Abeeway Micro Tracker User manual

Micro Tracker Reference Guide
Micro Tracker
Firmware V1.7
ABEEWAY SAS
[e-mail]
www.abeeway.com

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Table of contents
1Introduction..........................................................................................................................................................4
1.1 General Description................................................................................................................................ 4
1.2 Applications............................................................................................................................................... 4
2Features .................................................................................................................................................................4
3Installation............................................................................................................................................................5
3.1 Getting started.......................................................................................................................................... 5
3.2 Fixation........................................................................................................................................................ 5
4Functioning...........................................................................................................................................................6
4.1 Main operating modes........................................................................................................................... 6
4.2 Side operations......................................................................................................................................... 7
4.3 BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) capabilities ....................................................................................... 8
4.4 Low battery management...................................................................................................................17
4.5 User interface..........................................................................................................................................17
4.6 Geolocation strategies .........................................................................................................................18
5Uplink messages...............................................................................................................................................24
5.1 LoRa uplink transmission ..................................................................................................................24
5.2 Encoded form..........................................................................................................................................25
5.3 Common message header...................................................................................................................25
5.4 Heartbeat messages..............................................................................................................................26
5.5 Position messages .................................................................................................................................26
5.6 Energy Status messages ......................................................................................................................29
5.7 Activity status messages .....................................................................................................................29
5.8 Configuration messages ......................................................................................................................30
5.9 Frame pending messages....................................................................................................................30
6Downlink messages.........................................................................................................................................31
6.1 Acknowledge token ..............................................................................................................................31
6.2 Operational mode configuration .....................................................................................................32
6.3 Position on demand..............................................................................................................................32
6.4 Request device configuration............................................................................................................32
6.5 SOS mode configuration......................................................................................................................33
6.6 Parameters configuration ..................................................................................................................33
6.7 Debug command ....................................................................................................................................35
7Examples of configuration ............................................................................................................................36
7.1 Accurate position using GPS mode only........................................................................................36
7.2 Low power configuration, ..................................................................................................................36

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7.3 Tracking in low power mode (beginning and end of motions only)...................................37
7.4 Indoor only position.............................................................................................................................37
7.5 Fixed frequency positioning..............................................................................................................37
7.6 Activity tracking.....................................................................................................................................38
8Hardware Specifications ...............................................................................................................................39

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1Introduction
1.1 General Description
The Abeeway Micro Tracker is a multi-mode tracker combining GPS/Low power GPS, WIFI, LoRa, BLE radios
with embedded sensors to support accurate outdoor and indoor geolocation. A button, a buzzer and 3 LEDs
are available to interface with the user. The Micro Tracker, with its small size and long battery lifetime, is
the ideal product for many tracking applications.
1.2 Applications
➢Asset tracking at fixed frequency updates or on demand.
➢Personal tracking with help button.
➢Safety monitoring for isolated workers inside facilities or in outdoor.
➢Anti-theft; Notification and location when device is moving.
➢Geofencing applications.
2Features
➢Multiple operating modes
✓Motion tracking: Get the tracker position at a given cycle when motion is detected.
✓Permanent tracking: Get permanently a position of the tracker.
✓Start/End motion tracking: Get position messages during motion start and end events.
✓Activity tracking: Monitor activity rate with embedded sensors.
✓OFF: device stopped
➢Position on demand: Receive the tracker position only when requested (very low power operating
mode).
➢Used geolocation technologies
✓GPS: Precise outdoor position.
✓Low power GPS: Get quick position outdoors and daylight indoor conditions.
✓WIFI: Position indoors and urban area.
✓BLE: Position indoors
➢Buzzer and LEDs
➢Temperature monitoring
➢Embedded antennas
➢LoRa™ Class A radio
➢Water-spray resistant enclosure (IP64)
Note:
1- Low power GPS is referred as LPGPS or LP-GPS in the rest of the document.

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3Installation
3.1 Getting started
➢Charge your device using a micro USB cable. While charging the white LED is ON. When the battery
is fully charged the white LED goes OFF.
➢A long press is needed to turn ON the device (starting in motion tracking mode in standard
configuration).
➢Your network can use two activation modes:
✓OTAA (Over The Air Activation) that requires the following keys to join the network: DEVEUI,
APPEUI and APPKEY for each device. (the most used)
✓ABP (Activation by personalization) that requires the following keys to connect to the
network: DEVEUI, DEVADDR and NWKSKEY for each device
➢Depending on your operator, some actions need to be done to activate the transfer of the data
through Abeeway servers. Please refer to your vendor for more information.
3.2 Fixation
The device can be attached with the provided lanyard or placed in bag, or inside an asset.
Note:
1- the environment and orientation of the tracker can influence the radio performance. For optimum
results keep the zone around the antenna area clear from any conducting material or magnetic fields.
Blue LED
Button
Lanyard
White Charge LED
Micro USB
Antennas area

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4Functioning
4.1 Main operating modes
This section describes the different operational modes supported by the trackers.
OFF mode: The tracker is in deep low power mode. No uplinks are sent in this mode. A long button press is
required to wake it up. Three possibilities to set the tracker in OFF mode:
➢User action (long button press, if bit1 of config_flags is set)
➢Low battery
➢Downlink request
Standby mode: The tracker is sending periodically short LoRa messages, called heartbeat at the chosen
period (lora_period). Device positions can be obtained in this mode by using the side operations features (see
side operations section).
Motion tracking mode: The tracker provides positions when the device is moving. The reporting is done at
the chosen period (ul_period). The positions are acquired based on the geoloc_sensor geolocation
technology. If the device is not moving, heartbeat messages are sent regularly at the lora_period frequency.
End of motion is validated when the device hasn’t moved for 2 minutes.
When the device is static, only heartbeat messages are sent at the chosen period (lora_period). (like in
standby mode)
Note:
1- Whatever the chosen geolocation policy, the first position is always a WIFI one, sent immediately
after the beginning of the motion.
Permanent tracking mode: The device reports its positions at ul_period frequency regardless the motion. It
uses the geoloc_sensor geolocation technology. Heartbeat messages are sent if there are no uplink message
during lora_period seconds.
Note:
1- Having regular position can also be obtained using standby mode + side operation periodic position
See section Example to have an example of configuration
Motion Start/End tracking mode: In this mode, position messages are sent (motion_nb_pos +1)
times at the start and the end of a motion (one WIFI plus motion_nb_pos times using the geoloc_sensor
geolocation technology). The end of the motion is detected when there is no movement during 120 seconds.
Heartbeat messages are sent if there are no uplink message during lora_period seconds.
Activity mode: This mode sends activity reports instead of positions. The tracker focuses on detecting
movements. Each shake detection increases a counter (after applying an integration period). The value of
the counter is reported via the LoRa link at the ul_period frequency. Heartbeat messages are sent if there are
no uplink message during lora_period seconds.
Notes:
1- The accuracy of the different frequencies is not guaranteed as extra delays may be introduced by
the LoRa network duty cycle.
2- In all these modes, side operation can be used to obtain additional positions

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4.2 Side operations
Whatever the operating mode, optional messages can be sent according to the configuration. The side
operations are:
➢Periodic position message
➢Position on Demand
➢Alert positions
➢SOS mode
For Periodic, Position on Demand and Alert position message, sending of the position is driven by the chosen
transmit strategy:
➢Transmit_strat equal to 2 or 3: Position message is sent twice if static, 4 times if moving
➢Transmit_strat equal to 0, 1 or4: Position message is sent 3 times
4.2.1 Periodic position message:
The device sends periodically its position at the periodic_pos_period frequency. Usually, this reporting
frequency is very long. If the periodic_pos_period is set to 0, this message is not sent.
This periodic position uses the geoloc_method geolocation strategy.
It can be accrued to all operational modes
4.2.2 Position on Demand:
Position requests are done via LoRa downlink message. The device answers with its current position.
The geolocation strategy chosen for geoloc_method is used to have this position.
4.2.3 Alert position
After a double short press on the button:
➢The tracker sends its position (using geoloc_method geolocation strategy).
➢LoRa messages is tagged with an alert flag. (see uplink description for more detail)
➢Once done the tracker removes its alert state. There is no server acknowledge. (config_flags, bit2=0)
4.2.4 SOS mode:
Activation/deactivation:
➢using LoRa downlink (See section SOS mode configuration for more details)
➢using double press button (if bit2 of config_flags is set)
When it is activated:
➢Send continuously positions at a fixed period of 120 s.
➢Geolocation strategy: WGPS (WIFI then GPS if WIFI fails).
➢GPS timeout set to 120 seconds (fixed).
➢LoRa messages tagged with an alert flag. (see uplink description for more detail)
Notes:
1- The side operations can be accrued.
2- SOS mode using button press and alert position can’t work at the same time. Both modes are using
the same bit of config_flags:
✓bit2=0: alert position activated
✓bit2=0: SOS mode using press button activated

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4.3 BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) capabilities
The firmware version 1.7 uses the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) capabilities of the micro trackers. Devices,
such as Smart-phones, graphical tablets and so on can communicate with the tracker via this interface.
This connectivity can be enabled or disabled via the bit 5 of the config_flags parameter.
Smartphones or graphical tablets run the Client application and are called Central device in this section.
Unless otherwise specified:
➢all numerical values transmitted through BLE interface shall be in big endian.
➢all string values transmitted through BLE interface shall be composed of unicode characters encoded
with UTF-8.
Note:
1- Wifi scans can’t be performed while it’s advertising and not bonded, to not disturb bonding process.
Terminology used:
➢WRITE_CMD: ATT write command. No answer expected.
➢WRITE_REQ: ATT request command. An answer is expected.
➢WRITE_RESP: ATT response command.
➢NOTIFICATION: ATT notification.
➢SCAN_REQ: ATT scan request.
➢SCAN_RESP: ATT scan response.
➢ERROR_RSP: ATT error response
➢READ_REQ: ATT read request command. An answer is expected.
➢READ_RESP: ATT read response.
4.3.1 Advertisement and connection
When the tracker is powered on, it tries to establish a connection with a central device. The configured
connection interval depends on its bonding state:
➢In absence of bond:
✓ tracker sends advertisements each 500ms for 1 minute. (1)
✓the buzzer beeps periodically
➢If the device is bonded but not connected, it sends advertisements each 2 seconds without any
timeout. This lets the client to use the auto-reconnection capability.
Advertisement packets are sent on each of the 3 advertising channels.
Note:
(1) If the device is not connected within 1-minute delay the BLE module is switch off

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The Client application should scan for all BLE devices containing advertising data with Complete Local Name:
“ABW + 9 latest DEVEUI digit” (e.g. ABW012345678).
The tracker is publishing an encrypted value of its unique Hardware ID within advertising SCAN_RESP. Client
application should proceed with an ACTIVE SCAN to request the related remaining advertising data
(SCAN_REQ). The device authentication can be done by sending a request to an Abeeway server with the
content of the response (SCAN_RESP). Note that this step is not mandatory.
Once authenticated, a connection request should be sent by the Client application.
There is no limitation regarding the connection interval within the connection request.
However, we advise to use a fast connection interval during the service discovery process:
➢Connection interval: 7.5ms
➢Connection latency: 0ms
➢Supervision timeout: 2000ms
4.3.2 BLE Bonding procedure
Once the connection has been established, the Client application should send a bond request within a fixed
delay of 1 minute. If no bond request is received during this period, the BLE module is switched off.
If the bonding fails, the device must be switched off then on to restart the bonding procedure.
4.3.3 BLE Secured connection
A secured connection is established when a known Central device initiates a connection request and
bounded information are present.
Security keys are stored in both tracker and Central device. The connection is encrypted.
When the tracker communicates with the Client application using BLE, it acts as a Bluetooth peripheral and
uses GAP and GATT profiles.
The client application should configure its BLE protocol stack as central.
The tracker sends a connection update request 5 and 30 seconds after a secure connection establishment
using the following parameters:
➢Minimum connection interval: 980ms
➢Maximum connection interval: 1000ms
➢Slave latency: 0
➢Supervision timeout: 6000ms
The Client application should accept the above parameters for energy saving purpose.
As soon as a BLE secure connection is established (with the bond information), the tracker enters in a special
mode where the following applies:
➢Accelerometer and battery monitoring tasks are maintained
➢All LoRa communications are stopped.
➢No geolocation is performed.
Notes:
1- Once connected, the tracker does not accept any other BLE connections.
2- If the tracker has bonding information, only the paired central device can connect to it.
3- Usually the geolocation is done by central device.

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4.3.3.1 Disconnection with bonded device
The usual BLE keepalive mechanism between the central device and the tracker is done at the frequency of
one message per second (Maximum connection interval).
The BLE connection is said lost if no messages are received for 6 seconds (Supervision timeout).
30 seconds after a secured connection is lost, the last configured operational mode of the tracker is restored.
4.3.3.2 Clear bond event
The bond information can be cleared by:
➢A LoRa Downlink (see Debug command section for more details)
➢A specific BLE command, (see details here)
Once cleared the tracker is disconnected from the central device and switches to its configured operational
mode.
The bonding procedure restarts.
4.3.4 Retrieve data from the tracker
4.3.4.1 Device Information
The tracker exposes the Device Information Service allowing a bonded Client application to read information
summarized in the table below:
Device Information Service (UUID 0x180A)
UUID
Value
Perm
Content
0x2a24
Model Number String
READ
MicroTracker
0x2425
Serial Number String
READ
Device EUI-64 (DevEUI) (ex: 20635f01020015f2)
0x2426
Firmware Revision String
READ
BLE Firmware version (ex: 1.0.0)
0x2A28
Software Revision String
READ
Main processor Firmware version (ex: 1.0.0)
0x2A29
Manufacturer Name String
READ
Abeeway
4.3.4.2 Tx Power Level
The tracker exposes the Tx Power Service allowing a bonded Client application to retrieve the Tx power level.
Tx Power Service (UUID 0x1804)
UUID
Value
Perm
Content
0x2a07
Tx Power Level
READ
Refer to the description