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442 days without a stop!

The module "Drozd" continuously conducts count of time from the moment of the restarting (lifetime) that gives an opportunity to specify precisely duration of its operation without switch-off. At internal failures or serious failures the module can fulfill procedure of initial initialization with restarting for restoration of serviceability. Today at the next update of a software on the car of one of clients, normally fulfilling the international routs, the counter of "lifetime" of the module "Drozd" with serial number №99А showed 10 609 hours. This means that 442 days "Drozd" has fulfilled without a blackout of power supplies and any failures. For today this is record time of continuous work of "Drozd", fixed by our experts. Other module of the same series showed time of life 8 858 hours that constitutes 369 days. These facts are saying about high reliability of the software and the hardware platform "Drozd". Not every permanently established electronic device or the computer can fulfill more than a year, constantly remaining on line without any restart.

Enduro Championship of Ukraine 2011 in Sevastopol.

On the 22-23rd of October was held the 4th and final stage of the Enduro Championship of Ukraine in Sevastopol. Competitions passed on a route «Stone storm», consisting of unexpected turnings, steep slopes, mountain descents, loose breeds and the bound roots. Undoubtedly, to follow each participant torn forward to a victory, on such line with open years was impossible, therefore the system was applied to maintenance of objective judicial control on the basis of the equipment "Drozd". According to system movings of all participants were traced and at definition of winners movement routes, high-speed modes were checked. Some infringements by separate participants were revealed: partial «cuts», movement against a stream and excess of speed in the closed park. Thus, with the help of system "Drozd" judges received the full information on line passage by each participant.

Enduro Championship of Ukraine 2010 in Kolomiya

Passed 4th stage of the Enduro Championship of Ukraine in Kolomiya, the Ivano-Frankovsk area. The system was applied to provision of the objective judicial control on the basis of the equipment "Drozd". Below are presented results of passages of a line by participants. Except of descents from a distance of several participants for technical reasons, essential infringements it are not fixed.
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Start maintenance of the server of registration system

Experts of Ltd. "Istrim" together with OC "MEGA" complete a complex of operations on start in server commercial operation on provision of services of the registration and the dispatcher control of objects in agricultural sector. This server allows to: accept and save the data of relocation of objects; accept and save the data about events, states of objects sensors, etc.; process the data and to inform managers about supernumerary situations, failures, accidents, sabotage; fulfill input of objects-fields by users-managers; calculate the areas of objects and the processed areas; conduct administrative accounting of all operations; automate processes of control and salary charge; plan needs of the enterprise for the future periods; divide the rights of users at access to the information on the server. The client workplace of the dispatcher allows to: display objects, routes, runs, stops in real time; receive text reports about all parameters of movement; display refuellings of technics by fuel, its thefts, including the information about location of all events; execute operative viewing-control of all parameters of the equipment; carry out input of primary documents of accounting. Directors of the enterprises receive a tool of the operative control of all processes in online mode. Economic indicators can be shown on the panel of indicators with possibility to receive the developed information on each indicator. For example, during the harvest can be displayed a free indicator of the end of works in percentage of the total square of lands of the enterprise. The statistics can be displayed by various criterion of a sample: by periods; by days; by contractors; by objects. Thanks to open architecture of a product (OpenSource) the client receives a platform with possibility of modernization of its any part. The software is constructed on client-server architecture and renewed on the server so that any completions become accessible to all clients without delays.

In the near future presentations about use of the given system and its possibilities for agricultural enterprises will be developed. The command of our developers studies requirements of clients for entering of necessary changes in more details.

We react on changes of corporate tariffs of KievStar

About the problem

Unfortunately, recently a lot of enterprise customers of mobile operator KievStar have faced with the increase of value of the GSM traffic for poll of objects. It is connected with increase of tariffs for data transmission (CSD) of mobile operator KievStar in some tariff plans in five-six times. Because of requests of our clients it was accepted the decision to develop a technique of transparent transition of use of GPRS and, accordingly, decrease of expenses to former levels.

Details for specialists of operation

19/09/2010 were approached works on connection of the program of forming of reports VM Report to database PostgreSQL/PostGIS.The program allows to build reports of movement of objects, fuel and other parametres. In the new version users have an opportunity to build reports both by data software VM Server, and also from a database of the SQL-server (PostgreSQL/PostGIS).Earlier we developed a program component of the server of acceptance of the data from the equipment the Drozd in base PostgreSQL/PostGIS (Technical project IS25-01.115RU). Thus, program VM Server can be replaced by two other program components that will allow to refuse from the mode of data transmission CSD and to pass to the mode GPRS. For the use of GPRS is needed: to buy or rent a computer-server that has constant connection to Internet network, having constant IP-address; to install on the computer-server software IS25-01; to install on the computer-server software databases PostgreSQL/PostGIS; to provide access to the server through the Internet or in a local network for the personnel working with software VM Report; to activate mode GPRS on corporate packets of Drozd objects; to fulfil adjustment of modules Drozd (update of adjustments is carried out automatically for all modules through VM Server).

Calculation of costs on an example of one of clients

The system used one channel of poll in mode CSD on 150 mobile objects. The monthly fee for mobile communication constituted 25 grn + 7 % for each object. Costs for poll of one object in mode CSD constituted nearby 6,7 grn in a month at reception of a database four times a day. The information on moving of all objects was transferred directly to the computer of the dispatcher in a online mode (UDP by markers through GPRS). Structure of expenses before increase of tariffs: license fee 150 * 26,75 = 4012,5 grn poll of one objects CSD 150 * 6,7 = 1005 grn Total: 5017,5 grn Expectational costs after increase of tariffs: license fee 150 * 26,75 = 4012,5 grn poll of one objects CSD 150 * 40,2 = 6030 grn Total: 10042,5 grn At transition to mode GPRS the traffic will be paid at the expense of already established license fee. To this sum it is necessary to add value of rent of the server or purchasing ON IS25-01, and also access cost to a network the Internet from work places of dispatchers. Expectational costs if to use of GPRS: license fee (includes 20 Mb of traffic GPRS that it is enough for online supervision) 150 * 26,75 = 4012,5 grn rent of the virtual server, including the Internet traffic (the prices www.lucky.net) ~520 grn access to the Internet network for work of dispatchers (the price of Utel) ~250 grn Total: 4782,5 grn The definitive sum of costs of the given client can be a little above former, however is considerable below expectational 10 thousand grivnas.

Finished the exhibition "Agro-2010" in which our partners - " MEGA" have been taken part

Participation in the exhibition

Finished the exhibition "Agro-2010" in which our partners - Open Company " MEGA" have been taken part. The exhibition was held in national complex "Expocenter Ukraine" in Kiev. As exhibits have been presented:
- An acting breadboard model of fuel accounting system on the basis of the equipment "Drozd", sensor VZO, "Strela-CH";
- A work place of the dispatcher of online control of agricultural machinery;
- A demonstration variant of the system of construction of accounting for an agricultural company on the basis of open program softwasre.

Оптимизация затрат

Оборудование GPS-мониторинга «Дрозд» записывает траекторию движения и происходящие события во внутреннюю память. Пользователь может легко изменить количество записываемых данных и график обмена с сервером, раздельно для рабочх и для выходных дней. Также можно настроить допустимое количество выходов на связь с сервером и количество попыток связи в случае неудачи. Специальные режимы чередования запросов позволяют поддерживать GPRS-сессию открытой, что сокращает расходы при округлении трафика GSM-оператором (оператор связи при работе в роуминге округляет трафик в большую сторону сегментами по 100кб). При использовании модуля индикации IS07 в автомобиле можно полностью исключить телефонные переговоры с водителем за границей. В таком случае голосовую связь заменяет двусторонний обмен текстовыми сообщениями в реальном времени (аналогично ICQ). Как-правило, объем передаваемых данных невелик и не превышает 100кб, что по сегодняшним ценам операторов связи в роуминге составляет примерно 1 доллар. Если данные передаются в пределах уже открытой сессии GPRS, факт обмена текстовыми сообщениями никак не отражается на общих расходах на связь. Все эти меры позволяют ограничить максимальные расходы на связь в роуминге.

SABOTAGE?

Instead of foreword

Before answer on the question, we want to tell funny situation, that happened in 1999 when one of new insurance companies begun to order developments of equipment for cars protection. For lowering insurance risks company wanted to install for its customers on board complex of GPS - protection, which during stealing "would hold on" not less than 15 minutes and would be protected from breaking as much as possible. The biggest wondering of developers was when they realized-that the main risk of stealing of the insured car proceeds from... its lawful owner! As a result of developments,there was a device which has been protected not only outwardly, but also guaranteed impossibility of breaking/substitution and other focuses in warm, "family" garage. The experience and the operating time checked up by years now are applied by us in a theme of control and dispatching management of transport. Sabotage it is a situation, when employees are making attempts to put the GPS-control equipment out of action or to discredit system. To present it as non-working. Lets leave motives and methods of similar actions on conscience of disloyal employees...

Difficult case

Nobody likes control, especially people who used to have unlimited freedom and drivers who as obliges are on huge distances from passages of factories age and offices. Methods of additional "earnings" worked by years are very difficult to cancel with one order of director and it is even more difficult to transform them into civilized relations of trust and encouragement. The most unpleasant situation is when the basic part of collective works more or less honesty but separate individuals steal in a large amounts (will call things by their proper names). For biggest part of collective works a psychological syndrome of "defensible expectations" when people who constantly are suspected in labor discipline infringements, in time also begin to break "as everybody". In such situation control systems helps to find the problem quickly and solve it considerably at the moment of occurrence. So with which methods developers of GPS trackers suggest to solve difficult disputed questions?

Don't do monitoring systems like this!

The majority of manufacturers make equipment which is easy to produce, conveniently to store and quickly (cheaply) to sell, however its design features doesn't allow even to hope for performance of control functions in the conditions of the conflict of interests. Many western and eastern companies don't understand our service conditions and a technological level of people with which their products are going to be used. We will not specify here manufacturers and concrete methods of use of weak places because of clear reasons... below you can see photo of automobile GPS/GSM - tracker "company X". The case of the module of a standard type and size, plastic, has a number of the cracks which have been cut manually. It was gathers with the help of screws. Usually, the printed-circuit board of a product has no protection frames from a moisture and vibration. If to look narrowly, it is possible to notice the SH-shaped socket for connection to the external charge, several gauges, sockets of antennas. Presence of connectors of antennas and thin cables which under the instruction should be pulled somewhere outside of the car or «under torpedo», unambiguously shows its location at "hide" installation. Very often there are copies without a reserve charge and the holder of a SIM-card that is accessible outside. Opening of the case of the module distantly isn't supervised and fixed in the memory. Without penetration into technical characteristics and logical models of operation we can say: constructive decisions used here lead to that control will work only when nobody is against its work. We have counted 9 (nine) various points of vulnerability which allow to put the module in full or in part out of action.

There is no sense to compare the prices for similar products. Just as there is no difference with what to prop up the door outside of a house: with a shovel or a gold yoke! Protection with specially developed locks which has several degrees of protection is the best consult.

Where the decision?

It is necessary to put itself to the place of the driver and try to understand, what problems the system should solve. If you trust all your employees, GPS-monitoring equipment is needed only for optimization of routes of movement and construction of dispatching system. However, if takes place a conflict of interests, any weak part of the equipment of GPS-control will be used for sabotage. In the equipment «Drozd» all kinds of sabotage attempts for last 11 years are considered, work on revealing and the decision of new problems doesn't stop. Here is the short description of our technical decisions for comparison with above presented example: The construction of «Drozd» is created taking into account requirements of the maximum protection against mechanical influences. The plastic case of execution of "Drozd-M1" is tight, maintains static pressure in 400kg that allows to protect device electronics even in case of road accident with a turning on a roof. The case of "Drozd-К1" maintains falling and blows, exceeding in durability the cases of house hold appliances of type a handheld computer and mobile phones. The electric circuit is constructed to protect electronics from exterior influences. It gives an opportunity to obtain the data from occurred events after damage more than 50 % of components of feed system. The microcomputer of Japanese manufacture built in «Drozd» has a number of unique singularities considerably raising its survivability in difference from cheap microcontrollers of general purpose of other vendors. The firm-vendor positions the given microcomputer as solving component as safety pillows or systems of electronic control by transmission that speaks about its exceptional reliability. «Drozd» has through system of documenting of occurring events and the special gauges, giving an opportunity to analyze history of external influences. Nothing remains not noticed, neither charge loss, nor hindrance of acceptance of signals, attempt to "knock over" a cover. As a result of the subsequent analysis with probability of 99 % actual reasons of violation of standard regime of operation are established. The internal system of event fixing «Drozd» protects the under control employee from any suspicions if the equipment was really unworkable as there is nothing worse than to punish the innocent. Regularly functioning device is able to help to report about stimulated idle time with corks or on unloading for the slow customer. And also don't forget about safety communication and protection functions...

technical director, Ltd. "Istrim"

01234567

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