Use the table below to see how often Badger Meter endpoints capture and send data to BEACON.
| Endpoint Type | Data Capture Interval | Communication Interval | Communication Method |
| ORION Cellular C | 15-minute | 4x daily, 3 configurable time slots, 1 fixed. | LTE-M network |
| ORION Cellular CS | 15-minute | 4x daily, 3 configurable time slots, 1 fixed. | LTE-M network |
| ORION Cellular LTE-M | 15-minute | 4x daily, 3 configurable time slots, 1 fixed. | LTE-M network |
| ORION Cellular LTE-MS | 15-minute | 4x daily, 3 configurable time slots, 1 fixed. | LTE-M network |
| ORION Cellular HLA | 15-minute | 4x daily, 3 configurable time slots, 1 fixed. | LTE-M network |
| ORION Cellular HLC | 15-minute | 4x daily, 3 configurable time slots, 1 fixed. | LTE-M network |
| ORION Fixed Network (SE) | 60-minute | 1 hour | Fixed network gateways |
| ORION Classic (CE) | 60-minute | Transmits every 4 seconds | Manual or mobile read transceiver/receiver |
| GALAXY TR2 | 360-minute | 6 hours | Fixed network gateway |
| GALAXY TR3 | 60-minute | 6 hours | Fixed network gateway |
| Barnacle V3 | 60-minute | 1x daily | CDMA network |
| Barnacle V2 | 60-minute | 1x daily | CDMA network |
Read Time versus Communication Time
The terms read time and communication time are often confused as being the same, when they are different things.
- Read time refers to the moment when an endpoint collects a read from a meter.
- Communication time refers to the moment when an endpoint sends data to BEACON.
Many endpoints collect reads at the top of each hour, others collect reads every 15 minutes. Endpoints communicate with BEACON, sending reads and other data once every 24 hours, once every six hours, or in the case of LTE-M endpoint at three configurable intervals and one fixed interval per day. For all but LTE-M endpoints, the exact hour(s) of the day that that communication occurs is set randomly for each individual endpoint. This is done to distribute network traffic and enhance system performance.
As a backup to regular communication via cellular network, most ORION cellular endpoints transmit a backup RF message that lets you obtain Quick Reads and helps you troubleshoot in the field. In this Dynamic RF Messaging mode, the endpoint begins to transmit its mobile message when it has been unsuccessful at communicating with BEACON via cellular network for 72 hours. That said, when an endpoint is unable to communicate with BEACON, it continues to try to connect to the system until it is successful. Depending on how long the gap in communication is and the endpoint type, BEACON might calculate and display estimated reads.
After an endpoint has communicated with BEACON, it takes time for the system to process and display the reads in the Monitor page consumption graph and on cards. How much time varies based on other tasks the system is handling when the reads are received.
