Pet tracker Z8 - help please identifying protocol
One option would be to try and decompile the .apk, using the online decompilers it doesn't seem to output the relevant code. It also looks like the app might be made with hybrid technology, just encompassing a webview, where the communication protocol is implemented on their backend and not in the APK.
I later confirmed this by finding this site, which lists it's REST API calls for their app...
http://app.yintaifu.com.cn/swagger/ui/index
They appear to have other devices which they support via this API (like watches).
We need the full communication protocol between the tracker and server, API are methods to invoke the protocol commands.
Looking over this API, the app only supports a bare minimal.
I just need to be able to generate a token and observe the calls from the server and responses back.
I'm going to stress, the Z8 isn't a good tracker, poor battery life, not very accurate on reporting and very limited. I've had it on power save mode most of the day, battery won't even make a day doing nothing, it still sends a heartbeat back every 2 mins, like tracking mode.
If the API exposes more functionality on tracking modes, i might revise my statement, missing WIFI hardware is sets it back, especially if you are a cat owner.
@Nigel: "I have given up with it. I still have not found a good alternative cheap collar tracker that works with traccar yet"
I've found one, just had it delivered, ticks all the boxes, slightly smaller than the Z8 with the rubber casing on.
Looks like it's based on the Topin ZX303, with GPS, Wifi and LBS. Good battery life, pretty accurate and as accurate as 5 metres when inside on a window ledge (the Z8 failed at).
I got it from an a UK ebay seller for 17gbp, same as what i'd paid for the the inferior Z8, here is a link to it on alibaba:
https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/High-Quality-A837-Pet-GPS-Tracker_60829631551.html
and based on this protocol:
Hi Neil, thanks for advising on this alternative gps, I will order one. I have used the zx303 circuit board gps before successfully. I never found the ability to use a domain name though only IP address for server command worked. I use homeassistant for smart home stuff and have it monitor the ip address of my isp service, when it sees a change of ip it sends a command with the new ip via ifttt and sms to automatically update the gps. Works well.
Nigel,
Very misleading, in the manual is says:
6.9 Modify IP address: "DOMAIN#domain name or IP#Port ID#" it says it will default 365gps server if is new server is unavailable.
I've tried to set 2 different domain names (DNS entries to IPs) and it defaults to their server until i enter an IP address instead.
If you are in the UK, plusnet offer static IP addresses for £5 one off fee via their broadband service. The problem with domain setting is DNS caching via the ISP you are using if not using a static IP. Sometimes it's worth hosting it on a cheap VPS that has it's own static IP address.
This looks like the company behind it:
https://365gps.en.alibaba.com/company_profile.html
Comes in pet:
https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Made-in-China-mini-dog-leather_60856334406.html
and pendant:
https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Waterproof-Gemstone-jewelry-GSM-sim-mini_60813554275.html
i've got my hands on another tracker, the "F9 Petonaut" which is based on the Z8, but with wifi (yet to verify).
The fun part is, it uses a different app to the Z8, but when i send "SERVER#" text to it, it returns the same server as the Z8.
The app keeps saying it's off-line and was in china, once i did a telnet into dv.yintaifu.com.cn 8889, and send the correct commands, it rejects it unless i send a known IMEI (Z8).. this product IMEI is not on their whitelist. It says in the F9 manual, use the IMEI as the login and last 6 digits of the IMEI as the password. Another major fail.
Hi all, I've just purchased this Z8 pet tracker, and I have read this thread. It seems the tracker is sending a heartbeat in the format "PC,<IMEI>,1{<U101#>}", and server should send a command to tracker in order to ask for the position, or to change from 1h tracking to 10s, or vice.
I'm not sure if traccar has finally included this device. Could you please confirm this point? I would like to use this device with traccar, and not with the chinese app !!!!
Thanks.
Do you have protocol documentation?
Hi Anton,
No, the information I have is from this post. I'll try to find detailed commands and post them here. I suppose I need to set a proxy in order to sniff the trafic and get the commands. Maybe @Niel, in this post, got the commands at the time of writing the posts :)
Thanks
I spent ages seeking protocol documentation, there is nothing out there... the company behind it didn't bother responding to my emails.
There is a Z8 / Z8A (non wifi), G8 and F9 (both wifi) are built on the same protocol...i figured most of it out.. i did it in code for something i was developing.. i found cheaper and better trackers.. this became a low priority, it's not a good tracker for accuracy.
Thanks for your investigation and the info Neil. Could you please (if rules of this chat allow it) tell us which are the 'better trackers' you found?
Thanks
I've got almost every tracker that i could purchase via UK sellers within the past 5 years (excluding propriety ones) .. the most recent ones i've found which are cheap, small and out performs a lot of the more expensive ones:
the G12P (with wifi location):
https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Factory-OEM-waterproof-pet-GPS-tracker_62033966960.html
the D79 (with wifi location):
https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/2020-Most-popular-IP67-waterproof-pet_62449358433.html
I believe they are both supported by this platform.
A lot of the accuracy issues i've found is down to the poorly implemented apps they come with, there is no real intelligence and report literally what the tracker says.. if the trackers loses GPS (not in line of sight), they use wifi location, or often flip into LBS mode (1km away.. pointless mode!)... your pet doesn't suddenly jump 1km. I'm working on a system for pets to handle the trackers and provide more intelligence within the unified app platform i'm building.
Thanks
any luck with the recommendations?
jean,
I only happened to stumble on this link when researching any kind of protocol Z8 documentation, there appear to be none, many manufactures of GPS trackers don't sell direct as they don't have sales teams, there are endless so called companies that sell them and claim to be the manufacturer.. they won't give out protocol docs (they want your money, they're not the manufacturer, as there is a lot of product protection going on our there (at lot of distrust going on there from the sounds of it).
Finding this link was invaluable and way into this tracker, since i've started to unlock the protocol, i wanted to give something back (as above), which will get everyone up and running now.
This was all part of research for my own pet tracking system i'm developing to add on to my current lost and found service which is used in several counties. I'm developing in level low code (binary executable, not java).