Products: GPS Tracking System

How to use the AT03 mini GPS tracker

Do you want to know more about the GPS tracker AT03? Maybe when you get the AT03, so many wires and accessories drive you mad, that you don’t have a clue how to use it in the vehicle. Or you are not able to make use of such a GPS tracker even if it can do more than you imagine in GPS tracking areas or fleet management.

let’s check what these I/O ports would bring to us about the GPS tracking issue.

I/O Ports:

Power Cables: PIN 1 (positive) and PIN 3 ( negative).

Theodore cables support the DC power supply from 9v to 40v. There is a good feature that PIN 1 can work as negative and PIN 3 can work as positive. So when users connect them in the “wrong way” (the red cable of PIN 1 connected to the negative, and the black cable of PIN 3 connected to the positive), the device would still work properly.

cables for SOS button( PIN 2 and PIN 4).

PIN 2 is for positive, PIN 4 is for negative. Some users say panic button, too. When somebody presses the SOS button in case of emergency, the device sends out the SOS alarm event to the server by GPRS, as well as an SMS to predefined cellphone numbers. The SMS data includes some info like :

latitude, longitude, speed, GPS signal fix or not, GPS satellite number which the GPS module receives, HDOP which is for measuring the accuracy of GPS positioning, GSM signal strength, distance users take, time

Below is the SOS alarm text message example:

Lat: +2232.5742N
Long: +11403.3990E
Spd: 000km/h
Fix: A
Sat: 04
HDOP: 02.6
GSM:12 Batt:04.18V
Mile: 0.0564
Time: 11/07/11 09:59:29

So please set the cellphone number into the device first if you want to use the panic button in an emergency. If not setting the cellphone number, the GPS tracker only transmits the SOS event data by GPRS to the server, hence sometimes your friends or family members can’t know your status promptly if you are in danger. In some cases faster is better.

When you use the panic button, please note: press the button for 1 second, then release it to avoid the false pressing button. If pressing less than 1 second, the button probably doesn’t generate the signal which should be an interruption to the GPS tracker. The GPS tracker won’t send any alarm out. It would be a disaster…

digital input for engine on/off, door open/close, ignition on/off: PIN 5, PIN 7, PIN 9

PIN 5 and PIN 7 and PIN 9 are used to detect the engine on/off, car door open/close, ignition on/off. Note: PIN 5 is triggered by ground or volt lower than 3v, not triggered by positive of power or volt higher than 3v; PIN 7 and PIN 9 are triggered by positive of power or volt higher than 3v, not triggered by ground or volt lower than 3v.

The other thing is, we apply the debounce of 2 seconds on the digital input detection. If no debounce, the GPS tracking devices possibly receive several on/off signals from the engine or car door due to the surge voltage from some used vehicles. These surge volts would make the device make a wrong judgment or send the data again. if debounce is applied, when the surge voltage happens, the device can judge the result after 2 seconds by overlooking this noise.

The detection range is from 0v to 45v for PIN 5, PIN 7, and PIN 9. If the voltage is higher than 45v, it probably causes the GPS tracking device out of order.

PIN 6 for overspeeding alarm with the support of a buzzer

PIN 6 can be used for sending an overspeeding alarm beeping with the buzzer. There are two wires from the buzzer, one is the red wire which is connected to the positive of power cables, and the other is the black wire which is connected to the PIN 6. Also buzzer should work when external power is available, in other words, the GPS tracker connects to the car battery. first you set overspeeding command fist : *$$$$$$,005,S,X,Y,Z# . when the vehicles move at overspeed status, the GPS tracker would control the buzzer to work immediately: beep, beep, beep. also, the overspeeding event would be sent out meanwhile.

PIN 8 for engine immobilizer

check the link for the engine immobilizer

PIN 10 for fuel level monitoring

The PIN 10 which is an analog input can detect the voltage from 0v to 30v. The fuel level sensor datasheet is below:

Do you want to know how to use fuel level sensors with a GPS tracking device? please click here for more…..