What is Telemetry?

Even before the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) is set to address water sharing and project managements on River Krishna between Telangana State and Andhra Pradesh, a fresh dispute has arisen between the two Telugu speaking States. The two State governments have locked horns on the installation of telemetry system to gauge water consumption at Nagarjunasagar and Srisailam canals and lift irrigation projects on the River Krishna in both the States.

The Krishna River Management Board has proposed to install telemetry equipment at some points to gauge the quantum of water being used by the two Telugu States. The AP government is accused of making fuss over the points where the system is to be put in place. The objective of installing telemetry system is to share information on the consumption of water between the two States from time to time as they are often squabbling with each other over river water sharing.

Telemetry is an automated communications process by which measurements and other data are collected at remote or inaccessible points and transmitted to receiving equipment for monitoring. The word is derived from Greek roots: tele = remote, and metron = measure. Systems that need external instructions and data to operate require the counterpart of telemetry, telecommand. Although the term commonly refers to wireless data transfer mechanisms (e.g., using radio, ultrasonic, or infrared systems), it also encompasses data transferred over other media such as a telephone or computer network, optical link or other wired communications like power line carriers.

Many modern telemetry systems take advantage of the low cost and ubiquity of GSM networks by using SMS to receive and transmit telemetry data. A telemeter is a device used to remotely measure any quantity. It consists of a sensor, a transmission path, and a display, recording, or control device. Telemeters are the physical devices used in telemetry.

Electronic devices are widely used in telemetry and can be wireless or hard-wired, analog or digital. Other technologies are also possible, such as mechanical, hydraulic and optical. Telemetry may be commutated to allow the transmission of multiple data streams in a fixed frame. Major applications include AMR (automatic meter reading), groundwater monitoring, leak detection in distribution pipelines and equipment surveillance, according to Wikipedia.