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Understanding Meters

More information on Perspio Meters - Odometers, Run Hours and Fuel Used.

Overview

The Assets module surfaces three core meter concepts used across utilisation, servicing and billing workflows:

  • Run Hours – cumulative engine/operating time

  • Odometer – cumulative distance travelled

  • Fuel Used – cumulative fuel consumption

In Perspio, each meter value can originate from one of three sources:

  1. Device – readings produced by the device or its integrations

    • Direct CANBus/ECU data (e.g., Geotab)

    • Device-calculated meters derived from ignition on/off and motion signals

  2. Customer – values provided by your ERP or business system via Data Connectors

  3. Perspio – Perspio-calculated meters using engine/ignition status and Perspio’s own metering engine

Perspio displays the current meter for each asset and keeps track of where the number came from (source), when it last changed, and how it is trending. This article explains what you see on screen, how to navigate, and how to interpret each source.


Meter concepts and how Perspio derives each source

Run Hours

Definition: Total time the asset’s engine or system is “on” (operating).

  • Device

    • CANBus (e.g., Geotab): Reads ECU engine hours directly.

    • Device-derived: The device calculates hours from ignition on/off and motion signals.

  • Customer

    • ERP-provided hours supplied via Data Connectors (e.g., nightly syncs, job close-outs).

  • Perspio

    • Perspio calculates hours by analysing engine/ignition status events and applying its metering engine (handles gaps, debouncing, and outlier suppression).

Typical usage: Service scheduling (e.g., 500 h intervals), warranty, utilisation analytics.

Odometer

Definition: Total distance travelled (typically in kilometres).

  • Device

    • CANBus/ECU odometer where available.

    • Device-derived distance from GNSS tracks if ECU odometer is not supplied.

  • Customer

    • ERP odometer values pushed from customer systems (e.g., post-maintenance adjustments).

  • Perspio

    • Perspio-computed odometer based on validated GNSS distance with smoothing rules and drift controls.

Typical usage: Service intervals (e.g., 10,000 km), lease/billing verification, utilisation.

Fuel Used

Definition: Cumulative fuel consumed.

  • Device

    • CANBus fuel from ECU (preferred where accurate).

    • Device-estimated fuel (less common; depends on device capability and calibration).

  • Customer

    • ERP fuel totals or imported fuel transactions reconciled to cumulative usage.

  • Perspio

    • Perspio-estimated consumption based on run hours, load factors and configured burn-rate models (used when direct fuel data isn’t available).

Typical usage: Fuel efficiency tracking, emissions estimates, cost allocation.

Source selection and precedence

Perspio selects the best available source per meter using tenant rules. A common precedence is:

  1. Device (CANBus/ECU) – highest reliability

  2. Customer (ERP) – authoritative in some businesses

  3. Perspio – gap-fill or calculated backup

Your tenant may configure different priorities. The Source badge on the tile shows what is currently active. Use View details to see alternates and the reason one source is preferred (e.g., CANBus present, ERP override active, Device missing since 03:20).

Validating meters with history

In the Asset Metrics panel:

  • History chart shows the cumulative curve and step changes over time.

  • Events track annotates changes such as Device offline, ERP sync received, Calibration updated.

  • Compare sources overlay (when enabled) plots Device vs Customer vs Perspio to highlight divergence.


Troubleshooting & FAQs

The meter doesn’t match my ERP.
Open View details → Compare sources. If Customer differs from Device, confirm the ERP connector schedule and look for recent overrides (e.g., after a service). Export both histories if needed.

Device source is missing or stale.
Check the Events track for device connectivity gaps. If the device didn’t report, Perspio may fall back to Customer or Perspio until data resumes.

Fuel Used looks too low/high.
Verify the source. If it’s Perspio, review the burn-rate configuration; if it’s Device, confirm CANBus availability for that asset. If it’s Customer, check the ERP feed or recent manual adjustments.

Units are not what I expect.
Use the Unit selector on the Meters section. Tenants can set defaults; user-level preferences may also apply.

Can I force a source?
Source precedence is set at the Asset Level. View more information on this article or speak with your administrator if a different default (e.g., always use ERP for odometer) is required.

Best practices

  • Prefer Device (CANBus) where available for accuracy; otherwise validate Perspio calculations against known behaviours.

  • Use Compare sources during commissioning and after maintenance to make sure values align.

  • Export meter histories for service planning and billing checks, especially after connector or calibration changes.

  • Keep device calibration current (ignition wiring, wheel size, sensor mappings) to improve derived meters.