Help with an unknown old device

JBG3 months ago

Hi

I received a device from a friend that he used some time ago (about 15 years ago) on another platform.
It's called Rikaline GPSGuardian and it looks like this:
GPSGuardian_screenshot.png

I added the IMEI on the demo platform, but I can't get it to work (it's offline all the time).
I found the user manual (I can send it if needed) which shows that you can configure the device using SMS commands as follows:

  • send data via GPRS to TCP or UDP ports
  • ports can be defined arbitrarily (default port 80 TCP or 6080 UDP)
  • use NMEA or WGS84 or DECIMAL format (default WGS84)
  • set the IP of the data reception server (I set the demo)

I tried many different configurations - TCP, UDP, different ports 5001, 5002, 5009, but none of them worked.
Can anyone help me?
Am I stupid and doing something wrong?

Anton Tananaev3 months ago

We support NMEA data on the port 5005, but if it's pure NMEA without identification, you would need to use the IP address as identifier.

JBG3 months ago

you would need to use the IP address as identifier

Demo server IP or my device IP? (I can't use the device IP because it is variable in the mobile network)

JBG3 months ago

If you meant modifying the NMEA data packet sent by the device, unfortunately I didn't find a command to add IP to NMEA :(

Anton Tananaev3 months ago

Obviously your device IP. You don't need to add IP to NMEA. I said you should use IP as the identifier on the server.

Richard Creer3 months ago

Isn't NMEA in this instance a reference to the format of the lat and lon?

If I were you, I'd keep trying ports, maybe 2015 or watch protocol. Look at the log and see if you can figure it out.

Richard Creer3 months ago

Correction, 5015 of course.

Anton Tananaev3 months ago

Isn't NMEA in this instance a reference to the format of the lat and lon?

No. And there's only one port that accepts NMEA format - 5005.

Richard Creer3 months ago

The reference to NMEA is in the paragraph that also refers to WGS84 and DECIMAL as format options . All three are ways to express latitude and longitude as character strings.

Given that the default is stated to be WGS84 then i don't see where NMEA comes into it.

Surely OP needs to look for a port that accepts his device's reports with WGS84 format positions.

Anton Tananaev3 months ago

Your suggestion makes no sense to me. We don't know what WGS84 format means in this case, but we do know NMEA format and we know the correct port for it.

JBG3 months ago

Guys, thank you very much for your interest in my problem!

Obviously your device IP. You don't need to add IP to NMEA. I said you should use IP as the identifier on the server.

I have a floating IP from my mobile network.

Look at the log and see if you can figure it out.

I can't even debug the NMEA content (pure NMEA?) sent by this device because I can't connect it to my computer (no control program, logs, etc.)

Maybe I should try going back to WGS84?
What ports are best to try for such an old device?
On the previous tracking platform I think there was an IMEI (but I could be wrong)

JBG3 months ago

Does the demo server have logs somewhere to check if ANYTHING is reaching the server?

Richard Creer3 months ago

NMEA format: (d)ddmm.mmmm +/-/N/S/E/W
DECIMAL format: +/-(d)dd.dddddd
WGS84 format is a bit more difficult to pin down but could be (d)dd mm ss N/S/E/W.

I guess it is up to the manufacturer to decide how to format coordinates. For example, the LKGPS protocol (H02 probably) says "Latitude, format : DDFF.FFFF, DD : Degree(00 ~ 90), FF.FFFF : minute...". That looks like NMEA format to me on port 5013.

So, with respect, the device's documentation as provided by OP is not refering to the transmission protocol when it mentions NMEA it is refering to the format in which coordinates are presented within packets of data.

Traccar kindly interprets coordinates in multiple formats and stores them, rightly and sensibly, as decimal.

So I still think OP's best strategy is to keep trying ports until he finds one that works and/or get hold of a log to see what the data looks like.

Anton Tananaev3 months ago

You should try any port to at least get some data. I don't think you can see logs on a demo server. You have to host your own.

JBG2 months ago

Guys, I'm giving up on the fight and I have to buy a new device, because I couldn't get it to work on the platform :(

I have two questions:

  1. Do you recognize these two trackers visually, so that I can find them on the official list of supported ones? I suspect that they are some "standard Chinese" ones, only branded for a local seller:
    https://mking.pl/do-auta-lodzi-motocykla/lokalizator-gps-aplikacja-sledzenie-pojazdu-lodzi-mk02.html
    https://mking.pl/do-auta-lodzi-motocykla/lokalizator-gps-aplikacja-sledzenie-pojazdu-odciecie-zaplon-mkx10.html
  2. Can you recommend the cheapest device from the official list? I don't have any special requirements - it has to be cheap and will be permanently installed in the car.