The tracking and telemetry platform that preceded the current one, with simultaneous support for three tracker families, route planning, geofences, preventive maintenance and a strong niche in live cargo transport.
The challenge
Vehicle tracking has a problem that is invisible from the outside: every tracker manufacturer speaks a different language. The devices transmit in their own binary protocols, and a system that only understands one manufacturer locks the customer into that hardware for good. Add to that the nature of the business — the devices transmit non-stop, over a mobile network, and the platform has to receive everything without losing a message, decode it and turn it into a useful event.
The solution
The platform solved that with independent decoders for three tracker families — Suntech, Maxtrack and Virtec — all converging into a single transmission model. From then on the rest of the system became indifferent to the hardware installed: a customer could change manufacturer without changing platform. The gateways receive the transmissions over TCP and UDP sockets, and a set of scheduled routines handles the processing: alerts, geofences, coordinates, events, remote commands, route planning, Modbus sensor readings and integrations with third-party systems, plus SMS and e-mail dispatch. For the customer there are more than 60 screens, including a map and telemetry monitor, checklists (tyres included), working-time control, driver management, preventive maintenance with plans and work orders, and 14 indicator dashboards. One striking trait is the specialisation: there are modules and reports made to measure for live cargo transport — route analysis for live poultry and for feed, a cargo status dashboard — a niche with its own demands on time and temperature.
Results
A platform built on .NET Framework with object-relational mapping and geospatial support in SQL Server, covering more than 600 domain entities. It served as the foundation and the learning ground for the telemetry platform that succeeded it.