This is a small-sized GPS tracker which is being designed on a PCB about the size of 52mm x 18mm. The main goal of it is to have it done at lowest cost possible.
Image of Valtrack V1 GPS tracker:
I had already done a earlier version (Valtrack V1) of it and tested it for 6 months in my motorcycle.
But that one had a few improvements to be made.
- The earlier device was always turned on and it was continuously sending data to AWS server at 1 minute intervals and in 6 months I had to replace the battery because it was drained to the level of where it was not getting charged again.
- One more reason was that I used the vehicle only twice once in a day to drive around 5 kilometers. So it was never fully charged back up.
- The Valtrack V1 version was not designed to take in 12VDC directly from vehicles battery. I had put a small Switch mode regulator breakout board to reduce voltage to 4V to power the tracker.
- Also V1 didn't have a internal battery support which can be used to track stolen vehicle when the main battery source is cut off.
- Added a motion sensor for saving battery power. GSM is turned on only when vehicle is in motion and turned off when vehicle is not moving.
- Added a 12V battery charger which can charge the internal Lithium battery and also supply 4V to the tracker for operation. This charger can also charge the battery on USB when used as a personal tracking device
- Internal Lithium battery is useful to power the tracker when main battery source is removed.
- Added a USB connector to charge battery in addition to +12V inputs. This connector can also be used to debug the ARM MCU using SWD.
- Added a 2 Mega bit (256 kilo bytes) EEPROM support for logging data and FOTA (Firmware update over the air)
- Added a SOS switch support which can tell the tracker to make a call or send a SMS or send push notifications to the family or friends in case of emergencies
- Added a Ignition cutoff relay driver support to cut off power to ignition remotely in case of vehicle theft.
- Added Bluetooth antenna support for having possibilities to configure the tracker using a Android/IOS/Windows mobile application.
- Changed MCU to a low power version with QFN package to save space and power.
Teammates & Contributors I'm looking for:
Good people.
Where I Need the Most Help:Most of the hardware design is done, I am sending it to fabrication this week and ordering components from mouser.
Once software development is done, I would like to have a custom casing made on this provided I get enough funding by sales to get it done. Until then, I am going to put custom case design on hold. We can develop open source software for this tracker for sending data to different cloud platforms like AWS IOT, Google Cloud, Azure, Carriots, etc.
Next version can be extended to make it to have support for:
- MQTT support on TCP using GSM module (Possible in this version also)
- Lora network for intra city tracking which will be less expensive compared to GSM. Useful for tracking elders and pizza delivery vehicles or courier deliver vehicles which work inside city limits. (In version V3, needs hardware mods)
- Convert it to a IoT data logger or environment monitor by addition of sensors.
Sponsor this project to help it to come to life.
- Most of the trackers used today are closed designs made in China and not configurable to other servers and no possibility of them getting repaired.
- The components used in this tracker will be made open for easy repairs or replacements.
- I intend to make this tracker as a development board like Arduino with all goodies like GSM +GPS+Accelerometer+Battery charger+Device control option in one package.
- I can ship you one board for each Rs.4000/-(In India) to play around with. Not sure about shipping costs for sending outside India.
But let me test it first and get it working. Lots of tutorials coming soon once I get it working. It will be fun. Stay tuned.
What's in it for people who join?
Learning and fun.
Why I'm Passionate About This Project:I want to create a winning product which is easy to use, is not limited in any way and has infinite possibilities for improvement by the community.
If things go well, I will open source the design and firmware one day. But not sure yet. I want to make some money on it first :P
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