---
title: "How to create meters?"
slug: "1723138791"
tags: ["Assets"]
updated: 2026-11-03T17:21:41Z
published: 2026-11-03T17:21:41Z
canonical: "help.ila.cegid.com/1723138791"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.ila.cegid.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How to create meters?

- [x] PT
- [x] ES

---

Meters allow you to monitor operating **parameters** of assets, to trigger **preventive maintenance** actions. They can work as standalone units or have other meters associated with them.

---

## Create a meter

To create a meter, follow these steps:

1. Go to **Assets | Measurements | Meters**;
2. In the list of meters, click on **Create**;
3. On the creation screen, fill in the meter details:
  - **Meter**;
  - **Description** (required);
  - **Meter Type**: **Reading** or **Increment**;
  - **Unit** (required);
  - **Asset** section: associate the meter with an element, through the **Location Function**, **Family**, **Brand**, **Model** and **Asset Type** fields;
  - **Characterization** section;
  - **Average** section: **Average Calculation Method** and **Window Size of Moving Average**;
  - **Characteristics** section: in each row, fill in the **Characteristic**, **Value Type**, **Value**, **Unit** and **Enum Value** columns. If more rows are needed, click on the **+** icon;
  - **Remarks**;
4. Click on:
  - **Save and New**, to save the meter and start a new record;
  - **Save**, in the arrow next to the **Save and New** button, to save only the meter.

---

## Associate a meter with an element

When creating a meter, you must associate it with one of the following elements. The element defines the assets for which meter values can be recorded:

| Element | Value recording |
| --- | --- |
| Location function | You must select a location that has that location function. |
| Family | You must select equipment or a tool of that family. |
| Brand | You must select equipment or a tool of that brand. |
| Brand and model | You must select equipment or a tool of that brand and that model. |
| Location | You can only record for that location. |
| Equipment | You can only record for that equipment. |
| Tool | You can only record for that tool. |

If the meter has a parent meter, the following rules apply:

- **Location function**: you can only select a parent meter that has the same location function;
- **Family**: you can only select a parent meter that has the same family;
- **Asset** (location, equipment or tool): you can only select a parent meter that has the same asset.

---

## Assign characteristics

In the **Characteristics** tab, you can assign one or more characteristics to the meter. These can be of the following types:

1. Number;
2. Text;
3. Date/Time;
4. Boolean (true or false);
5. Enum.

When saving the record, the following validations are performed:

- No repeated characteristics can exist;
- **Number**: checks if the text entered in the **Value** field is a number, if the number of decimal places matches the characteristic's unit, and if the separator matches the user's language;
- **Date/Time**: checks if the text entered in the **Value** field is a date, a time, or both;
- **Boolean**: checks if the value entered in the **Value** field is **0 (False)** or **1 (True)**;
- **Enum**: checks if the **Enum Value** matches the **values of the selected characteristic**.

---

## Define the average calculation

A meter's average can be calculated in three ways:

- **Global**: average of the meter value based on **all meter readings prior to the current reading**. The value of the first reading is subtracted from the current reading, and the result is divided by the difference in days between the two readings. If there are readings only on the same day as the current record, the average is the difference between the current record and the first reading;
- **Moving Average Days**: average calculation based on the readings recorded in a **set of days prior to the current record**. If there are no readings in that interval, the reading from the record prior to the current record is used. The number of days is defined in the **Window Size of Moving Average** field;
- **Moving Average Reading**: average calculation based on the **number of previous readings**. That number is defined in the **Window Size of Moving Average** field.

> [!WARNING]
> For the average to be calculated when meter values are recorded, the **Window Size of Moving Average** field must be **greater than zero**.