Certain models of the wired installation GPS tracking units can have additional inputs hooked up, providing further feedback regarding the use of the vehicle. This feature is only available for specific wired devices and is not available for units that plug into the OBD II port. Please contact GPS Trackit with questions regarding exact unit types.
Use of the Input features begins during the installation process as the wiring harness is attached to the vehicle. Each wiring harness has four wires that can be used for Inputs. Please refer to the installation guide to understand which wire is which. Be sure to keep track of which input is used for which vehicle equipment.
After installation access the Manage tab on the software platform, then click on Inputs.
Each input will need specific names needed to identify them, along with a label for when the input detects On versus Off. Add as many input labels as needed, using the plus button. For this example, a Snow Plow will be added as the input being monitored.
Use the Input ON Label field to indicate how the input monitored item, in this case a snowplow, should show in the data when in use. On means the equipment is powered up. The software determines these statuses based on a ground being detected by the input wire. No detected ground equals Input On. Use Input OFF Label field to show when the monitored item is not in use and/or powered down. This means a ground has been detected. Be sure to save the labels.
To change an Input, find it on the list and hover the mouse over it. A 3-dot button will appear on the right. Click the button to see the Edit and Delete options.
Now that the Inputs have been added to the system, they’ll need to be attached to the appropriate vehicles. For this, remain in the Manage tab and go to Unit Settings. Find the unit in question on the list and click on it.
In the drawer to the right, click the Input Labels button. This is where the notes from installation regarding which input is being used for which vehicle equipment will be needed. Now select the appropriate label for each field. Each vehicle can have up to multiple inputs attached. Be sure to update the fields for each input being used. Be sure to save the settings.
To see the activity detected by the inputs, go to the Reports tab and run the Input report.
Alerts are available for Inputs as well. These are created in the bell icon to the upper right corner.
The Input alert is found under the On Event entry on the Alert list.
Use the Alert Label field to input a unique name for the alert, then select a severity level. Within the Event field, Input needs to be chosen. After selecting Input, a new field will appear called Input. Now choose which of the possible inputs will trigger this alert. More than one input can be selected at a time.
Next choose the State that will trigger the Alert. There are three options: On, Off or Both. In addition, indicate if the Alert should trigger while the vehicle is Driving, Not Driving or Both. The choice depends on the equipment being monitored. Finally, hit Next.
Step two is the Scheduling & Frequency for the Alert. This allows for customization of how many times a day the alert is triggered, the days of the week the Alert is active and even if there are times of day the Alert should or should not be triggered. All of these features combine to prevent an overwhelming amount of alerts, allowing the most effective utilization of the Alerts as possible.
The scheduling option has several choices. Everyday, which results in the alerts being triggered 7 days a week and 24 hours a day. Weekdays restricts the alert to only being triggered Monday through Friday, going out 24 hours a day. Weekends would be the reverse of this, having the alert only trigger on Saturdays and Sundays, 24 hours a day.
The final choice is Custom. Use Custom to choose the exact days of the week to have the alert trigger as well setting times that the alert should be active. For example, only needing the alert active on Mondays from 8 am to 6 pm and Tuesday from 7 am to 5 pm.
Select the day by clicking the button to the left of the entry. Then use the dropdowns to select the times. To apply the same timeframe to all the day, use the ‘Apply Monday’s times to all’ toggle button.
The Plus button to the right of each day allows the input of multiple time frames for each day. For example, the alert needs to be active on Mondays between 8 am and 10 am, then again from 4 pm to 6 pm. Use the plus button to add an additional time slot for a particular day.
Alerts are incredibly useful, however receiving too many of them can negate their value. When creating an alert a limit can be set on numbers of times total per day that it’s triggered. Click the Yes button and use the slider to choose the limit.
Clicking ‘Next’ leads to Subscribers. This section is to determine who the Alerts should be sent to when triggered. Use the ‘Select’ dropdown to make the choices. To receive an Alert, the recipient must be listed as a Contact.
For a Driver to directly receive an alert, use the Current Driver option. This will send the triggered Alert not just to selected Contacts (such as managers or administrators) but to the actual Driver of the vehicle. This feature is particularly useful for behavioral items such as speeding or excessive Idling, notifying the driver directly. For Current Driver to work properly, the Driver tool must be used.
Having input the triggers and the recipients, the final step is to apply the alert to the appropriate units. To apply the alert to all the units at once, select the All button.
If more specific choices are needed, use the Units button. Units are organized by Tags. Selecting a Tag will apply the alert to all the units within that tag. To expand a Tag and select specific units, click the arrow to the left of the Tag. Click ‘Add New’ to save the Alert.
Existing Alerts can be edited or deleted whenever changes are needed. To delete an alert, click the box to the left and then the trashcan icon to the upper left. For edits, hover the mouse over the alert to produce a 3-dot button. Clicking this button will then show the edit option.