Template:FTX System

Ignition settings

Ignition source will be used to determine the ignition status of the vehicle.

Possible ignition sources:

Power Voltage - if the voltage is between High Voltage Level and Low Voltage Level (below Ignition Settings options) - ignition is ON; if the voltage is higher than High Voltage Level or lower than Low Voltage Level - ignition is OFF.
Accelerometer - if movement sensor detects movement - ignition is ON; if movement is not detected - ignition is OFF;

More than one ignition source can be selected at the same time. Note: When there are 2 or more sources selected, at least one condition has to be met to change Ignition status.
For Example, if both accelerometer and power voltage are selected, only one of the ignition detection conditions have to be met for ignition to be detected.

Ignition status is used in power management and the following functionalities: [[{{{model}}} Features#Overspeeding|Overspeeding]], [[{{{model}}} Features#Odometer|Odometer]] and [[{{{model}}} Features#Trip|Trip]].

Dead reckoning

Introduction

Dead Reckoning is a navigation technique used to estimate current position of vehicle , direction of movement, based on its previous position and known speed. It uses additional sensor data to correct the position received from GNSS receiver.

Usage of Dead Reckoning is essential in scenarios where GNSS signal is weak or unavailable, such as underground parking lots, tunnels or dense forests.

Note: Dead Reckoning is enabled for all devices that support it. At the moment, it’s not possible to disable it.

Prerequisites

Key points to understand before utilizing the Dead Reckoning functionality:

Installation
Configuration
Alignment

Installation

The device must be mounted firmly in the vehicle, with good visibility of the sky. Failure to ensure proper mounting will result in inability to calibrate the device or inaccurate position estimation. Following examples ensure that the GNSS antenna is facing towards the sky and there are no physical obstacles blocking the GNSS signal.

Good mounting examples:

Bad mounting examples:

Configuration

The Dead Reckoning feature is configurable via the Dead Reckoning section in the GNSS settings group under System view in TCT.

Parameter list can be found here

Dead Reckoning alignment status

The Dead Reckoning alignment status is a 1-byte AVL ID (1433) that indicates the current status of the Dead Reckoning alignment. The possible values are:

0 - Unknown: Dead Reckoning status is unknown.
1 - Init: Dead Reckoning alignment is initializing.
2 - Coarse: Dead Reckoning is in alignment stage.
3 - Stable: Dead Reckoning alignment stage has been completed. Estimation stage is in progress.

Turning alignment

The turning alignment is a 1-byte AVL ID (1434) that indicates the current percentage of the turning alignment of the device.

Straight alignment

The straight alignment is a 1-byte AVL ID (1435) that indicates the current percentage of the straight alignment of the device. Dead Reckoning realignment reason

The Dead Reckoning realignment reason is a 1-byte AVL ID (1473) that indicates the reason for the Dead Reckoning realignment. The possible values are:

-1 or -2: GNSS cross check failed. The algorithm detected that the estimated position differs from the GNSS position vastly.
-3 or -4: Unexpected vibrations detected.
-5: Unexpected rotation detected.
-6: GNSS signal quality dropped before the alignment was completed.
-7: Abnormal reversing action detected.

Alignment
Once device mounting adheres to the guidelines, alignment can be performed. The device must finish a specific alignment process to determine its mounting orientation. During this process, there are specific conditions that must be met:

The device must be stationary for at least 3 minutes.
A great number of left and right turns must be performed.
The speed of the vehicle ideally must not exceed 50 km/h.
Avoid driving in underground tunnels or areas with poor GNSS signal.

Tip: To speed up alignment at the cost of some accuracy, you can enable swift alignment.

How It Works

Dead Reckoning functionality consists of two stages:

Alignment stage - The algorithm tries to find the mounting orientation of the device.
Estimation stage - The algorithm estimates the current position of the device based on IMU and (if available) GNSS data.

Alignment stage Before the algorithm can start estimating the position, it needs to calculate the mounting orientation of the device - this is called the alignment of IMU and vehicle frames. The result of the alignment is a set of angles that represent the orientation of the device in space, which is used to transform the IMU data into the vehicle frame during Estimation stage.

Alignment is started automatically and constantly observes following parameters:

GNSS signal quality - The algorithm needs to have a good GNSS fix to calculate the mounting orientation. If during the alignment the signal quality drops below a certain threshold, the algorithm will trigger a realignment.
IMU data - The algorithm constantly observes the received IMU data. If it detects that the device movement/rotation exceeded a certain threshold, it will trigger a realignment.

Note: The Dead Reckoning alignment status AVL ID (1433) will change from 2 (Coarse) to 3 (Stable). Positional data in records will contain Dead Reckoning data.

Estimation stage Once the alignment stage is completed, the algorithm enters the estimation stage. The algorithm uses the IMU data to estimate the current position of the device, and if GNSS data is available, it uses it to correct the estimated position. The Dead Reckoning algorithm itself is based on the application of an extended Kalman filter (EKF), which operates in two main states:

Predict - The algorithm predicts the current position of the device using IMU sensor readings and the previously estimated position.
Update - The predicted position is corrected using the calculated GNSS position from GNSS receiver.

Limitations

There are some important things to keep in mind when using the Dead Reckoning functionality. The algorithm tries to correct for these issues, but sometimes they can still affect how well Dead Reckoning works.

Position accuracy may decrease - If the device cannot receive a GNSS signal for a long time, the estimated position may become less accurate. This is because the sensors inside the device can only estimate the position for a limited time without help from GNSS.

For example: If a courier spends up to 30 minutes unloading in the underground car park, DR will remain accurate. Otherwise, positioning information will become less accurate.

Temperature effects - The accuracy of the position can change if the temperature is very different from when the device was last calibrated. .
Alignment reset - If the device loses power or goes into sleep mode, it will need to be calibrated again.

Tip: If alignment auto-save is enabled, realignment will be faster.

Position jumps after GNSS outages - After the device has been in an area with no GNSS signal for a while (such as near tall buildings or obstacles), you might notice sudden jumps in the position when the signal returns. This happens because the device uses the GNSS signal to correct its estimated position, and the type of GNSS signal used is more sensitive to interference from nearby objects.

Parameter list

Movement settings

Movement source will be used to determine when a vehicle is on stop or moving.
Possible movement sources:

Accelerometer (movement) - if the accelerometer detects movement, the Vehicle is under MOVING mode; if there is no movement detected, the Vehicle on STOP mode;
GNSS - if GPS fix is acquired and speed >= 5 km/h vehicle then the MOVING mode is used; if GPS speed <5 km/h, the Vehicle on STOP mode is used;
Power voltage - Data acquisition > "moving" mode (Parameter state = 1) - when power voltage is >= low power voltage and <= high power voltage. By default low voltage is 13.2 V and the high voltage is 30 V;

Configuration password

Protects the device from unauthorized access while using USB or Bluetooth to make any form of configuration changes.

Set password - Set the primary password for the device. Required to access the device every time using the USB or via Bluetooth connection.
Recovery password (optional) - in the event that the primary password is forgotten, the recovery password can be used as a backup to unlock the device configuration.

GNSS settings

In GNSS Source settings user can configure which GNSS system(s) to use.

List of configurable GNSS sources:

GPS
GPS + GLONASS
GPS + Galileo
GPS + BeiDou
GPS + GLONASS + Galileo + BeiDou

Movement delay

Movement delay will be used to set the timeout of delays when the accelerometer status changes.

Note: These settings impact the ignition/movement sources.
The user can set:

Movement start delay (s) - movement start delay in seconds;
Movement stop delay (s) - movement stop delay in seconds;

Power Saving settings

Puts the device into a power-saving mode, preserving the power consumption from the external source or the internal battery. The device enters this mode after the conditions are met.

Timeout - After timeout is reached, and conditions are met for the sleep mode, the device goes into sleep mode.

Online sleep

In Online Sleep mode, the device manages the connection only when records need to be sent. The connection is opened at periodic intervals to send records and closed immediately after, without any timeout.
Changing the Permanent Link setting during Online Sleep will wake up the device to apply the new configuration.
With Permanent Link enabled, the device maintains a constant connection, sending records immediately as they are generated, rather than waiting for the next scheduled send. After sending connection remains open.

Disabled modules in Online sleep

When device goes into sleep mode, some modules are turned off to consume less power. Listed below are the modules and scenarios that are turned off in common with all modes and those that are disabled specifically for the Online sleep mode:

GNSS
Scenarios (Common):
- Odometer
- Data acquisition
- SNTP time synchronization
- Overspeeding
- Trip
- Unplug Detection
- Jamming Detection
- Eco Driving

Online sleep entry conditions

All entry conditions must be met:

Ignition (configured ignition source) is off.
Movement is not detected by the configured movement source.
Device time must be synchronized. This condition depends on the “Record Settings -> Saving / sending mode parameter.
- After Position Fix - device time is synchronized with GNSS satellites and GPS fix is obtained.
- After Time Sync - device time is synchronized over NTP, NITZ, or GNSS satellites.
- Always - device will enter sleep mode without time synchronization and GPS fix.
Sleep timeout is reached.
There are no SMS messages being received.
Data sockets are closed (ignored when permanent link is enabled)
FOTA WEB connection is not in progress.

Online sleep exit conditions

At least one exit condition must be met:

Ignition is ON.
Movement is detected.
Periodic wake-up (if enabled).

Deep sleep

During Deep Sleep mode, the device generates and stores periodic records.

Deep sleep entry conditions

All entry conditions must be met:

Ignition (configured ignition source) is off.
Movement is not detected by the configured movement source.
Device time must be synchronized. This condition depends on the “Record Settings -> Saving / sending mode parameter.
- After Position Fix - device time is synchronized with GNSS satellites and GPS fix is obtained.
- After Time Sync - device time is synchronized over NTP, NITZ, or GNSS satellites.
- Always - device will enter sleep mode without time synchronization and GPS fix.
Sleep timeout is reached.
There are no SMS messages being received.
Data sockets are closed (checks if record sending socket link is open)
FOTA WEB connection is not in progress.

Deep sleep exit conditions

At least one exit condition must be met:

Ignition is ON.
Movement is detected.

Periodic wake-up (if enabled).

Disabled modules in Deep sleep

When device goes into sleep mode, some modules are turned off to consume less power. Listed below are the modules and scenarios that are turned off in common with all modes and those that are disabled specifically for the Deep sleep mode:

Modem
Record sending
GNSS
IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit)
FOTA WEB
Scenarios (Common):
- LEDs (Navigation and Status)
- Odometer
- Data acquisition
- SNTP time synchronization
- Overspeeding
- Trip
- Unplug Detection
- Jamming Detection
- Eco Driving

Power off sleep

Disabled modules in Power off sleep

When device goes into sleep mode, some modules are turned off to consume less power. Listed below are the modules and scenarios that are turned off in common with all modes and those that are disabled specifically for the Power off sleep mode:

Modem
Record sending
GNSS
IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit)
FOTA WEB
Charger service
Scenarios (Common):
- LEDs (Navigation and Status)
- Odometer
- Data acquisition
- SNTP time synchronization
- Overspeeding
- Trip
- Unplug Detection
- Jamming Detection
- Eco Driving

Power off entry conditions

All entry conditions must be met:

Ignition (configured ignition source) is off.
Movement is not detected by the configured movement source.
Device time must be synchronized. This condition depends on the “Record Settings -> Saving / sending mode parameter.
- After Position Fix - device time is synchronized with GNSS satellites and GPS fix is obtained.
- After Time Sync - device time is synchronized over NTP, NITZ, or GNSS satellites.
- Always - device will enter sleep mode without time synchronization and GPS fix.
Sleep timeout is reached.
There are no SMS messages being received.
Data sockets are closed (ignored when permanent link is enabled)
FOTA WEB connection is not in progress.

Power off sleep exit conditions

At least one exit condition must be met:

Ignition is ON.
Movement is detected.

Time synchronization settings

Accurate system time is essential for proper event logging, record timestamping, and scheduling. The device supports 2 primary time synchronization sources: GNSS and SNTP. When one source becomes unavailable, the device can fall back to the other to maintain accurate time.

NTP Resync - how often a device should resynchronize its time. If the set value is not equal to zero, time resynchronization will occur periodically at time intervals to which this parameter is set.
NTP server 1 and NTP Server 2 let the user select which NTP server (s) will be used to re-synchronize time.

Prerequisites

Network Connectivity

To use SNTP, the device must connect to the internet

Configuration Access

TCT NTP settings (e.g., synchronization interval, NTP server domains) must be accessible for setup or modification.

Parameter Description

GNSS Time Synchronization

Trigger Condition: If a valid GNSS fix is available and the difference between the GNSS-provided time and the internal RTC is ≥ 3 seconds for a continuous period of 5 seconds, a time correction occurs.
Subsequent Synchronizations: After the first successful sync, the wait time before the device checks for another 3-second difference increases to 5 minutes to prevent excessive corrections.

SNTP Time Synchronization

Trigger Condition: If the device lacks a GNSS fix for 60 seconds, it attempts to synchronize time via SNTP'.
Resynchronization Interval: Defined by TCT NTP settings (default is 3 hours).
NTP Servers: 2 servers can be configured; by default, pool.ntp.org is the primary server and time.google.com is the fallback. If the first server is unreachable, the device automatically attempts the second.

Expected Behavior

GNSS Time Sync Process

When GNSS is active, the device continuously compares GNSS time to the internal clock.
If the 3-second offset persists for 5 seconds, the clock is updated immediately.
After the first correction, the device waits 5 minutes before checking for another large time discrepancy.

SNTP Time Sync Process

If no GNSS fix is available for 60 seconds (e.g., poor satellite signal, modem off, etc.), the device initiates an SNTP request.
If the primary NTP server is unreachable, it tries the secondary server.
The device repeats this SNTP synchronization after the configured interval (default 3 hours).

Fallback Mechanism

GNSS is the first choice for time synchronization.
When GNSS is not available, SNTP ensures the device clock remains accurate until a valid GNSS fix is restored.

Battery settings

Battery settings allow selecting battery charge modes.

Possible charge modes:

On need - battery will charge on need (will not charge in sleep mode)
After ignition ON - Battery will start charging when the ignition source is turned ON (will not charge in sleep mode)
Always - battery will charge all the time, even in Online and Deep sleep modes.

Location settings

This feature allows switching between location sources.
Location Source

GNSS - Enables GNSS, disables neighbouring cell tower IOs.
LBS - Powers down GNSS, enables neighbouring cell tower IOs.

LED indication

This feature allows disabling or enabling status and navigation LEDs.

Accelerometer calibration

The Accelerometer Calibration Scenario is used to determine the tracker’s position and orientation within a vehicle and reorient the tracker to the vehicle’s coordinate system. This ensures that acceleration measurements align correctly with the vehicle’s axes:

X-axis → Forward/Backward
Y-axis → Left/Right
Z-axis → Up/Down

By calibrating the accelerometer, the system can accurately interpret vehicle movements, reducing errors caused by varying device installation orientations.

Working principle

The scenario relies on GNSS and accelerometer data. Since most devices do not have a gyroscope, these are the primary sources for orientation detection. The algorithm collects two types of accelerometer data:

Movement with Acceleration

When the vehicle moves straight while accelerating or decelerating, this data helps determine the front and back direction.

Movement Without Acceleration

When the vehicle moves without acceleration, it allows the system to determine the ground vector.

Because devices can be mounted in various ways, they do not inherently know the directions of the vehicle’s front, back, left, right, up, and down.

The GNSS module helps detect whether the vehicle is moving straight or turning. It provides speed and direction relative to the north. If the vehicle moves straight with an increasing or decreasing speed, the system collects acceleration vectors.

Once a sufficient number of data points are collected:

The forward vector is calculated.
The ground vector is determined.
The device’s orientation in the vehicle coordinate system is established.

This allows for the calculation of quaternions, which express the device’s rotation within the vehicle. These quaternions are then applied to new accelerometer readings, ensuring they align with the vehicle’s coordinate system.

As a result, all future accelerometer data correctly reflect the vehicle’s motion:

X-axis → Forward/Backward
Y-axis → Left/Right
Z-axis → Up/Down

Prerequisites

Before running the Accelerometer Calibration Scenario, ensure the following conditions are met:

Device Compatibility:

The device must have a built-in accelerometer and GNSS module. The scenario must be enabled in the configuration settings.

Firmware & Configuration:

The device must be running a firmware version that supports accelerometer calibration.
The calibration process should be properly configured in the device settings.

GNSS Requirements:

A valid GNSS fix is required.
The GNSS must provide speed and direction relative to the north.

Vehicle Movement Conditions:

The vehicle must move in a straight line with acceleration to determine the front and back direction.
The vehicle must also move without acceleration to establish the ground vector.

Data Collection:

A sufficient number of accelerometer samples must be collected for accurate calculations.
The calibration process relies on low-angle change movement detected via GNSS.

Environmental Considerations:

The device should be mounted securely in the vehicle to avoid incorrect readings.
External interference affecting GNSS or accelerometer accuracy should be minimized.

[[Category:{{{model}}} Configuration]]