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Rossweiner Heatplus Opto key date change procedure – technician access, QUNDIS Q Suite, legal aspects

User question

How to change key date on Rossweiner heatplus opto

Artificial Intelligence Response

Direct answer to the question

• On a Rossweiner Heatplus Opto heat-cost allocator the “key date” (Stichtag) is a protected calibration/billing parameter.
• It cannot be changed from the front push-button or by the tenant/owner.
• It can only be re-programmed by an authorised metering technician using an infrared opto-head and Rossweiner/QUNDIS “Q Suite” (or equivalent) service software, after unsealing the device in service mode.
• Therefore the correct procedure is to contact the property manager or the metering service company and request a technician visit; any attempt to change the date yourself is regarded as tampering and will invalidate the meter for billing.


Detailed problem analysis

  1. Purpose of the key date
    • Heat-cost allocators integrate consumption continuously.
    • Once per year on the key date the current register is copied to “previous period”, then reset to zero – guaranteeing that all devices in a building cover exactly the same billing interval.
    • Because this value is the legal basis for invoicing (in the EU under MID 2014/32/EU and in Germany under Heizkostenverordnung), metrological integrity is mandatory.

  2. Hardware / firmware restrictions
    • Heatplus Opto uses a sealed microcontroller with two memories: running register (volatile) and annual registers (NV-EEPROM).
    • The optical port (IrDA 38 kHz, 2400 Bd) is the only write channel.
    • The front button cycles through a fixed, read-only display loop (current value → last period → segment test → key date, e.g. “31.12”) but never enters a parameter menu.

  3. Service-level change workflow
    a. Technician fits an IrDA opto-head (Rossweiner / QUNDIS EWE512 or compatible) onto the window.
    b. Launches Q Suite or OEM service program on a laptop/hand-held terminal.
    c. Authenticates with “Installer” or “Service” password (higher level than “Reader”).
    d. Reads current parameter set → edits “Stichtag” (format DD-MM) → writes back.
    e. Software forces a checksum and logs the intervention (date, technician ID).
    f. The device’s tamper flag is updated; a new metrological seal number is stored.
    g. Procedure must be repeated on all allocators in the same billing group.

  4. Why user access is blocked
    • Prevents deliberate or accidental data manipulation.
    • Ensures all flats in a building are billed on the same 365 d window.
    • Required by MID, DIN EN 834/835 and national law; broken seals invalidate evidence in billing disputes.


Current information and trends

• Rossweiner devices are now produced under the QUNDIS umbrella; service software versions ≥ Q Suite 5.0 support Heatplus Opto parameterisation.
• Recent models are read remotely via OMS-wireless; key date can be shifted from the backend but still only by accounts with service credentials.
• Sector trend: remote over-the-air configuration with cryptographic signing (OMS Generation 5, LoRaWAN), but user self-programming remains legally excluded.


Supporting explanations and details

• Reading the programmed key date yourself

  1. Press button once → current reading.
  2. Press again → previous period reading (often shown with “M”).
  3. Continue until display shows a date (e.g. “30.09”) – that is the key date.

• Typical opto-head specification
– 9600 Bd half-duplex; galvanically isolated; USB-powered; LED current 20 mA.
– ISO/IEC 11544 modulation, wavelength 870 nm.

• Example of parameter record in Q Suite
Stichtag = “31.12”; Stichtag Alt = “30.09”; Radio Mode = OMS Mode5; AES-Key = xxxxxxxx.


Ethical and legal aspects

• Under German HeizkostenV §5(3) altering a sealed measuring instrument without authorisation constitutes an administrative offence. Similar provisions exist across the EU under MID.
• A landlord must guarantee correct metering; tenants have the right to demand correction, but not to intervene themselves.


Practical guidelines

  1. Document any suspected wrong key date (photo of display).
  2. Notify landlord/property manager in writing.
  3. They open a ticket with the contracted metering service (ista, Techem, Brunata-Metrona, QUNDIS partner, etc.).
  4. Technician visits, re-programmes all devices, issues protocol.
  5. Verify new date via display after visit.

Potential challenges & mitigation
• Building access: arrange apartment availability.
• Out-of-sync devices: insist on whole-building re-parameterisation.
• Cost allocation: usually borne by landlord as part of operating costs.


Possible disclaimers or additional notes

• Very early Heatplus (non-Opto) models from the 1990s lack optical programming; they must be factory-re-flashed – replacement is cheaper.
• Some wireless variants support OTA shift only once per calendar year; beyond that a site visit is unavoidable.
• If your device shows error codes (Err 1, Err 2) the issue is likely sensor failure, not key date.


Suggestions for further research

• Review Rossweiner/QUNDIS “Service Manual Heatplus Opto V4.1” – available to certified partners.
• Study DIN EN 834/835 for technical requirements of heat allocators.
• Follow developments in OMS Gen 5 remote meter configuration and cybersecurity (AES-128 vs. AES-256 migration).


Brief summary

The key date in a Rossweiner Heatplus Opto is a legally relevant, factory-sealed setting. For security and compliance reasons it is not user-adjustable. Changing it requires an authorised technician equipped with an infrared opto-head and Q Suite service software, who must re-programme every allocator in the building and document the action. If the displayed key date is incorrect, the proper route is to inform your property manager and arrange a service visit; any attempt at self-programming constitutes tampering and can invalidate billing.

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Disclaimer: The responses provided by artificial intelligence (language model) may be inaccurate and misleading. Elektroda is not responsible for the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of the presented information. All responses should be verified by the user.