Xeos Onyx User manual

57
Onyx User Manual
Miniature Iridium Asset Tracker with Relay Function
Version 6.2
December 2020

Onyx User Manual 6.2 2
Shipped From
Contact Us
Email
[email protected]
Phone
[phone]
Fax
[phone]
Website
www.xeostech.com
Specifics
This manual version is written with respect to Onyx Firmware builds 6790 to 6808. To acquire the
latest firmware for your device, contact suppor[email protected]
Version History
Version No.
Date
Description
1.0
Jun 2013
Base document
2.0
Aug 2014
Updated format, included relay instructions
3.0
Nov 2014
Updated commands
3.1
Jan 2015
Updated with Onyx-R and I Information
3.2
Feb 2015
Added info regarding In-Motion mode
3.3
Mar 2015
Added Advanced Config Options in appendices
3.4
Mar 2015
Corrected error in Appendix B
3.5
Apr 2015
Added OEM Info
3.6
Nov 2015
Added LV OEM Info to Appendix D
3.8
Feb 2016
Added Onyx-M Info
4.0
Sept 2017
Document overhaul
5.0
Apr 2018
Added Onyx-WB info, drawings, additional commands
5.1
Apr 2018
Added Understanding Position Information Section
5.2
May 2018
Rewrote Appendix F, Added I and P-type messages
6.0
July 2019
Overhaul; Geofencing, Onyx-M now Onyx-M2, Relay section moved, accessories
6.1
Jan 2020
LiveTrack, Xeos Bluetooth Dongle accessory, Onyx-LV OEM Pinout, Troubleshooting
6.2
Dec 2020
Watch Circle, edits to serial relay section
Regular checks for the latest manual are suggested. Be sure to check Xeos Technologies’ manuals
page to compare versions and download the latest version.

Onyx User Manual 6.2 3
Table of Contents
Shipped From.................................................................................................................................. 2
Contact Us....................................................................................................................................... 2
Specifics........................................................................................................................................... 2
Version History................................................................................................................................ 2
General Description ........................................................................................................................ 6
Theory of Operation........................................................................................................................ 6
Onyx Variants.................................................................................................................................. 7
Preliminary Setup............................................................................................................................ 9
Setting up your Iridium Account ................................................................................................ 9
Understanding Position Information ......................................................................................... 9
Iridium Doppler position........................................................................................................ 9
Global Positioning System ................................................................................................... 11
Onyx Operation............................................................................................................................. 12
Powering the Onyx................................................................................................................... 12
Standard Onyx, Onyx-M2, Onyx-WB ................................................................................... 12
Onyx-I................................................................................................................................... 12
Onyx-R.................................................................................................................................. 12
LED Indicators........................................................................................................................... 12
Device Status LEDs............................................................................................................... 12
Recharging the Onyx-R ........................................................................................................ 13
Serial Interface ......................................................................................................................... 13
Things to Remember ........................................................................................................... 14
Using the Magnetic Switch....................................................................................................... 14
Deployment of the Onyx............................................................................................................... 15
Antennas .................................................................................................................................. 15
Messages from the Onyx .............................................................................................................. 16
Settings Summary Message ..................................................................................................... 16
Version (Type V) ....................................................................................................................... 16
Position..................................................................................................................................... 16
Compressed Binary Position................................................................................................ 16
ASCII Position (Type P)......................................................................................................... 17

Onyx User Manual 6.2 4
Information Message (Type I).................................................................................................. 18
Motion Message....................................................................................................................... 18
Communicating with the Onyx ..................................................................................................... 19
Sending Commands via Email .................................................................................................. 19
Command Format................................................................................................................ 19
Command Structure ............................................................................................................ 19
The Unlock Code.................................................................................................................. 19
Sending the Command ........................................................................................................ 20
Sending Commands Using XeosOnline .................................................................................... 20
Setting up to Send ............................................................................................................... 21
Messages to the Onyx................................................................................................................... 22
Settings..................................................................................................................................... 22
Lifetime Stats............................................................................................................................ 23
Stats.......................................................................................................................................... 23
Onyx Mode Diagram ................................................................................................................ 24
Onyx Timer Intervals..................................................................................................................... 25
Setting timers ........................................................................................................................... 25
Motion........................................................................................................................................... 26
Motion Enable/Disable............................................................................................................. 26
In-Motion Threshold ................................................................................................................ 26
Message Enable ............................................................................................................................ 27
Watch Circle.................................................................................................................................. 28
Enabling the Watch Circle ........................................................................................................ 28
Setting the Watch Circle........................................................................................................... 28
Geofencing.................................................................................................................................... 29
Set Geofence ............................................................................................................................ 29
Show Geofence ........................................................................................................................ 29
Test Geofence .......................................................................................................................... 29
Clear Geofence......................................................................................................................... 30
Geofence Messages ................................................................................................................. 30
LiveTrack ....................................................................................................................................... 30
Digital Output Pin.......................................................................................................................... 30
Encryption..................................................................................................................................... 31

Onyx User Manual 6.2 5
Setting Up Encryption on XeosOnline...................................................................................... 31
Generating your Key................................................................................................................. 32
Enabling Encryption Use .......................................................................................................... 32
Flash Memory ............................................................................................................................... 33
Dumping the Flash Memory..................................................................................................... 33
Deleting the Flash Memory...................................................................................................... 33
Data Relay ..................................................................................................................................... 34
Basic Functionality.................................................................................................................... 34
Serial Relay ............................................................................................................................... 34
Mobile Originated SBD (From Device)................................................................................. 35
Mobile Terminated SBD (To Device) ................................................................................... 36
Other Commands.......................................................................................................................... 38
Testing the Onyx ........................................................................................................................... 39
Deployment of the Onyx............................................................................................................... 40
Troubleshooting............................................................................................................................ 41
Appendix A: Firmware Update Procedure.................................................................................... 43
Appendix B: Pinout Diagrams ....................................................................................................... 46
Appendix C: Mechanical Drawings ............................................................................................... 48
Appendix D: Cable Drawings......................................................................................................... 56
Appendix E: Specifications............................................................................................................ 57
Appendix F: Accessories................................................................................................................ 59
Appendix G: GPS Text Long........................................................................................................... 61
Warranty, Support and Limited Liability....................................................................................... 62

Onyx User Manual 6.2 6
General Description
The Onyx is a miniaturized asset tracking beacon which continuously monitors for asset location
and reports location and sensor information via the Iridium satellite network. Onyx makes use of
the bi-directional, global, real time Iridium Satellite Short Burst Data (SBD) network in
combination with GPS position location. Onyx’s extremely small size and form factor make it
easy to install quickly for overt installations or hide in a wide variety of locations for covert
tracking or custom concealments.
Inside the Onyx is a 9603 Iridium satellite Short Burst Data core radio transceiver, a specialized
low-power Xeos digital controller with GPS, Iridium & GPS antennas, and complex accelerometer
for motion detection.
While the Onyx is intended for both covert and overt mobile deployments. Xeos Technologies
Inc. (Xeos) manufactures other products for fixed location monitoring, remote tracking and
surveillance.
The Onyx also features a built-in relay function for the remote control and retrieval of serial
devices, such as sensors or cameras.
See www.xeostech.com for details or call (902)-444-7650.
Theory of Operation
The Onyx is intended for continuous and/or periodic monitoring of high value assets globally. The
Onyx can facilitate instant and accurate location of assets for recovery or monitoring purposes.
The internal GPS determines location which is stored on board the Onyx. An Iridium modem
provides two-way communications for retrieval of data, live tracking and sending commands to
the remote tracker. The deployment is facilitated by the miniature device which has both GPS
and Iridium antennas on board.
Operators can communicate with the Onyx via Iridium using XeosOnline or via email commands
when appropriately configured. Status information can be obtained, including the health of the
GPS system and battery voltage. Timings are settable remotely and can be modified as the nature
of the tracking or monitoring operation changes.
The internal relay function allows the Onyx to be piggy-backed to an external serial device and
used as a communications interface for that device to, for instance, send commands to a remote
camera or receive data from a temperature sensor.
While any email application can be used to send and receive messages between the user and the
Onyx, XeosOnline is the easiest way to manage and monitor multiple Onyx devices. XeosOnline
presents the information in a readable format and displays it on street level maps.

Onyx User Manual 6.2 7
Onyx Variants
Onyx
The standard Onyx has no internal power source. It requires an
external power supply of 7 - 32 Volts. The Standard Onyx is also
available without an enclosure as the Onyx OEM.
Onyx-I
The Onyx-I has an internal power source, consisting of four 3 Volt
CR123A Lithium non-rechargeable batteries in series. This model
has a larger profile than the standard Onyx but functions identically,
save for the lack of an external connector. An additional magnet
plate can be added to the bottom of the enclosure for quick
deployment.
Onyx-R
The Onyx-R also has an internal power source, consisting of a
rechargeable 3.6 Volt Lithium-Ion battery pack. This model also has
a larger profile than the standard Onyx as well as charging indicator
LED’s. A front connector is used for diagnostics and charging. Like
with the Onyx-I, an additional magnet plate can be added to the
bottom of the enclosure for quick deployment.
Onyx-M2
The Onyx-M2 is the marine variant of the Onyx and is submersible
to 10m. The Remote-Head and Battery pack are both waterproof,
but cables should remain attached while underwater to prevent pin
corrosion.
The Onyx-M2 can be treated identically to an Onyx when
considering installation. The magnet cups on the bottom of the
Remote-head and Battery pack are designed for 5/8” diameter
magnets, which are not included.
The Onyx-M2 replaces the Onyx-M, swapping the previous
Teledyne connector with a new Chogori connector on both the battery pack and head.

Onyx User Manual 6.2 8
Onyx-WB
The Onyx-WB (Work Boat) is the marine variant of the Onyx
designed for static mounting. The enclosure of the Onyx-WB
is rated IP-67 enclosure to prevent water ingress.
Wings on the sides of the WB’s enclosure allow for mounting
to frames of objects, while the twist-on cable prevents
unintentional unlatching of the power supply from the device.
Onyx-LV OEM
The Onyx-LV OEM includes an Onyx low voltage board identical to the Onyx-R. However,
customers must supply their own input power of between 3.3 and 5.5 Volts and does not come
with an enclosure. Serial communication is possible with the supplied programming cable. See
Appendix D: Cable Drawings
Onyx Flat OEM (Standard Voltage and Low Voltage)
The Onyx Flat has a lower profile for smaller locations, but
does not come with an enclosure. They are available as
standard (7 –24 Volts) and low voltage (2.4 –5 Volts) variants.
Like the stand Onyx, they must be powered externally.

Onyx User Manual 6.2 9
Preliminary Setup
Setting up your Iridium Account
Onyx makes use of the Iridium satellite system’s Short Burst Data (SBD) service for the 9603
transceiver. This service is a global, two-way, real-time, email-based data delivery service that
has a maximum outbound (from Onyx) message size of 340 bytes and a maximum inbound (to
Onyx) message size of 270 bytes.
Onyx end users must set up an approved data delivery account with their preferred service
provider. Xeos is an Iridium VAR and can provide Iridium service if desired.
Setting up service requires the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number. Each
9603 has a unique IMEI number that must be registered with a preferred service provider. Xeos
will make these numbers available when the product is delivered.
Each IMEI number is capable of being associated with up to five destinations, made up of either
email addresses, IP addresses, or other Iridium IMEIs. This may vary between service providers.
When activating the device’s IMEI, please provide the service provider with the temporary Xeos
testing account email address; you may contact Xeos for this email. Setting up this email address
allows for better technical support during the initial learning period for the product.
Understanding Position Information
There are two types of position information which will be sent via the Iridium Gateway.
Iridium Doppler position
The Iridium Gateway calculates the Iridium transceivers’ position on earth when it receives a
transmission, using Doppler technology. As a result, it is often very inaccurate. This location is
only visible to users getting emails directly from the device, as opposed to emails forwarded by
XeosOnline. An example of a “raw” Iridium message via email is below and will always have the
IMEI of the device in the subject line, regardless of its name on XeosOnline.

Onyx User Manual 6.2 10
[email protected]
All messages from Iridium devices come from this address.
MOMSN: 5866
Mobile Originating Message Serial Number; each individual
message has its own incrementing serial number. A mobile
originating message is one that comes from the Iridium
device.
MTMSN: 0
Mobile Terminating Message Serial Number; like the MOMSN,
messages to Iridium devices (like commands) also have an
incrementing serial number. Since the message in the
example is from an Iridium device, the MT number is zero.
Time of Session (UTC)
The time the message arrived at the Iridium Gateway
Session Status
Each message will have a code determined by how well the
message was received; codes 00, 01 and 02 are acceptable
and will always have their code name (ex. Transfer OK) next to
this number.
Message Size (bytes)
The size of the actual message sent by the Iridium device,
which is in the attachment in the email.
*Unit Location
The Doppler position of the device as estimated by Iridium’s
network. It is NOT the GPS position measured by the device.