Basic parts of any GPS monitoring system

In this article, we will explain how a GPS satellite tracking system actually works. We will explain the basic parts of the system and how they interact so that the user can have an insight into the movement of his vehicle, vessel, work machine or other movable property on his mobile phone.

Each GPS monitoring system consists of the following components:

1. GPS tracker/device locator,
2.  network connection of the device to the Internet, which is usually a SIM phone card, and
3.  satellite tracking platforms – websites or mobile applications that view information obtained from the device.

Let's explain each of them!

1) GPS tracker / locator for tracking a ship, vehicle, longline, truck, motorcycle or some other movable property

GPS tracker is an electronic device that has the ability to receive information from satellites that transmit its exact location. There are various satellite systems for determining a precise location, and GPS is just one of them. Apart from classic American GPS satellite system which we all know well, Russian is also used GLONASS, Chinese BEIDOU and the new European system GALILEO. They all work in a relatively similar way: about 30 satellites are located above the earth and broadcast their position. They are geostationary, that is, they are always in the same place above the ground.

The GPS tracker device accepts these signals and determines its own position based on them. At a minimum, it is necessary to have information from three satellites in order to determine the approximate location, and quality devices often see more than 10 satellites at any time. Of course, the greater the number of available, i.e. visible, satellites, the greater the precision.

Cheap GPS tracker devices have bad GPS module and weaker antennas so it is to be expected that the precision of these devices is good only in ideal conditions. For example, when the weather is nice and the device is mounted so that there is optical visibility with satellites - then the accuracy is also good. The situation is complicated in case of bad weather, when the device is located in less accessible locations (in the forest, between buildings where there is mirroring of the signal) or in the vehicle - under the bonnet or deep inside the ship. Of course, the reception quality is worse when the device is installed near a source of interference, such as a motor. It is especially problematic when the device is placed inside an iron container because the containers act as a kind of Faraday cage.

For such situations, it is advisable to use a GPS tracker device with a high-quality antenna assembly, a good GPS/GLONASS/BEIDOU/GALILEO module and good electronics protected in a high-quality housing. Better satellite tracking devices can simultaneously connect to multiple satellite systems.

We configure our GPS locators to connect to the classic GPS system and Russian GLONASS and if there is no signal availability - they get an approximate location via the GSM network by connecting to the nearest repeater. This possibility is called AGPS (eng. Assisted GPS). In other words, they are also resistant to GPS jammers that thieves know how to use during theft. 

2) Network connections – connecting the GPS tracker to the Internet

The device is connected to the Internet by connecting to the GSM network. A SIM phone card is used for this purpose. There are versions of devices that use Sigfox and other IoT networks, but they are not currently our focus due to a number of problems arising from their implementation. That's why we will focus only on SIM phone cards and the GSM network for data transmission.

The SIM card is a cheap and reliable solution for connecting all devices to the Internet, including GPS tracker device. They can also use SMS communication, but in more advanced and better quality GPS devices, SMS messages do not make sense (except for configuration) because they do not provide the possibility to view the chronology of the device's movement or a number of other advanced options.

SMS allows you to get only the current location of the GPS tracker device, usually by the GPS tracker sending a message to your phone number with a link that you click to display the current position on the Google Maps map. Nowadays, that's the way it is outdated and for monitoring movement in real time not applicable.

It is possible to use any SIM phone card of local teleoperators. The typical cost of a BonBon, Simpa or A1 SIM card is between 4-5 EUR per month. If with such a card the device enters the roaming zone (for example in the vicinity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Switzerland...) then you are in trouble. Roaming costs can be as much as 5-10 EUR per hour of driving.

Do not ignore this if you think your vessel or vehicle will be moving in these zones! If you are not sure, and you want a robust, reliable and cheap solution - here is ours BeeDigital M2M Business SIM card that works in more than 110 countries without additional costs. You can find more information about the BeeDigital card here.

3) Platform for GPS satellite tracking

The platform consists of a mobile application and/or a website. It is the third component of the tracking system. A good platform has a mobile app that you install on your Android or iOS (iPhone) cell phone and a website. The website often has additional options compared to the mobile application because it is intended for use on larger screens, so the display can be more detailed.

When a GPS tracking system is installed whether it is placed in boat, speedboat, jet ski, car, truck, motorcycle, container or even a longline, website and mobile applications are your window to all available information about the monitored device. So, the platform is a key component of any surveillance system!

There are many free applications for this purpose, but all squads have one big flaw – for any more serious options you need to pay. Either the overview of the history (chronology) of movement is missing, or you cannot track multiple units (locators), or the location update is extremely slow, or the application is illogical and has a lot of ads that interfere with work.

However, for some simple applications, a free application may be an acceptable solution. Contact us so we can see which solution is applicable in your case. We use Wialon, one of the best satellite tracking platforms in the world. Via Wialon, it tracks about 4 million units, has support for more than 30 languages (including Croatian, of course), works with more than 2,000 different GPS locators (we can also connect your GPS device if you already have one!) and enables detailed reporting, unlimited use and advanced notification systems.

For example, when a vessel or vehicle starts up - you get a notification on your mobile device in a few seconds. The same goes for speeding, entering and exiting certain areas such as a port or gas station (called geozones), information about battery voltage, parking lots, and even longer stops at an intersection if it's a vehicle. Information on bilge pump ignition is interesting for vessels.

All information is instantly on your mobile device!

More advanced GPS tracker devices have digital outputs with which you can remotely activate or deactivate an electronic device (turn off the engine, turn on the siren or similar). You start all these activities directly from the mobile application or website.

When did you receive the package via the DPD delivery service? If so, then you know how useful it is to track the location of the delivery vehicle in real time and know when your package will arrive. You can have the same possibility through our Wialon system for GPS tracking, and you can easily share the location of the object you are monitoring with another person, even via Viber, WhatsApp, SMS or email.