When positioning assets on a map in a track & trace application it is easy to forget that there are many different technologies besides GPS to determine an asset’s location. Different applications may require a more creative approach, depending on needs and requirements. 

Advantages and disadvantages of alternative technologies for positioning assets 

GPS (“Global Positioning System”) has evolved significantly since it was first launched for military use by the US government in the ‘70s. Many other operators now operate a similar satellite constellation (such as GLONASS, GALILEO and BEIDOU) and GPS receivers can now efficiently determine their location anywhere on the globe with impressive accuracy. However, GPS chipsets still require a relatively high amount of energy to achieve this, and in modern IoT applications, as well as more traditional track & trace, this is often a design constraint and operational problem.  

There are many other methods to determine an asset’s position on a map, and they all have their advantages and disadvantages. While this is good news for IoT providers and end users, it also means that it can be challenging to choose the right technology for a specific application. In track & trace and IoT applications there are four primary considerations when choosing a positioning technology: energy consumption, coverage/availability, accuracy and processing time.  

In general, there are active and passive methods  to determine the location of an asset. Active methods require electrical  power  (which  is  typically  provided  by  a  battery  and  therefore finite) since the  position  is  determined  on  the  device, but  also  often  yield  a more  accurate position. Examples  of active  positioning  methods  are GPS,  beacon  detection  or even  image recognition. Passive methods don’t require power (at least not  on the  device) but  tend  to  be less  accurate.  Examples  of  passive  positioning   methods   are  network   triangulation  and proximity.

Let’s evaluate some commonly used positioning methods in modern IoT applications and examine their advantages and disadvantages. There are many varieties of the described positioning methods, and it is impossible to cover every single one. There are also many other methods, so this is not intended to be an exhaustive list. 

GPS 

GPS chipsets receive low-power transmissions from satellites in earth’s orbit and calculate their position by comparing how long it took to receive the signal from each satellite (which tells the receiver how far away the satellite was when it transmitted the signal). To achieve this, a GPS chipset must know where the satellites themselves are. This information (almanac) is transmitted with a reasonable positioning accuracy. A GPS chipset therefore needs to listen for some time (often several minutes) to determine an accurate position. The longer it listens, the better the accuracy can get. Based on the four primary considerations, GPS positioning ranks as follows:  

Energy Consumption:

Poor. The device needs to actively listen for prolonged periods to receive and evaluate signals from dozens of satellites, continuously evaluate the signals and perform complex calculations to determine a position with reasonable accuracy.  

Coverage / Availability: 

• Great in outdoors situations. Especially multi-constellation chipsets can theoretically receive signals from up to 115 satellites (32 GPS, 24 GLONASS, 24 GALILEO and 35 BEIDOU) that are in earth’s orbit and cover the entire planet’s surface. Naturally these aren’t always visible, and some are not even active but serve as backup, but on a typical location on the globe a receiver should be able to receive a signal from dozens of satellites at any given time.
• Very poor in indoor situations. GPS signals are very weak (equivalent to a 60W lightbulb viewed from more than 20.000km away!) and cannot travel through solid objects. So inside buildings or underground GPS chipsets are unable to receive signals to determine a position.

Accuracy:

• Good. Typically, a GPS receiver in good conditions can determine a position with <10m accuracy within a minute of powering up. After a few minutes, accuracy of <3m (or <1m with multi-constellation) can be achieved.  
• Susceptible to interference. The very low power also means that GPS signals are very sensitive to interference by other RF sources. Modern GPS chipsets are very good at filtering bad signals, but interference can also overpower the real GPS signals which makes it impossible for a GPS receiver to determine a position (= jamming).  
• Great when augmented. GPS chipsets performance can be improved by feeding them with data to correct the GPS satellite signals. With extreme augmentation (RTK correction for example) the position can be determined within a few centimeters, but this requires premium components and a constant feed of correction data from land-based infrastructure.  

Processing Time:

• Poor upon first startup. If the GPS receiver is only activated when a position needs to be determined (often to save battery power) it will need some time to receive satellite almanac information and process the incoming signals. This can take a few minutes or more, depending on the expected accuracy.  

• Great during continuous operation. In track & trace applications the GPS chipset is typically kept active as long as the asset is active. The GPS chipset will continuously receive and process GPS satellite signals, and instantly output a pretty accurate position when required by the asset tracking device.  

Beacon Detection 

Asset tracking devices can be equipped with components to receive signals from “beacons” (= stationary small typically battery powered transmitters with a known location) to determine their location. A beacon typically transmits a unique identifier at a fixed interval. Sometimes additional information is made available in the transmissions to help a nearby tracking device get more information about that location. While beacons typically transmit their information using an RF technology like Bluetooth or Wifi, optical or auditory beacons are also possible, using light (visible or IR/UV) or sound signals (potentially outside human hearing range) instead.  Passive beacon methods are also possible, placing QR codes or NFC tags with location information which can be scanned by a handheld device to determine a location.  

In track & trace, the typical use case is that the asset tracker activates its listening components at relevant times (for example a fixed interval or when an event is detected and a position must be determined) and ‘scans’ for transmissions from nearby beacons. When it has received the transmissions the listening components can be powered down and the device can send the relevant beacon identifier to a platform (which knows the location of that beacon) or even determine its location based on the information in the transmission.  

Energy Consumption: 

Good. The tracking device only needs to perform a short scan (merely seconds, depending on the beacon transmission interval) to receive one or two transmissions from nearby beacons because a single transmission will contain enough information to determine a position. No complex processing of the transmissions is needed. This can save a lot of power.    

Coverage / Availability: 

Requires infrastructure. A user needs to place beacons at all locations where positioning is required, and sufficient beacons must be installed to achieve the desired coverage and accuracy. For example, beacons must be installed in warehouses and job sites where the assets are expecting to be positioned and where their location is relevant. However, since the user controls the position of the beacons they can be positioned indoors and outdoors to ensure seamless indoor/outdoor operation. Good operators provide beacons suited for indoor and outdoor applications, and battery powered beacons enable maintenance-free installation without the need for power or other infrastructure.  

Accuracy: 

Great. When beacons have a limited range, the asset must be in close vicinity of the beacon. Since the beacon’s location can be determined with very high accuracy, the asset’s location is also very accurate when it ‘detects’ the beacon.  

Processing Time: 

Good. A tracking device doesn’t need to perform complex calculations to interpret the signal, and often just forwards the beacon info to the platform without further processing. This can happen nearly instantly depending on network availability. Even in situations where the device does some post-processing of the signal(s) such as triangulation, the processing effort and time is typically limited.  

Note: Beacon-based positioning can also work in reverse, where the moving asset tracker functions as a beacon and fixed local infrastructure scans for devices and calculates their position. This method is more suited for asset management and is therefore not discussed in detail in this article.  

Network triangulation 

It is also possible to determine an asset’s location without any effort from the asset tracker. In situations where a wide-area network is used, such as GSM or Sigfox, the transmitted signal is often received by several receivers in the area. A network operator or integrator knows the location of the receivers and can calculate an approximate position of the device by comparing the signals and triangulating a position based on the known location of the receivers. This can be achieved using time-of-flight or signal strength calculations. Commercial LP-WAN operators like Sigfox or KPN (LoRaWAN provider in The Netherlands) can offer this service and typically perform the calculations themselves and make the calculated position (and an indication of accuracy) available after processing the data.  

Energy Consumption: 

Great. The asset tracker does not use any power to determine a position or scan for location information.     

Coverage / Availability:

Good. The positioning service is typically available wherever a device can have connectivity. This means that if the device is in range of its network, it can be positioned to some degree of accuracy  

Accuracy: 

• Fair on wide-area networks. The accuracy of the position depends on the density of the network operator’s infrastructure (how many receivers can ‘hear’ the device) and local interference. In some cases, an accuracy of <100m can be achieved, however in rural areas the accuracy can drop to several kilometers (the range of a single receiver).  
• Great if transmitter/receiver range is limited. If the transmitter and receiver have a limited range (for example using Bluetooth) then the position is also more accurate, since the asset cannot be far away from the receiver. However, this requires a dense network of receivers.  

Processing Time:

Good. Processing power on a platform is typically much greater than a single asset tracker, so the calculations can be performed quickly. It is however to be expected that there is a (small) delay between receiving the signal from a tracker and knowing its position.   

To conclude 

Good operators like Suivo tend to combine the above methods on their asset trackers to find a good balance between accuracy, cost and power consumption. A Suivo Hydrogen LP-WAN tracker can intelligently combine beacon technology with GPS (activating GPS only when needed) and the platform can even fall back on network positioning or assign a position by proximity if active positioning is not available or not accurate enough… A Hydrogen LTE-M tracker can even be instructed by the platform to favor a certain technology or vary its accuracy parameters based on operational conditions and customer preferences. 

For more information and a demonstration, contact Suivo and schedule an appointment with one of our Product Experts. 

Also read: Choosing a GPS Tracker

The post Evaluating different positioning methods in modern IoT applications appeared first on Suivo.

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The effects are so impressive that established powerhouses are taking note of the multi-billion dollar changes that IoT is making to numerous industries. While their response to this revolution will undoubtedly fuel many new and innovative IoT applications, it remains critically important that you choose the right technology for your needs.

As the saying goes, “All roads lead to Rome”. However, not all roads are equal. It all depends on your needs, situation and priorities. For example, do you want to get there quickly? Carry a large load? Avoid paying a toll? Use a specialized vehicle? Carry a transponder? Or do you have other requirements or concerns?

Choosing the right road requires knowledge and experience. Happily, for our customers, Suivo knows the best way for you.

(Not sure about a technical term or abbreviation? Check out the glossary at the end of the post for a short explanation.)

Low-Power Wide Area Networks (LP-WAN)

In the early days of IoT, traditional telecommunication providers saw fast moving open-source initiatives and alliances react to an emerging need for low power connectivity solutions. In many cases they successfully enticed customers and developers to favor the disruptive technology by promising low power consumption and easy deployment.

Many telecommunication providers even joined the low power revolution. The telco providers set up LoRaWAN networks or managed local Sigfox network infrastructure in response to enterprise customers and partners insisting on modern IoT technology to support their operations and development.

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Long-Term Evolution (LTE)

However, operating in an unlicensed band was not a long-term strategy for the telco providers. Instead, they focused their efforts into developing a new class of low power connectivity solutions backed by the expertise and experience of communication veterans, operating in their coveted protected frequencies and using industrial-grade networking hardware.

When developing the “Long Term Evolution” (LTE, also known as 4G) specifications, 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) introduced several machine-to-machine technologies. This acknowledged that connected machines and objects often have different characteristics and needs than consumers using a handheld device.

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LTE-M and NB-IoT

The most common technologies used today are LTE-M (Long Term Evolution – Machine) and NB-IoT (Narrow Band – Internet of Things). Both have proven to be effective and reliable in real-world IoT situations, which has led many telco operators around the world to either establish at least one of these technologies or plan to in the near future.

According to the GSMA (Global System for Mobile Communications), there are 47 LTE-M and 98 NB-IoT networks active worldwide as of November 2020. More network operators have announced plans to launch an IoT network as part of their 2G phase-out strategy, which indicates that both LTE-M and NB-IoT are viable replacements for the ubiquitous 2G/EDGE connectivity on which many machine-to-machine projects and products currently rely.

While 3G has the technological sophistication required for these projects, it is rarely adopted as it is too power-intensive. 3G was developed for high bandwidth applications where data throughput capabilities were more important than power consumption, such as consumer smartphones.

Compare this to LTE-M and NB-IoT, which were designed specifically for low power applications. This gives IoT developers access to the technology they need, with the added benefit of the telco operators’ expertise and experience in wide international coverage, reliable long-term operation, secure encryption, and manageable roll-out.

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Which is best for asset tracking? LTE-M or NB-IoT?

With telco network operators launching both LTE-M and NB-IoT you might be wondering which technology is best suited for asset tracking. While the two technologies are ideal for IoT, there are significant differences between them.

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• NB-IoT

As the name suggests, NB-IoT uses a single narrow band (or range) of radio frequencies to help lower power consumption at the cost of available bandwidth. However, this narrow frequency band also means NB-IoT is not suitable for moving objects as the doppler effect shifts the frequency, which can cause the loss of ongoing data transfers.

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• LTE-M

LTE-M is a broadband technology which operates on typical LTE frequencies, and offers higher speeds and bandwidths combined with slightly higher power consumption than NB-IoT. However, as LTE-M can achieve (much) higher speeds, the overall power efficiency can be lower than NB-IoT because transmission of low data volumes can occur more efficiently. The higher bandwidth and lower latency of LTE-M also allows operations like firmware updates and other downlink activities, which helps to ensure reliable long-term functionality in ways NB-IoT cannot.

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In fact, LTE-M can be used for every Low-Power Wide Area IoT application due to its low power consumption. While there is currently no NB-IoT use case that LTE-M cannot also solve, NB-IoT is more suitable at the lowest end of the connectivity spectrum for which it was designed. This includes applications such as sensors in smart metering or smart buildings. LTE-M is much more suitable for real-time asset tracking applications where the devices can move about and the uplink/downlink requirements can vary throughout the device’s lifetime.

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The future of LTE-M

Based on its characteristics, LTE-M is likely to become the gold standard for asset tracking in the future. However, there needs to be further agreement and integration with existing systems and networks before this will be universal.

2G, for example, is deeply rooted in many IoT applications, such as the European eCall system (a European initiative for rapid assistance to motorists involved in a collision anywhere in the European Union which specifies 2G as the required connectivity technology) which was made mandatory as recently as April 2018. This means European operators cannot simply phase out 2G any time soon, leading to forecasts that 2G will be around in the EU until at least 2025.

Internationally the situation is different. In North America there is less reliance on 2G networks, and some Asian countries have already phased out 2G entirely and are already planning to phase out 3G.

GSMA has recently announced that the LTE-M and NB-IoT technology deployed today are part of the 5G family, so clearly LTE-M is a future-proof technology which is here to stay for the foreseeable future.

It should be noted that LTE-M is not yet available everywhere, so switching over completely is not an option at the moment. However, with universal coverage in mind, Suivo’s Carbon-class devices are already available with an “LTE-M Ready” configuration even though Proximus (Suivo’s preferred telecommunications partner in the EU) does not currently offer LTE-M connectivity in Belgium. Suivo’s future-proof strategy combines the new LTE-M technology with a 2G “eGPRS” fallback, which means our devices can connect on 2G and LTE-M. When the LTE-M feature is activated, the device prefers LTE-M networks where available.

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Discover how we implement our asset tracking solutions here!

Contact Suivo to discover how asset tracking with LTE-M technology can simplify your asset management.

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Glossary

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2G
Second-generation cellular network.

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3G
Third-generation cellular network.

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3GPP
Third Generation Partnership Project. It encompasses a number of standards organizations which develop protocols for mobile telecommunications.

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4G (aka LTE)
Fourth-generation of broadband cellular technology. Also known as LTE or Long Term Evolution.

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Edge (2G)
Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution. Also known as Enhanced GPRS, eGPRS, or 2.75G.Cellular networks evolved from 2G to GPRS (2.5G) to Edge.

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eGPRS
Enhanced GPRS or Enhanced General Packet Radio Service. Also known as Edge(2G).

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GPRS
General Packet Radio Service. Also known as second and a half generation cellular network, or 2.5G.

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GSMA
Global System for Mobile Communications. An industry organization that represents the interests of mobile network operators worldwide.

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IoT
Internet of Things describes a network of physical objects that are embedded with sufficient technology (sensors, software, etc.) to connect and exchange data with other devices and systems via the internet.

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LTE
Long Term Evolution is a standard for wireless broadband communication for mobile devices and data terminals.

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LTE-M
Long Term Evolution – Machine is a low power wide area network that enables machine-to-machine and IoT applications on a wide range of cellular devices and services.

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LoRaWAN
Long Range Wide Area Network.

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NB-IoT
Narrow Band – Internet of Things is a low power wide area network radiotechnology standard developed by 3GPP to enable a wide range of cellular devices and services.

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The post The future IoT: LTE-M vs NB-IoT appeared first on Suivo.

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While Suivo’s Carbon and Hydrogen GPS tracking devices have been designed and developed to offer distinct benefits for different circumstances, they do have similarities. Both provide location information for your asset; both are “black boxes” that you install on the asset; and both use similar technologies for global positioning and transmitting data to a backend server.

So, what are the differences? To understand this, we first need to look at both Carbon and Hydrogen GPS tracking in more detail before deciding which is best for your application.

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Carbon GPS tracking devices

• What is Carbon GPS tracking?

Carbon class devices closely resemble the traditional track-and-trace devices that have been popular since global navigation satellites were first used to monitor the whereabouts of important or valuable assets.

They are essentially electronic devices with a GPS chip to determine the device’s position on the global, a wireless modem to transmit that data to a central server, and a power supply for the processor, GPS receiver, and modem. Carbon devices also have additional I/O (inputs/outputs) to connect to accessories which can provide additional information about the asset, its user(s), and/or its surroundings.

• What are the features of Carbon GPS tracking?

Always operational

Carbon class devices are always operational thanks to their permanent power supply, which is typically the main battery of the vehicle or machine. They also have a backup battery so they can notify the backend server when the power supply is interrupted and maintain tracking and monitoring for a limited amount of time during the interruption. However, frequent power supply interruptions can damage the backup battery.

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Additional monitoring

Carbon class devices tend to the be connected to the ignition key or switch, which, when combined with their intelligent and robust power management system, enables you to monitor the operational state of the asset without the use of any additional accessories.

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Near real-time connection

Thanks to the constant electrical power from the asset when it is in use, Carbon class devices can provide excellent location and sensor data, delivering data to Suivo’s servers in near real-time. This live connection with Suivo’s servers also allows the instant delivery of data or instructions back to the device, such as messages to show on a display or switching an output port like an immobilizer or buzzer.

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Advanced power management strategy

The main starter battery on an asset is great at providing electrical power in short, intense bursts, but isn’t good at long-term slow discharge. The Carbon devices use an advanced power management strategy that minimizes the impact on the battery during periods of inactivity by reducing its tracking interval and incrementally powering down some features, like the GPS receiver and modem, when the system detects the engine is no longer running. However, the main processors always stay active and the GPS system is activated several times a day to allow quicker reacquisition of location data when the asset is restarted.

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Gateway Functionality

Suivo Carbon devices are equipped with a Gateway feature.  Nearby Hydrogen (and Oxygen) devices can interact with the Carbon devices thanks this functionality. It allows the customer to assign a position to assets that have Hydrogen devices attached to them without having to use the GPS (and thus significantly save energy).

Hydrogen GPS tracking devices

• What is Hydrogen GPS tracking?

Just like Carbon class devices, Hydrogen class devices are also GPS trackers, but they function very differently. Both types of devices have the technology to transmit data back to Suivo’s servers and use GPS to determine a global location, however, the latter point is optional for Hydrogen devices.

The main difference comes from their power supply. Hydrogen devices are designed to conserve power as much as possible as they are not connected to the asset’s electrical system and rely entirely on user-replaceable battery packs. These battery packs, available in different sizes, attach to the tracker component and do not require any disassembly of the device so they can be easily replaced by the user during a maintenance check-up or inspection.

• What are the features of Hydrogen GPS tracking?

Non-powered tracking

Hydrogen trackers are normally kept in deep sleep mode until they need to transmit a location to Suivo’s servers, usually at fixed intervals. During this wake-up, the sensors can detect its location and scan for nearby Suivo Oxygen devices before returning to its deep sleep mode until it needs to send another transmission.

Although Hydrogen trackers can detect if an asset is in motion using an accelerometer, they cannot accurately determine if an asset is “in use”.

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Minimal power consumption

To further minimize the power consumption of Hydrogen devices, Suivo offers supporting infrastructure for use at locations where the assets are expected to spend most of their time. This includes powered Gateways for fixed installation at/in warehouses or other buildings that can receive very low-power transmissions from Hydrogen and forward them to our servers, eliminating the need for the Hydrogen trackers to use the Sigfox or 2G/4G networks.

Organizations can also use geo-beacons (“Suivo Satellites”) that continuously broadcast location data. Hydrogen trackers can use this information to determine their location instead of GPS, saving up to 500% battery power for a single position.

Hydrogen devices only activate for as long as it takes to determine an approximate position (maximum 3 minutes). This means Hydrogen trackers are rarely as accurate as Carbon trackers that keep their GPS receivers on to continuously improve the accuracy of its position data.

Sealed, robust design

As they don’t have a physical connector for power or output signals, Hydrogen devices can be completely sealed (IP69K rated) allowing them to work in extreme situations, including withstanding direct exposure to both high-temperature and high-pressure water jets. This makes them ideal for use in most outdoor situations and harsh industrial conditions.

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Which device is best for you?

• Power supply

While Carbon devices have clear advantages for powered assets with an engine and starter battery, Hydrogen devices are the obvious choice for non-powered assets. However, the choice isn’t always that simple, for example, Hydrogen devices can deliver operational advantages for power assets depending on the application and situation.

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• Data requirements

What extra information do you need from your asset? Carbon devices can deliver accurate routes, user information, and additional sensor data in real-time. But it is often enough to only know (approximately) where the asset is at regular intervals.

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• Installation

The different levels of complexity require a different installation process. Carbon devices should be installed by a skilled technician, while Hydrogen devices simply need to be attached to the asset.

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• Detection

Hydrogen devices are completely undetectable when they are not transmitting, compared to Carbon devices that are continuously transmitting. This means Hydrogen devices are less likely to be found and disabled by someone with dishonorable intentions.

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• Location accuracy

How accurately do you need to know where your asset is? While low-power Hydrogen devices don’t usually offer the same GPS accuracy as Carbon devices, the 20-30 meter difference is often less important than power efficiency. However, Carbon devices continuously track assets, making these assets quicker to find during critical situations.

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• Environmental conditions

While the rugged nature and IP69K rating of Hydrogen devices offer clear advantages, they cannot be connected to an electrical signal to register when the asset is in use. If usage needs to be accurately registered, a Carbon device would be a better match.

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Carbon and Hydrogen devices from Suivo

Suivo’s Product Experts have many years of experience in helping organizations to find the best trackers for their use case and applications, as well as set up operational workflows to get the most out of their investment. Contact Suivo to discover the benefits of Carbon and Hydrogen trackers for you.

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