G100

G60

G52S

DART

REMORA

OYSTER

STING

 G52S Solar GPS Tracker

IP67 WIRELESS, RUGGED, WATERPROOF SOLAR TRACKING GPS

The G52 Solar’s rugged housing and built in solar panel allows the device to monitor and track assets in harsh and remote environments, without the need for an external power source. This compact 2G or 3G (NextG) GPS tracking device provides telemetry using the power of the sun.

  • Solar panel recharges internal battery
  • IP67 Rugged weather proof housing
  • Multiple inputs and outputs (harness provided)
  • Compact 2G or 3G (NextG) GPS
  • Agricultural or Tracking Configurations

    • Non-powered Vehicles & Assets

    Track usage, location and activity of non or irregularly powered assets especially useful in harsh conditions.

    Marine & Nautical

    IP67-rated weather and water resistant housing and zero demand on vessel batteries.

    Agricultural Sensors

    Able to power external rain, moisture or temperature sensor as well as receive and send digital or analogue outputs



    The following product variants are available:

    Product Code

    Description

    G52S-2G

    G52 Solar with 2G GSM modem*

    G52S-3GE

    G52 Solar with 3G EU modem*

    G52S-HARN8-3M

    8 wire 3metre harness for the G52S

    *see the modem section below for more information on the modem variations. Contact DM for other modem models.

    Contact DM for other modem models.


    Hardware Features

    Compact Rugged Housing

    IP67 rated housing

    UV resistant nylon glass composite housing

    Dimensions: L 126mm x W 80mm x H 33mm

    Weight: 160grams (complete unit)

    Solar Panel

    Power output: 0.3W peak

    Current output: Approximately 50mA peak, depending on battery voltage

    Connector

    9 pin IP67 rated connector

    Multiple harnessing options can expose power, ground, ignition, input, output, CAN, and SDI-12.

    See the G52S user manual for connector pin details.

    External Power

    Input Voltage

    9V to 24V DC

    Absolute maximum of 45V DC, but it is not recommended to exceed 24V for thermal reasons.

    Input Current

    Trickle charge at < 100mA

     

    Internal Battery

    High temperature Lithium Polymer 800mAh battery

    Battery operating time depends on operating mode

    Operating Temperature

    -20°C to +60°C battery discharge only

    0°C to +60°C battery charge

    Below 0°C the standard internal backup battery’s ability to deliver sufficient power to operate the cellular modem is reduced.

    Below 0°C and above +60°C the internal backup battery will not be charged as a safety precaution due to dangers associated with charging batteries at extreme temperatures.

    For battery powered tracking in extreme temperatures enquire about the Digital Matter Remora tracker with extended temperature range battery options.

    High Sensitivity GPS

    UBLOX MAX7Q GPS module

    Supports GLONASS and other GNSS systems
    56 channel high sensitivity receiver
    -161dBm industry leading tracking performance
    Battery backed up for optimal hot-start performance
    AssistNow Offline aiding data for extremely fast time-to-first-fix and performance in urban canyon environments

    Low Noise GPS amplifier

    GPS signals are boosted by a special low-noise amplifier (LNA)
    This allows the G52S to operate where normal units will fail to receive GPS signal

    2G or 3G (NextG)

    The G52S can be manufactured for specific markets around the world with cellular modem modules approved by all the major networks

    2G Modem

    Quad Band GSM/GPRS Class 10
    850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz

    3G Modem – EU

    850 / 900 / 2100
    EMEA / APAC / Latin America

    3G Modem - NA

    850 / 1900 / AWS
    North America

    3G Modem
    (Global Option)

    800 / 850 / 900 / AWS / 1900 / 2100
    Global coverage at a higher cost

    *enquire for other bands and LTE / 4G options

    Certifications

    ICASA: TA-2013/1921

    CE: Declaration of conformity with relevant test reports

    C-TICK: Declaration of conformity with relevant test reports

    Internal Antennae

    Internal GPS and cellular antennae
    Having the primary antennae inside the housing makes for simple and quick installation. The G100 has had its antennae tuned by a top laboratory to ensure optimal performance.

    2 x Digital Inputs

    1 x ignition line with configurable pull-up / pull-down
    1 x digital inputs permanently pulled down (SDI-12 compatible)

    1 x Digital Outputs

    1 x switched ground digital output, easily wired up to switch external lights, relays, buzzers, sirens, motors and other devices

    3 Axis Accelerometer

    The 3 axis accelerometer allows the G52S to detect movement and impacts. It allows the G52S to go to ‘sleep’ when not moving, resulting in extremely low standby current.

    Switched 5V Output

    The G52S can provide power to external peripherals via this 5V power line, allowing sensors and peripheral devices to be powered.

    Maximum current: 300mA

    DMCAN Peripheral Port

    Digital Matter has the ability to connect a range of peripherals via the DMCAN peripheral port. Peripherals such as the AgriCAN expansion board can be used with the G52S.

    Flash Memory

    The G52S has sufficient memory to store over 25,000 records in its flash memory. Normally the data will be sent to the server immediately but if the device is out of range then there is sufficient space to ensure that no data is lost – for many weeks of recording.

    The flash memory is also used to store parameters, GPS aiding data, firmware updates and other important information that needs to be securely stored.

    SDI-12 interface

    The 5V output and digital input can be used as an SDI-12 interface, allowing the use of a variety of sensors. Commonly used sensors include: soil moisture probes, flow meters, humidity sensors.

    Intrinsically Safe Rating

    EX ia IIC T4

    The G52S is rated by MASC in South Africa for use in group IIC gases, which is the most severe grouping. Enquire with DM about this version

    Power Management

    The G52S operates with power constraints. The operating configuration should not use more power than is available from the solar panel. Determining the optimal configuration is a combination of calculation and testing. The default behaviours give an idea of what is possible. In areas with more solar energy available, more aggressive configurations are possible.

    All configurations are adjustable Over-The-Air using system parameters.

    The default configuration for the Agricultural Firmware:

    Battery level

    GPS fix period

    Upload period

    SDI-12 reading &

    AgriCAN* Temp reading period

    Cameras Enabled*

    0-33% (3.5-3.7V)

    12 hr

    6 hr

    1 hr

    No

    33-66% (3.7-3.85V)

    12 hr

    1 hr

    15 min

    Yes

    66-100% (3.85-4.1V)

    12 hr

    1 hr

    15 min

    Yes


    * For information on the AgriCAN and Cameras, contact DM

    The default configuration for the GPS Tracking Firmware:

    In trip

    Out of trip

    Battery level

    GPS log period

    Upload period

    GPS log period

    Upload period

    0-33% (3.5-3.7V)

    5 min

    60 min

    6 hrs

    24 hrs

    33-66% (3.7-3.85V)

    1 min

    15 min

    3 hrs

    12 hrs

    66-100% (3.85-4.1V)

    30 sec

    15 min

    1 hrs

    12 hrs

    Agriculture:

    • Soil moisture: collect data remotely via the SDI-12 interface

    • Rain gauge: connect a tipping rain gauge using the ignition input

    • Pump control: control a pump remotely using the switched ground output

    Weather station:

    Connect a variety of sensors using the SDI-12 input: relative humidity, temperature, wind speed and direction.


    G52S Firmware Features

    Agriculture or Tracking Firmware

    The G52S has two distinct applications that require different firmware: Agricultural Telematics and GPS Tracking. The hardware is identical for both applications, and the firmware can be switched over the air. This following sections describe features of the firmware that apply to Agricultural Telematics, GPS Tracking, and both versions.

    General Features

    The following features are available in both Agricultural and GPS tracking firmware versions.

    General Firmware Smarts

    Auto-APN

    Auto-APN allows the G52S to analyse the SIM card and select the correct APN details from a list that is pre-loaded in the device’s firmware. This means that the G52S can be shipped world-wide without requiring specialist setup for SIMs.

    Text Message Setup

    The G52S can also be sent text messages to setup the APN, server and other details

    Multi-APN

    The G52S can be configured to roam across multiple networks and to automatically use the different APN details for the roaming networks.

    AssistNow Offline

    The G52S will track successfully where other devices just give up.

    This fantastic technology allows the GPS to predict which satellites are in orbit above it and to dramatically reduce the time-to-first-fix of the GPS, and the overall performance of the GPS, especially in ‘urban canyon’ or forested environments.

    Deep power down

    The G52S will enter an extremely low power state when the battery is low (below 3.5V). This maximises the potential for the battery to be charged by the solar panel. The device will do a low power wake-up every hour to check the battery status. If the battery is charged sufficiently (above 3.5V), the device will do a full wakeup and continue with normal operation

    Power bands

    The G52S must work in power constrained environment. The firmware has built in power bands to adjust the behaviour according to how much power is available. The battery capacity is divided into thirds. Different behaviour can be assigned to each third. This provides a flexible setup that maximises the usefulness under different power conditions. See the user manual for more information.

    Battery protection

    The Li-Po battery is sensitive to overcharging and charging out of the temperature specification. The charge rate is very low (1/16C). The device employs a shunt strategy to divert energy away from the battery when the battery should not be charged.

    G52S devices have been operating successfully in harsh environments for over two years.

    GPS Tracking Firmware Smarts

    Emulated Ignition

    Emulated Ignition allows the G52S to determine that a trip has started based on accelerometer and GPS data and to automatically set the ‘ignition’ input on the device to emulate the ignition line.

    This means that the G52S can be installed with the option of not wiring in the ignition line and ‘emulating’ the ignition based on movement.

    Trips are started using a configurable distance and speed threshold. Trips are ended using a configurable stationary period.

    Assumed Start Point

    Once an emulated ignition (movement) trip has started, the device will calculate a sensible start point. This give more accurate trip reproduction.

    Wired Ignition

    Use the ignition wire to start and stop trips. Accurately monitor engine run hours this way.

    Run Detect

    This setting allows the G52S to monitor the system voltage and to detect changes in the voltage that indicate if the engine is running or not.

    In Trip Time Based Logging

    Once the device has determined that a trip has started, GPS logging is done on a configurable time period. The period is configurable in each power band.

    Periodic Only Logging

    The device can be configured to ignore trips and only log on a periodic basis. For example, use this to get a GPS point every hour, regardless of movement.

    Accident Detection

    The G52S uses the built-in accelerometer to detect high G impacts such as accidents and rollovers and reports these events to the server for emergency alerting.

     

    Agricultural Firmware Smarts

    SDI-12 interface

    Connect SDI-12 sensors using the 5V output, input 1, and ground connections.

    Connect up to 10 sensors with unique configurable addresses.

    SDI-12 interface is 3.3V compatible.

    Rain gauge

    Connect a tipping rain gauge to the ignition input. The ignition input is configurable to pull up internally.

    Sensor timing

    Configure the G52S to take readings at set intervals, aligned with the hour. For example, by default it will take SDI-12 readings every 15 min, starting on the hour.

    Upload timing

    Schedule uploads to suit the latency or data bill. Data is stored in the flash until it is uploaded.

    GPS fix timing

    Schedule GPS fixes as required. The default setting updates the device position once per day.

    Telemetry

    Understand the status of the G52S with the following recorded data: battery level, external power, temperature, GSM signal strength, and solar panel input voltage

     

    Support Documentation

    Download Resource documents for the G52S
    Support >

    Device Management – OEM Server

    All Digital Matter devices are fully managed Over-The-Air (OTA) via our OEM Server web interface. The OEM Server seamlessly manages:

    • Device firmware – firmware updates can be done remotely
    • Network (administrator) parameters relating to critical communications
    • System parameters, including GPS parameters, IO configuration, logging options and general device behaviour settings
    • GPS AssistNow Offline aiding data files
    • Remote debugging of devices, including being able to trace data, view detailed debug message logs, and view a live trace of the server debug messages
    • Remote disconnect and reboot of devices
    • Driver list downloads to devices – this allows for the Driver Identification on the device to check if the RFID tag / username / PIN is valid, and for specific drivers to be allowed to drive / operate particular vehicles, for example based on licences or permits.
    • Geo-fence syncing with the devices – this allows the device to do advanced in-cab alerting and monitoring such as geo-fence arrival and departure, speed limit alerting, dangerous intersection warnings, turn on warning lights inside a geo-fence, and disable communications inside intrinsically safe zones such as gas plants.
    • Provides a command and message queueing platform to the devices and is incorporated into the remote management and debugging applications

     

    Data Connectors

    The OEM Server provides Data Connectors that forward data records on to the software platform of your choice, including Digital Matter’s own Telematics Guru and GPS Log Book platforms.

    More information on the OEM Server can be found at http://www.digitalmatter.com.au

    If you would like to integrate the G52S into a software system then please contact Digital Matter for more information on our integration protocols.

    IP67 Rugged Housing

    Made of sturdy Nylon/Glass composite plastic the housing is extremely tough and UV resistant, is resistant to oils and can easily handle high temperatures.

    External sensors

    Agriculture sensors:

    • Soil moisture: collect data remotely via the SDI-12 interface

    • Rain gauge: connect a tipping rain gauge using the ignition input

    • Pump control: control a pump remotely using the switched ground output

    Connect Weather Station sensors using the SDI-12 input: 

    • relative humidity

    • temperature

    • wind speed and direction.