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Package Tracker

sku: GPS-08755

Description: Ever wondered how the shipping companies treat your packages en route to the destination? The Package Tracker is the newest addition to our growing repertoire of data logging and tracking devices. This new device incorporates an LPC2148 with USB and microSD support, an expansion header compatible with the EM408 GPS module, an SHT15 Humidity and Temperature Sensor, an SCP1000 Barometric Pressure Sensor, and an ADXL345 Triple Axis Accelerometer all conveniently designed onto a board that fits into the SparkFun enclosures. There's even a USB charging IC which allows you to charge your LiPo battery over USB. We threw on the Sparkfun LPC2148 USB Bootloader for good measure, which means you can quickly and easily modify the device's firmware!

Assembled PCB only - product does not include media, GPS unit, battery, or enclosure. We aren't sure what you might need so please add these items as needed.

Turn the Package Tracker on and the default firmware logs the date/time, GPS coordinates, temperature, pressure, humidity, acceleration and battery level once a second for later evaluation. Now you can tell if those packages are being dropped, getting wet, or if they are really getting shipped in a 'pressurized compartment'. The Package Tracker will log data for 5 minutes, and then go to sleep for 25 minutes to save battery life. We encourage you to modify the firmware with the USB Bootloader. Imagine the useful data if the Package Tracker was programmed to wake up when the accelerometer detected a free fall!

The Package Tracker can use up to 2GB of flash (not compatible with high capacity SD cards). 1GB has the capacity for weeks of continuous logging. It attaches to a computer over USB and shows up on any operating system as a flash drive. Quickly move files onto or off the Package Tracker without having to remove the flash card. All log files are comma separated text files for easy parsing with Excel, Octave, MatLab, or your favorite data analysis package.

The board comes with a JST connector to be powered from our line-up of LiPo batteries or other power sources up to 7.5VDC. If you choose to use LiPo batteries, the Package Tracker has a built-in charger to charge batteries off USB.

By cleverly using the sleep mode of the LPC2148 we were able to get the power consumption relatively low. The average current draw for the Package Tracker over an hour is about 31.7 mA. During the measurement mode (WAKE mode) with all of the sensors and the GPS module on, the current draw is 115 mA; during sleep mode the LPC2148 consumes 15 mA. We plan on putting one of our 6000 mAh LiPo batteries on the Package Tracker, and then ship it across the country and back. With this battery life and the default firmware, the Package Tracker will have enough power to last for a week!

Features:

• LPC2148 ARM7
• ADXL345 Triple Axis Accelerometer
  
• SHT15 Temperature/Humidity Sensor
• SCP1000 Barometric Pressure Sensor
  
• Charging over USB
• Charge status LED
• Loaded with SparkFun USB Bootloader
• USB mass storage (Window, Mac, Linux supported)
• 115 mA Active Current Draw
• 15 mA Sleep Current Draw
• Compatible with EM408 SiRF III GPS
• Compatible with SparkFun Enclosure
  

Dimensions:

• 2.4x1.6"
  
• 60.96 x40.64 mm
• 31.18g (1.1 oz)

Documents:

• Schematic
• Sample Log File
• Firmware v1.4 (Includes Makefile to generate FW.SFE file used by the Sparkfun USB Bootloader)
• Firmware v1.5 (Works with new accelerometer ADXL345)
  

        *UPDATE: Firmware Version 1.4 Features:

• Added NMEA Log File
  
• Improved GPS Logging
  
• Added status LED to indicate the device is powered and logging data
• Convert accelerometer values to +/- value (values still need to be converted to G)
• SCP1000 values are converted to english units before being logged
• Increased number trailing digits in the file names
• Skip logging the sensor values if they report '0.'