Vecima 65 Series User manual
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installation guide
rev 2023.12.20
Page 1of 6
Vecima 65xx Beacon Family
External Antenna Installation (6550 only)
Antenna Configuration
The 65xx beacons have a combined GPS/cell
network antenna module.The 6550 model uses an
external antenna attached with FAKRA connectors,
while the 6551 and 6581 are equipped with an
internal antenna housed within the beacon.
For either conguration, the antenna must be
positioned in the vehicle so that it has a clear
signal path to as much of the sky as possible,
without metal obstruction. For internal antennas,
the beacon itself must be positioned properly for
good signal reception.
Commercial Vehicle Productivity and Security
The 65xx family of beacons includes the following models:
• 6550 – 3G with external antenna
• 6551 – 3G with internal antenna
• 6581 – 4G (LTE) with internal antenna
These versatile GPS tracking beacons are designed for eet management needs in all
commercial vehicles.
Combined with our commercial mobile monitoring portal, subscribers can manage and
view the location of any or all vehicles in a eet, run a variety of valuable reports, and
manage vehicle maintenance alerts.
Tools and Supplies Required
•Wire cutters, wire strippers
•Voltmeter (multimeter)
•Soldering iron, solder
•Electrical tape
•Plastic cable ties
•Screw drivers, mounting screws
•Wrenches, sockets
Kit Contents
•GPS Beacon device with SIM
•Combined GPS/Cell Network antenna (if
required)
•Wiring harness
Standard Antenna
• Part Number: 6xx0-ANT-STD
• Black plastic housing; approx. 2.5 in (64 mm) diameter;
0.4 in (10 mm) depth
• Mounted with peel-and-stick adhesive patch
Weatherproof Drill-through Antenna
• Part Number: 6xx0-ANT-WPA-DT
• Black plastic housing with rubber weather-seal;
approx. 2.5 in (64 mm) diameter; 0.7 in (18 mm) depth
(excluding screw post)
• Screw post mount for drill-through applications
The following antenna models are supported:
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Vecima 65xx Beacon Family
• The beacon is not waterproof or weatherproof and should always be installed in the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
• Determine the best location for the beacon – any spot where the beacon can be fastened in place with plastic cable ties is
suitable. It is recommended to secure the beacon in place only after all wiring is complete.
• For models with an external antenna, under a seat is often a suitable location for beacon installation. Be sure it is not close
to any heat sources or areas that experience moisture or vibration.
• For models with an internal antenna, it is important that the top face of the beacon (the side with the large label) is facing
the sky with no metallic obstruction. These models are ideally located under the dashboard, and the same guidelines for
installing an external antenna (described above) are applicable.
• Visibility of the indicator LEDs will be useful for testing and troubleshooting.
Beacon Installation Position
Antenna Installation Notes
• Signals will penetrate upholstery, carpet, plastic dashboards, etc., but not metal panels or brackets.
• Signals will penetrate window glass but not metallic tinted windows or painted edges of windows.
• Radio antenna or defrost wires embedded in glass may degrade signals.
For best performance, the top of the antenna should face the sky through the area of least signal blockage.
• If the installation is not required to be covert, an ideal location is underneath the front windshield glass. For covert
installations, an ideal location is under the dashboard, as close to the front windshield as possible.
• In a car, the antenna can be mounted under the rear window or in a trunk, under the rear deck, as close to the rear window
as possible.
Standard Antenna Drill-through Antenna
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Vecima 65xx Beacon Family
Important Notices
The 65xx beacon models are designed to operate from 8 to 30 volts DC. 8V is the minimum voltage at which the
device will operate reliably. The user is responsible for ensuring the voltage supplied to the beacon remains in this
voltage range to include transient voltage spikes and load dump voltages. Failure to comply may damage the beacon.
The current draw under normal operating conditions is approximately 100mA at 12V.
The beacon should never be connected to the same power source as the vehicle Electronic Control Module
(ECM), as this may adversely aect the vehicle electronics.
Failure to use the proper 3-amp fuse or to install the fuse in the recommended location could cause a vehicle re
hazard. The fuse provides overload protection for the power cable and the beacon. The wiring installed between the
fuse and primary vehicle power is not protected from overheating if a short should occur.
Failure to install the ignition sense correctly will result in erroneous data being reported from the beacon. This may
result in false or incorrect reporting of vehicle starts, stops, ignition on and o.
The power harness included in the installation kit contains 14 wires, 3 of which are bundled together. The bundle contains the
8-30V constant power (red), ground (black), and ignition sense (white) wires.
Notes
• Connect the wiring harness to the power and ignition source, as well as any I/O sources (if used), before attaching the
harness to the beacon.
• If wiring harness wires need to be extended, use the same gauge wire and solder the extension wire on, then insulate with
heat shrink tubing or electrical tape.
• Ensure that no wires are routed near heat sources.
Power Connection Instructions
• Connect the black (ground) wire to battery negative or the vehicle chassis – this wire must be connected rst, before the
power or ignition sense wires. Be sure the grounding screw is not painted or coated with an insulating material.
• With the vehicle’s ignition turned OFF, use a multimeter to assist in nding a suitable, constant 8-30V power connection
point – directly to the vehicle’s battery may be best. Important Note: The red (power) cable is congured with an in-line
3-amp fuse. This fuse must be installed as close as possible to the primary power source connection.
• Ensure that any wires in the wiring harness that are not to be connected do not come in contact with power, ground, or any
other voltage. Insulate them with electrical tape.
Ignition Sense Connection
• Important Note: The ignition sense connection is mandatory. Failure to install the ignition sense correctly will result in
erroneous data being reported from the beacon.
• Find a source of 8-30V that is switched on and o with the ignition key in the run position (accessory position is not
acceptable). This connection should produce 8-30V when the vehicle ignition is ON and 0 Volts when the vehicle ignition
is OFF. Connect the white (ignition sense) wire to this point. Voltage transitions must occur instantly. Gradual or stepped
transitions from one voltage to another may not be detected.
Connect Power and Ignition Sense
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Vecima 65xx Beacon Family
Auxiliary Input
• The auxiliary inputs can be used to detect and report the opening and/or closing of a circuit. There are four auxiliary inputs
available on the 65xx beacon models, as indicated in the wiring diagram on the previous page. Note that a minimum voltage
of 8V is required to trigger any input.
• Auxiliary inputs 1 and 2 are considered to be closed when connected to a vehicle power source and are considered to be
open when connected to ground or an open circuit. Auxiliary inputs 3 and 4 are considered to be closed when connected to
ground and are considered to be open when connected to a vehicle power source or an open circuit.
• When using auxiliary inputs to measure the state of vehicle circuits, it is recommended that you use a relay to control the
input signal to the device.
Nero 65xx Beacons – Cable Connectors
Pin Wire Color Description Pin Wire Color Description
1Black GND 11 White Switch 2 input (+)
2 Yellow Relay 2 output (-) [Buzzer Control] 12 [not used]
3 Green Relay 3 output (-) [655x only] 13 Red/White Switch 4 input (-)
4 Orange Relay 4 output (-) [not used] 14 [not used]
5 Blue Switch 3 input (-) 15 White (bundle) Ignition input (+)
6Gray 1-Wire data [Driver ID, Sensor] 16 Brown/White Relay 1 output (-)
7 [not used] 17 [not used]
8 Red (bundle) Power input (+8 to +30v constant) 18 Green/Yellow Switch 1 input (+)
9 [not used] 19 Purple LED Control [Driver ID]
10 Black (bundle) Ground 20 Brown Analog input (0 – 16v) [not used]
20-pin Molex Connector – Pin Descriptions
Model 6581
shown here
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Vecima 65xx Beacon Family
LED Indicators
The 65xx beacon models have two LEDs on the front of the device which indicate the current state.
• When the ignition is rst turned on the Green indicator will show solid for about 30 seconds. After this initial setup period,
the Green LED will blink slowly (8 times in 10 seconds) when the Ignition is turned OFF, and rapidly (25 times in 10 seconds)
when the Ignition is turned ON.
• The Red LED is used to indicate error conditions by ashing a 2-digit code. The rst digit indicates the general error type
(1=hardware, 2=modem, 3=GPS, 4=end-to-end service) and the second digit indicates a more specic error described in the
table below. Note that if multiple error conditions exist, the Red LED will cycle through all current error conditions.
Output
• Outputs can be used to remotely control vehicle functions such as door lock/unlock and starter disable/enable. There are
three outputs available on the 65xx beacon models, as indicated in the wiring diagram on the previous page. Output 2 is
reserved for the buzzer output, while Outputs 1 and 3 are congurable for general use. Please note that Output 3 is not
available on model 6581.
• Outputs 1 and 3 can be congured via the web portal to interactively toggle an external circuit between open and closed
states, or to pulse the circuit to the closed state for either 1 or 3.2 seconds, then automatically open the circuit.
• To close an external circuit, the beacon output acts as a ground source (or what is referred to as a current sink) to the external
circuit. To open an external circuit, the output will be open. Since the output can draw a maximum current of 150mA, it is
recommended that you use the output to control a relay and use the relay to manage the external circuit.
Connect and Mount Beacon
• For model 6550, connect the two antenna cables to the beacon using the corresponding FAKRA connectors, ensuring a rm,
positive connection is made. Note that the connectors on the antenna wires and the beacon will have matching color.
• Attach the wiring harness to the beacon and ensure that the retaining clip snaps in place.
• Ax the beacon securely to the vehicle using the mounting slots found on either side of the case. If the beacon is not
securely mounted, it may report false Start, Stop or Arm Where Parked (AWP) events.
• If a suitable panel for axing the beacon is not available, fastening the beacon to a bracket or wire bundle with plastic cable
ties is also adequate. Be sure to secure any loose or extra lengths of wire.
installation guide
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rev 2023.12.20
Page 6of 6
Vecima 65xx Beacon Family
Warning and Known Issues
• It is important that the Molex connector is installed fully into the beacon port, and that the device is rmly attached to the
vehicle. Excessive vibrations from a loose installation can cause incorrect results.
• The 65xx beacons are not waterproof or sealed devices. Care must be taken to ensure the device is kept away from water or
any other liquids, as well as excessive dust.
• The 65xx beacons may be incompatible with certain models of vehicles. For more information please contact Vecima Support.
1st Digit 2nd Digit Error Condition
1 1 License key has expired. Please contact Vecima Support.
1 2 Low supply voltage. Ensure that the vehicle battery is supplying adequate voltage.
Contact Vecima Support if the error persists.
1 3 Data usage exceeded. Please contact Vecima Support.
2 1 Modem module fault. Please contact Vecima Support.
2 2 No SIM inserted. Please contact Vecima Support.
2 3 No cellular signal. *
2 4 Network not found. Please contact Vecima Support to verify the SIM activation.
2 5 Last data session failed. *
2 6 GPRS not attached. Please verify beacon activation.
3 1 GPS module fault. Please contact Vecima Support.
3 2 GPS antenna fault. *
3 3 GPS not tracking any satellites. *
3 4 GPS no x (< 3 satellites). *
3 5 GPS has no time. *
4 2 Data transfer failed. *
RED LED Error Codes
* These issues may be caused by an incorrectly positioned beacon. If the device is connected properly and has an unobstructed
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