Security company InfiniDome has partnered with one of Israel’s largest vehicle tracking and fleet management companies to simulate a real-world car theft scenario.
The test recreated a scenario in which criminals deploy in-car GNSS jammers to disable location reporting systems. Two identical tracking units were installed: one protected by OtoSphere-Lighthouse (80×78.5x28mm, 180g), infiniDome’s newest anti-jamming module for commercial use, and one left unprotected.
Credit: InfiniDome
As jamming began inside the vehicle, the unprotected tracker quickly lost GPS signal and failed to transmit location. In contrast, the protected unit maintained full functionality, continuously reporting real-time data throughout the test.
The trial demonstrated the reliability of infiniDome’s technology in commercial environments, the company said. The OtoSphere-LightHouse module was developed to deliver advanced anti-jamming protection for critical applications. As GPS has become essential across industries — from logistics to emergency service — so have the risks.
InfiniDome’s presence at the International Drone Show in Denmark June 18–19, comes at a time when European stakeholders are actively seeking solutions to protect UAVs, maritime, and fleet operations from GNSS disruption — a risk that’s no longer theoretical.
Taoglas announced its smallest 9-in-1 combination antenna with dual-band GNSS and high-performance 5G/4G, the Taoglas MA990 Guardian.
Taoglas made the announcement at Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona 2022, which takes place Feb. 28–March 3; Taoglas is exhibiting at booth #5E32.
The Taoglas MA990 Guardian antenna is a small 9-in-1 combination antenna with dual-band GNSS (L1/L2) and globally supported cellular (5G/4G). It has been designed to support emerging market demand for modules that cover specific 5G/4G bands.
For example, two of its eight cellular MIMO antennas cover from 600 to 6,000 MHz, while another two are optimized for 3,000 to 6,000 MHz to cover high-band 5G and C-band/CBRS applications. The product is designed to operate on all carrier networks globally and is future-proofed to work with latest 5G routers in the market.
Housed in a low-profile, robust, IP67-rated waterproof, adhesive-mount external enclosure, the MA990 is designed for space-constrained, mission-critical applications, including asset and vehicle tracking, first- responder vehicles and high-definition video sources such as surveillance cameras.
The Taoglas MA990 also is highly customizable, including for any variation of antennas below 9-in-1 and the addition of Wi-Fi/single-band GNSS.
SA2012 offers customers configurable GPS tracking device on the latest 4G network
Photo: SkyBitz
SkyBitz has launched the SA2012, equipped with the latest 4G LTE with 3G fallback, positioned for the light- to medium-duty vehicle tracking market.
With the option to purchase a range of price packages with configurable feature sets, the SA2012 is designed for customers looking for a scalable vehicle telematics solution they can use to increase profit margins and satisfy customer demand.
The hardware can be installed using the Ops Center mobile device, either directly plugging it into the vehicle diagnostic port or covertly installing it behind the dashboard, depending on customer preference.
Once installed, the device feeds into the SkyBitz Ops Center platform, where users can manage the new device alongside all others via a single interface. Customers will have coverage across North America, including Mexico and Canada.
The basic package includes GPS location data and estimated odometer and engine hours. With several options leading up to the Pro package, SkyBitz offers a variety of location, engine, and safety data that can be selected based on the customers’ operational goals and budget.
Customers can configure their solution with minimal training, adding features such as advanced alarms and notification schedules and over-the-air upgrades when future features are released.
“SkyBitz strives to bring the latest technology to market that meets industry demand but also exceeds our customers’ expectations. This is one more device added to the SkyBitz product line that is now delivered on the latest network, and integrated into the SkyBitz Ops Center platform so customers can easily see vehicle and asset data on one dashboard,” said Debbie Sackman, senior product manager with SkyBitz. “This device targets small and medium businesses and offers a flexible package choice where customers can add additional features with OTA upgrades as their business grows.”
Arvento’s imt.x1 has a six-axis gyro sensor that can sense three-dimensional movement caused by emergency acceleration, panic braking and directional yaw and drift.
With connectivity options including dual CANBus and Bluetooth, the system is also eCall compatible and captures and provides data for accident analysis and other vehicle tracking functions. The system also uses the next-generation powerful Arm-based microcontroller.
This latest launch is yet another product of a successful, eight-year strategic partnership between Arvento and u-blox. “U-blox is more than a supplier,” said Özer Hıncal, Arvento’s general manager. “As a global leader in the IoT [internet of things] industry providing high-performance IoT modules, platforms and support services, u-blox is our trusted solutions partner, working closely with us to address customer demands and issues.”
As for previous Arvento products, collaboration with u-blox was a key factor in the imt.x1 product development process. The system’s high position sensitivity and accuracy are based on integration of u-blox’s 2G, 4G and 5G-ready cellular modules as well as GNSS modules.
The development of the imt.x1 aligns with Arvento’s vision and mission as a developer of advanced fleet telematics and vehicle tracking devices and will be available from August 2019.
The device combines u-blox GNSS, 4G and Wi-Fi technology, eliminating the need to equip vehicles with a separate mobile Wi‑Fi hotspot.
According to the companies, the StartLink TrackerWi‑Fi is suitable for applications for connected cars, telematics, vehicle diagnostics, fleet management, vehicle security, usage-based insurance, and rental and leasing service companies.
The internet of things (IoT) and connected-car initiatives are providing rental car companies and transportation and logistics firms with tools to track vehicles, preemptively detect and diagnose disturbances from a distance, and monitor the behavior of their drivers in real time. ERM has more than 1.8 million vehicle fleet-tracking devices deployed on roads world-wide.
As onboard Wi‑Fi becomes increasingly widespread, many companies are fitting vehicles with Wi‑Fi hotspots to offer drivers and passengers internet access. With its integrated Wi‑Fi hotspot, ERM’s StarLink TrackerWi‑Fi lets users tap into the cellular 4G connectivity to transfer telematics data to the fleet manager. This makes it possible to send real-time telematics data to the driver’s smart device or onboard infotainment system, and it also reduces the number of SIM cards needed from one per device to one per vehicle.
Sourcing the GNSS tracking, cellular 4G LTE, and Wi‑Fi technology from u-blox played a key role in achieving the device’s fast time to market. By using u‑blox’s pre-tested positioning and communications modules with integrated software, the manufacturer was able to cut the time needed for production and development by several months.
“We saw an opportunity to provide more values to our customers by adding Wi‑Fi hot spot functionality to our StarLink Tracker, our leading telematics product, but knew that we had to be quick to stay ahead of the game,” said Kfir Lavi, senior vice president of ERM Advanced Telematics.
“Our partners are always at the top of our priorities, and we are working to adapt our offerings to the market demands and the changing needs of their customers. Working with u‑blox as the provider of the positioning and wireless communication technology helped us move from concept to commercialization in under six months and provide our partners with an advanced product in a short time,” Lavi said.
“This successful collaboration demonstrates that we have evolved from a provider of individual technologies, namely GNSS positioning, cellular 4G connectivity, or short range radio communication, to a provider of solutions that bundle these technologies,” said Thomas Seiler, CEO of u-blox. “We are seeing increased demand for such bundled solutions and are convinced that the close integration of our technology portfolio offers our customers the unique ability to jump-start even challenging projects on extremely short notice.”
Reyax Technology, a telematics tracking systems provider for the automotive industry, has developed an industrial high-integration 3G GNSS tracking platform, the Reyax RY277AI, which is fully based on technology from u-blox.
“Our vehicle tracking platforms are dependent on highly accurate position data to deliver the performance crucial to meet the demands of our customers. u-blox’s highly reliable products as well as a flawless technical support were convincing,” said Ritchie Chang, general manager of Reyax Technology. “u blox’s MAX M8C positioning module and SARA U270 cellular module were the right choice for this new platform,” he added.
RY277AI is designed for 3G telematics applications, in particular vehicle tracking, fleet management and insurance box. With both MAX-M8C and SARA U270 modules embedded, it also benefits from two of u blox’s GNSS and wireless technology services. With AssistNow, Assisted GNSS (A-GNSS) accelerates the calculation of a position by delivering satellite data to the GNSS receiver via wireless networks or the Internet, also ensuring faster TTFF (time to first fix).
CellLocate, another of u-blox’s trademarked technologies, matches cellular positioning data with previously successful GNSS fixes in shielded environments such as indoors. This is especially useful in case of jammed GNSS signals and in M2M applications. Additionally, u-blox’s nested design enables hosting of next-generation wireless and positioning modules on the same PCB.
“We are excited about this co-operation with Reyax Technology, the recognized leader in telematics tracking systems. Reyax-based solutions make full use of u-blox’s advanced positioning and cellular technologies to enhance vehicle tracking. This solution is an answer to the growing encouragements by the Taiwanese government to promote IoT/M2M applications and whose vision we share.” explained Ming Chiang, country manager of u-blox Taiwan.
RY277AI comes in an LGA package, with a dimension of 70mm x 30mm x 7mm, and an operating temperature of -40～+85° C.
Digital Matter Embedded, a South African based provider of innovative technology providing electronic and software solutions for a wide range of Industry applications, has launched a compact GPS logging device which plugs into any vehicle’s cigarette lighter. The device, the GPS Log Book, is designed around u-blox’ NEO GPS receiver module to provide an easy way for drivers to automatically keep an accurate travel log book which can be securely accessed later from anywhere via a web interface. Information logged includes route, speed, and distance traveled. The device is targeted at businesses where tracking of vehicle usage is an important part of their cost control and accounting: taxi, emergency, and delivery services, as well as for traveling sales personnel.
“The GPS Log Book takes advantage of u-blox’ extremely sensitive GPS receiver technology to provide a simple and useful way to keep an accurate overview of vehicle usage,” said Alex Soldatos, general manager at Digital Matter Embedded. “The GPS Logbook provides a simple, cost-effective way for businesses to keep track of one of their most valuable assets: their cars.”
“The GPS Log Book takes full advantage of u-blox’ leading positioning technology: it requires fast satellite acquisition and re-acquisition speeds, small module size, and high sensitivity to allow the use of a very small GPS antenna,“ said Huub Robroek, regional sales manager at u-blox. “Basing their design on our NEO GPS module has resulted in an impressive, compact device that delivers useful and reliable vehicle usage data.”
The GPS Log Book uploads its log data on both PC or Mac via USB where a web interface application allows users to manage their devices, view trips, and add locations as well as many other useful functions including creating powerful, informative reports. Most notably, the log book can be generated for use with income tax return for individuals. Data is stored for more than five years and can be viewed at any time if required.
