Robotics Technologies Bus-Scan ALERT User manual

Bus-Scan®
ALERT
...with built-in GPS!
INSTALLATION / OPERATION
MANUAL
All Content is Copyright© 2018-2019, Robotics Technologies, Inc., and is s bject to change witho t notice.
Updated November 13, 2018

Table of Contents
Introd ction.........................................................................................................3
1.0 FAQ (Freq ently Asked Q estions).....................................................................4
2.0 Wiring............................................................................................................5
2.1 Wiring Table................................................................................................................................ 5
2.2 Door and Motion Alarm Sequence...............................................................................................6
2. General Block Diagram...............................................................................................................7
2.4 Schematic Wiring Diagram..........................................................................................................8
3.0 Set p.............................................................................................................8
.1 Installing a SIM Card...................................................................................................................8
.2 Setting the Primary Call-back number for reporting an alarm......................................................9
. Setting a Secondary Call-back Number for reporting an alarm....................................................9
.4 Setting the Vehicle ID for Reporting an alarm..............................................................................9
.5 Setting the Trigger Point to send a Child Reminder Alarm...........................................................9
.6 Requesting the Current Location of the vehicle.........................................................................10
.7 Table of Commands..................................................................................................................10
4.0 B s-Scan® ALERT Warranty............................................................................11
Page 2 of 11

Introduction
Thanks for choosing the B s-Scan® ALERT. It's a stand-alone system that can send text
message (SMS) alerts to yo r smart phone whenever a child reminder alarm occ rs on yo r
vehicle, and displays the location of that vehicle.
It is intended to extend the reach of the alarm that is generated when the proper vehicle
check has not been performed. Us ally, that alarm is the vehicle's horn or an a xiliary siren.
As good as those can be, many times that local alarm isn't heard, or worse—is ignored.
Altho gh it is best sed with o r own B s-Scan® Child Reminders, the B s-Scan® ALERT is
j st as easily connected to most other child reminders as well, as a retrofilt. If yo own a
B s-Scan® of any vintage or model, the B s-Scan® ALERT will work with it.
Here are the b ilt-in alerts that are available:
●Child Check ALARM on <vehicle ID>
●Panic ALARM on <vehicle ID>
●Motion ALARM on <vehicle ID>
●Door ALARM on <vehicle ID>
Each message is followed by the date and time of the event (in GMT [Greenwich Mean Time]
format for niversality), then by a link that will take yo to a Google Map that displays the
location of the vehicle.
Page 3 of 11

1.0 FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
How does it wor ?
The B s-Scan® ALERT ses a micro SIM card (not incl ded)—j st like yo r smart phone.
J st s bscribe to yo r carrier's most economical plan, beca se the sage is so infreq ent (it
ses data only d ring an alarm condition).
Is it complicated to install and use?
Both are simple. J st connect to vehicle power (+12V and Gro nd), then wire p to fo r
signal inp ts from switches or sensors. In the case of wiring to a child reminder for alerting
an alarm condition, j st connect a single wire to the horn o tp t of the reminder (the B s-
Scan Alert will accept either a +12VDC or Gro nd-activated o tp t type).
For a Driver Panic B tton, j st connect a normally-open p shb tton switch to the appropriate
B s-Scan® ALERT inp t. Other inp ts (for Motion & Door sensing) req ire additional sensors
or switches. We can s pply those, or yo can so rce yo r own. View o r wiring instr ctions
to learn more abo t the req irements.
Using it is easy, beca se there's nothing for yo to do. Once it has been connected, it j st
works.
Do I need special tools to install it?
No. The nit has two flanges for easy mo nting with simple sheet-metal or machine screws
(#4). Alternatively, yo can se a strong do ble-stick tape—it's lightweight, only abo t 3
o nces. J st make s re not to “b ry it” in sheet-metal. It needs to have the same access to
cell service as any smart phone wo ld. Try to mo nt near an area where it can “see” the sky,
like the windshield, or near a window. If yo r smart phone can operate in a location, B s-
Scan Alert can, too.
Space is limited on my vehicle. Does it require a lot of area?
No, it's very compact: Only 3.54 L” x 1.77 W” x 1.08 H”. As mentioned earlier, it weighs only
abo t 3 o nces.
Does it require a large antenna?
It has a b ilt-in antenna, j st like yo r smart phone. Sometimes tho gh, if yo have special
mo nting req irements ( nder the dashboard, etc.) that prevent yo from having optimal
reception, we can provide a model with a separate, extended antenna to ens re good
reception.
Will it wor under all conditions?
Yes, inasm ch as yo r smart phone will. Like phones, the B s-Scan® ALERT is s bject to the
verities of weather, obstr ctions and yo r carrier's service reliability. Altho gh we can't
g arantee service for all circ mstances or be responsible for performance beca se of s ch
interr ptions, yo can expect the same reliability that yo wo ld from any smart phone or
similar device nder similar circ mstances. GPS operation depends on having a clear “view”
of the sky and satellites for operation.
Page 4 of 11

2.0 iring
Bus-Scan Alert provides fo r alarm conditions:
•Child Check
•Panic B tton
•Door Alarm
•Motion Alarm
To provide the most flexibility d ring installation, the Child Check, Motion and Door alarms
have two inp ts: One that activates at +12 VDC, and one that activates when Gro nd is
applied. Either inp t can be sed to send the appropriate message when it is activated.
The Panic B tton has a single Gro nd-activated inp t. Please see the table below for the
wiring assignments for those alarms.
2.1 iring Table
Function Level Wire Color Notes
Positive Power S pply +12 VDC Red A constant so rce, f sed @1A
Child Check Alarm Gro nd Yellow Connect to Child Reminder O tp t
+12 VDC Green
Panic B tton Alarm Gro nd Orange Req ires optional normally-open
p shb tton switch
Motion Alarm
Gro nd Bl e Req ires optional motion sensor. M st
be sed in combination with the Door
Alarm feat re and Ignition inp t, in
order to arm properly.
+12 VDC Gray
Door Alarm
Gro nd Violet Req ires optional door switch/sensor.
Can be sed with or witho t the Motion
Alarm. Req ires the Ignition inp t.
+12 VDC White
Ignition +12 VDC Brown
+12 VDC when engine is r nning.
Req ired only if sing Door/Motion
Alarm feat res
Power S pply Gro nd Gro nd Black Chassis Gro nd
Page 5 of 11

2.2 Door and Motion Alarm Sequence
NOTE: Since vehicles have door and motion activity d ring the co rse of normal operation,
of co rse it is ndesirable to have Door and Motion text alarms being sent constantly.
Therefore, we have provided internal logic to activate those feat res only when req ired. In
that sense, the operation is similar to that of a car alarm—it's a tomatically armed after the
ignition is t rned off, and the vehicle has been exited.
Here is the activation seq ence:
1. Ignition is t rned on for the trip
2. Ignition is t rned off at the end of the trip, with the entry door closed
3. The driver opens the door to exit, then closes it behind him
4. After a delay of 5 seconds*, the Door/Motion sensors will be armed
5. When the driver re-enters the vehicle by opening the door, there will be a grace period
of 15 seconds* to t rn on the ignition to disarm the system. A beeper will so nd pon
opening the door, to remind the driver to disarm.
*NOTE: These delays are ser-settable for special conditions. See Section 3.7 for a list of
commands that can be sed to c stomize those delay times.
In some j risdictions (California, for example), the driver is req ired to t rn off the ignition
and take the keys when exiting the vehicle to help passengers. For those circ mstances, the
Arming Delay can be set to wait p to 30 min tes before arming, in order to avoid n isance
alarming. Please see the table of commands for details abo t this feat re.
We can provide kits that incl de sensors, switches and key-switches, or yo can so rce yo r
own. If yo so rce yo r own, please ens re that yo observe these inp t limitations:
Gro nd inp ts m st never be at levels less than gro nd (negative voltage), and +12 VDC
inp ts m st not exceed +16 VDC. All inp ts are high-impedance so they can be easily
activated with very low c rrent (~ 1 ma).
All optional RTI sensors and switch kits come with their own wiring and operation
instr ctions.
Page 6 of 11

2.3 General Block Diagram
All B s-Scan Alert wire assignments are shown above. Only the Ignition and Panic B tton
inp ts are activated by single polarities: The Ignition (+12 VDC) and the Panic B tton
(Gro nd). All others have d al inp ts (+12V and Gro nd), to provide flexibility in
installation.
Note the rectang lar Red & Black symbols. Those indicate the activation polarity that is
associated with each wire color. For example, if yo r Door Sensor sends a Gro nd level when
the door is OPEN (which is considered to be the “active” state), then it m st be wired to the
Violet wire.
Page 7 of 11

2.4 Schematic iring Diagram
3.0 Setup
3.1 Installing a SIM Card
1. Remove the cover by sq eezing its sides inward, and p lling toward yo . Be caref l
not to place any stress on the antenna cable(s) when removing.
2. Insert yo r micro SIM card caref lly into the hinged SIM holder. Make s re to gently
slide and latch the card sec rely in place. Note and record the phone n mber that is
associated with the SIM card.
3. Replace the cover.
NOTE: C rrent models s pport AT&T and Verizon phone carriers. Other carriers are available
pon req est.
Page 8 of 11

3.2 Setting the Primary Call-back number for reporting an alarm (do this first)
1. Select the smart phone that yo wo ld like to se for notification when an alarm
occ rs.
2. Using that smart phone, send a text message consisting only of two asterisk
characters ** to the phone n mber that yo recorded (above). Within a few
moments, yo sho ld receive a confirmation message that yo r phone is the call-back
n mber.
3. If yo want to assign the Call-bac Number to a phone that's different from the
calling phone, then send a text message with two exclamation characters !!, followed
by the n mber, in this form: For the n mber 555-123-4567, yo wo ld send
!!15551234567. Note that the “1” access code m st be incl ded, and no additional
characters (dashes or spaces) can be sed. As previo sly, yo will receive a
confirmation message.
3.3 Setting a Secondary Call-back Number for reporting an alarm
To assign an extra, back p n mber to report an alarm:
1. Use yo r smart phone to send a text message prefixed with two dollar signs $$,
followed by the phone n mber. Use this form: For the n mber 555-123-4567, yo
wo ld send $$15551234567. Note that the “1” access code m st be incl ded, and no
additional characters (dashes or spaces) can be sed. As previo sly, yo will receive a
confirmation message. If yo do not want to have a secondary call-back n mber, j st
clear it by sending a zero as the call-back n mber: $$0 This is the defa lt setting.
3.4 Setting the Vehicle ID for Reporting an alarm
1. It is essential to have a niq e Vehicle ID to know which one is reporting an alarm.
2. Set the Vehicle ID by sending a text message prefixed with a two po nd characters
##, followed by the Vehicle ID, as follows: For BUS 1234, yo wo ld send
##BUS 1234. Yo can se any combination of n mbers or letters as a Vehicle ID,
b t p nct ation or special characters are reserved, and not permitted. Do not exceed
10 characters in the Vehicle ID. As previo sly, yo will receive a confirmation message
abo t the change.
3.5 Setting the Trigger Point to send a Child Reminder Alarm
To help prevent false text message alarms, the B s-Scan Alert can be set with a trigger
threshold. Occasionally a driver will forget to perform the req ired inspection (and trigger
the child check alarm). In most cases, the driver will correct that mistake within a short
time, and sending a text message wo ld be a n isance. For that reason, the B s-Scan®
Alert can be made to delay for a specified n mber of alarm p lses from the child reminder
system that it is connected to. The goal is to generate a text message only when a gen ine
alarm condition exists, as when the driver has walked away or ignored the alarm. The
factory defa lt is to wait for 60 p lses before sending a text message. That trigger point can
be set from 1 to h ndreds of p lses. Generally, any trigger between 40 and 120 works well.
To set a c stom trigger point of 25, send a text message as follows: &&25
Page 9 of 11

3.6 Requesting the Current Location of the vehicle
Even when a vehicle is not in an alarm condition, it can be sef l to know its c rrent location.
To q ery the location, se yo r smart phone to send a text message consisting of two
q estion marks ??. Yo will receive a reply consisting of a link to a Google Map that displays
the c rrent location.
NOTE: The B s-Scan® Alert is not intended as a real-time tracking device. S ch devices
req ire a protocol for freq ent, periodic q eries, and those are beyond the scope of this
prod ct. This location f nction is merely an adj nct to its primary p rpose, and is provided
as a convenience for occasional se only.
3.7 Table of Commands
Command* Function Format Default
** A to-set Primary Call-back to
calling phone n mber ** <always set this FIRST> 0
!! Man al-set Primary Call-back
n mber
!!15551234567 <no spaces or
dashes> 0
$$ Man al-set Secondary Call-
back n mber
$$15551234567 <no spaces or
dashes> 0
## Set Vehicle ID (Limit 12
Characters)
##Bus 1234 <alpha and number
only for the Vehicle ID> 0000
&& Set p lse co nt threshold for
Child Check alarm activation
&&20 <alarm will occur after 20
pulses> 15
%%
Set Delay Seconds before
arming door and motion
sensors (Exit Time)
%%20 <sets Delay seconds to 20> 10
++
Set Delay Seconds before
having to disarm door and
motion sensors (Entry Time)
++10 <sets Delay seconds to 10> 20
((
Set Alarm D ration (limits how
long the alarm is active, to
save battery power)
((60 <sets Duration to 60 seconds> 30
?? Q ery c rrent vehicle location ?? NONE
=====
Settings are ret rned to
Factory Defa lts. Phone
n mbers are preserved.
===== NONE
*NOTE: All Command characters are reserved, and cannot be sed within any phone n mber
or vehicle ID. Commands m st be entered precisely as shown, for proper operation. Make
s re to set the Primary Call-back n mber first **. Note that the Primary Call-back can also
be set man ally, by sing the prefix !!.
Page 10 of 11

4.0 Bus-Scan® ALERT arranty
Robotics Technologies, Inc. (RTI) warrants the B s-Scan® ALERT to be free from defects in materials and
workmanship for a period of one (1) year from the date of p rchase. Its obligation nder this warranty is
limited to repairing or replacing at its own sole option any s ch defective prod cts. To obtain service nder
this warranty, yo m st obtain a Ret rn Material A thorization (RMA) n mber from RTI. Prod cts m st be
ret rned to RTI with transportation charges prepaid and m st be accompanied by a brief description of the
problem enco ntered and proof of date and place of p rchase. This warranty does not apply to eq ipment
that has been damaged by accident, negligence or misapplication or has been altered or modified in any way.
This warranty applies only to the original p rchaser.
The B s-Scan® ALERT is not a sec rity or detection device. It is intended to send text messages (SMS) to
smart phones pon detection of specific conditions. Detection is dependent pon the switch and sensor inp t
that has been connected to its inp ts, and their reliabilities therein.
As with smart phones, the B s-Scan® ALERT is s bject to the verities of weather, obstr ctions and yo r
carrier's service reliability. Altho gh we can't g arantee service for all circ mstances or be responsible for
performance beca se of s ch interr ptions, yo can expect the same reliability that yo wo ld from any
smart phone or similar device nder similar circ mstances. The B s-Scan ALERT is an adj nct to, and is
s bordinate to all other sec rity and notification meas res that the c stomer has in place. In that regard,
there are no warranties, express or implied of performance nder any or all circ mstances.
C stomer will indemnify RTI and hold it harmless from all actions or litigation arising from mis se of or
improper mo nting of the B s-Scan® ALERT.
EXCEPT AS PROVIDED HEREIN RTI MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Some states do not
permit limitation or excl sion of implied warranties; therefore the aforesaid limitations(s) or excl sion(s) may
not apply to p rchaser.
EXCEPT AS PROVIDED ABOVE, IN NO EVENT WILL RTI BE LIABLE FOR DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL,
INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF THIS PRODUCT EVEN IF
ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE. Specifically, RTI is not liable for any costs s ch as loss of
profits or reven e, loss of service, loss of eq ipment, costs of s bstit tes, and claims by third parties or
otherwise. This warranty gives yo specific legal rights and yo may also have other rights that vary from
state to state.
FOR WARRANTY SERVICE, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR DEALER OR ROBOTICS TECHNOLOGIES,
INC., AND REQUEST AN RMA (RETURN MATERIAL AUTHORIZATION).
AFTER RECEIVING AN RMA, PLEASE RETURN YOUR PRODUCT TO THIS ADDRESS:
ROBOTICS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
20655 BURL COURT
RMA: <YOUR RMA NUMBER HERE>
JOLIET IL 60433
TOLL-FREE NUMBER: 800-995-6056
Page 11 of 11