data testing through 6862i, it also facilitates high-speed and stable data transmission through wireless solutions.
Beyond smart gas meters, the 6862i is also widely applied in portable barometers, industrial monitoring systems, weather stations, and outdoor equipment.
Its compact size, waterproof design, and high reliability enable it to perform consistently even in harsh environments, supporting full-scenario sensing “from production to daily life.”
For example, in small weather stations, the 6862i provides high-precision atmospheric pressure and temperature data, ensuring accurate local forecasting and early warning of extreme weather.
Combined with IoT-based data transmission, it supports the shift from manual data collection to fully automated, high-density monitoring, greatly enhancing the timeliness and completeness of meteorological data.
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