> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.assetinfinity.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Meters and readings

> Recording run hours, cycles and measurements, and using them to trigger maintenance.

A meter is something you count on a machine: run hours, cycles, kilometres, production units,
temperature, pressure, vibration.

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/assetinfinity/95UxrhuglB-erOSy/images/assets/detail-meters.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=95UxrhuglB-erOSy&q=85&s=359dfa06d9657ba6deaa3a1138b25127" alt="The meters tab of an asset" width="2880" height="2070" data-path="images/assets/detail-meters.png" />

## Why they matter

Two reasons:

1. **Meter-based maintenance.** *Every 2,000 run hours* only works if somebody is recording run
   hours. See [triggers](/maintenance/plan-builder).
2. **Condition.** A vibration reading climbing over three months is the machine telling you
   something before it stops.

## Meter types

Configure the types your plant uses under [asset settings](/config/assets) — the name, the unit, and
whether it only ever goes up.

A **cumulative** meter (run hours, cycles) never decreases; a reading below the last one is a
mistake or a replaced counter, and the system will say so. A **point-in-time** meter (temperature,
pressure) goes up and down freely.

## Recording a reading

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="On the handset">
    A technician records the reading at the machine, in the field app, as part of the job. This is
    the normal path and the most reliable, because the person is standing in front of the counter.

    Readings taken offline queue and arrive when signal returns.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="On the asset">
    Open the asset, go to **Meters**, and add a reading. Useful for a catch-up after a manual round.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="From condition monitoring">
    A sensor bound to this meter writes its readings through automatically, which is what turns a
    live measurement into maintenance that comes due on its own. See [sensors](/assets/sensors).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

Every reading records who took it, when, and by what means.

## Rollover and replacement

When a counter is replaced or rolls over, record that rather than entering a lower number as if it
were normal. The history stays correct and meter-based triggers keep working from the right base.

## Who can record readings

Technicians can, by default — it is the most ordinary thing a technician does. See
[roles](/setup/roles).


## Related topics

- [Role reference](/setup/roles.md)
- [Asset settings](/config/assets.md)
- [Sensors and condition alerts](/assets/sensors.md)
- [Working a job](/field/job.md)
- [What this system does](/introduction.md)