Interest Check: GPS Tracker Hardware

**CaveDog** · 08-13-2008, 10:19 PM

Waiting with breath held.

As soon as you get one available, I'm there.

**BrianMay** · 11-05-2008, 12:20 PM

is this project dead?

**Rowan** · 11-05-2008, 03:31 PM

Nope, we should have a batch of boards next week (finally). Price in AUD might be a little more expensive than I had initially liked because of the massive fall in our dollar it's cost us 40% more to build, but it should be cheaper for anywhere else in the world though.

**4LEDboy** · 11-11-2008, 05:28 AM

Sounds like a great unit mate!

Sing out if you want a beta tester lol

**Rowan** · 11-11-2008, 06:05 PM

Nov 12, 2008 9:03 AM On FedEx vehicle for delivery

c'mon fedex

**Creative0Mind** · 11-11-2008, 08:23 PM

Originally Posted by DigitalVampire

If Location Tracking is the only objective, you dont need any extra Hardware. You can do it with just any S60 platform mobile with integrated GPS or with a Bluetooth connected GPS. The SW running on the mobile takes care of everything and is very flexible. See the link below for one such application which converts your mobile to an AVL device.

http://www.aspicore.com/en/tuotteet_tracker.asp

But what makes Rowan's project more interesting is it aims to cover a lot more than basic AVL. You'd have the functionality of a GPS splitter, Fusion Brain (a scaled down version of it) and obviously AVL all rolled into one single board.

This is nice, however it seems to only support Nokia phones though.

**4LEDboy** · 12-03-2008, 05:44 AM

So hows your project going mate?

**Blues** · 12-03-2008, 07:21 AM

Originally Posted by Rowan

It will use a PCIE mini Sierra Wireless MC8775V, which does up to 7.2Mbps over 3G, and has built in GPS.

Are you sure this model supports up to 7.2Mbps?

According to Sierra Wireless, their "entry level" model MC8775/MC8775V only supports peak downlink speeds up to 3.6 Mbps and peak uplink speeds up to 384 kbps.
Their more expensive models (MC8780/8781, MC8785V, MC8790/MC8790V and MC8792V) does however support peak downlink speeds up to 7.2 Mbps and peak uplink speeds up to 2.0 Mbps (Upgradeable to 5.76 Mbps uplink).

Not sure if MC8775V has built in GPS.
In the Comparison chart there's no mentioning of GPS for this model, while the other models has "gpsOne®".

Embedded Modules Comparison http://www.sierrawireless.com/produc...omparison.aspx

**Rowan** · 12-03-2008, 04:30 PM

Yeah you're right I didn't realise the 8775V doesn't to 7.2, but we're now using the MC8790V, which is actually cheaper than the 8775V

And yes, it supports 7.2Mbps. The 8775V does have built in GPS, as does the newer model we're now using (since it's cheaper and better).. Basically, any Sierra Wireless card will work as long as we've written the drivers for it.

The GPS antenna on the module needs some work though, it's passive whereas most GPS antenna's are active, so it needs a power injector of some sort which we're working on now.

**Blues** · 12-03-2008, 08:31 PM

Originally Posted by Rowan

Basically, any Sierra Wireless card will work as long as we've written the drivers for it.

Do you need to write drives for this?
Can't you just use the Linux drives already provided by Sierra Wireless?

Can I use my Sierra Wireless modem on a Linux operating system: http://sierrawireless.custhelp.com/a...X3Rrag==/sno/0