Jan/Feb 2006

You might think increasingly versatile portable computers were consigning wired in-cab computers to the museum, but Sharon Clancy finds there's plenty of life in them yet

The fact that there are almost as many operational variables as there are distribution fleets in the UK is one reason why efforts to develop telematics standards often get bogged down in the detail.

It's not just that different logistics companies want different levels of data about their operations; even within a given company, different departments will require different kinds of data. Some may need it in real time; others will be happy to have it collected and collated after the event.

The transport manager, for example, will often want live data on route progress, to be able to monitor drivers' hours. The accounts department may want proof of delivery information in real time. The service manager may want data on the actual vehicle, including fuel consumption. It's asking a lot of an in-cab computer to meet all of these requirements and still be attractively priced.

 

Historically, wired-in cab computers, sometimes called mobile data terminals, have tended to be more costly than separate, removable devices - if nothing else, in terms of vehicle downtime. If they need attention, the whole vehicle may have to be taken out of service.

Indeed, separate portable computers have transformed operations, bringing the ability to get real-time operational data off the vehicle; and it's easy to get the impression that hard-wired vehicle data terminals are becoming something of a rarity.

It's understandable. After all, they involve the extra cost of installation, and make it impossible to swap the terminals between vehicle, at least from day to day. No wonder the logistics industry seems to be moving away from such bespoke, permanent devices to more flexible solutions based on ruggedised portable handheld computers. Operations that are moving towards electronic proof-of-delivery also need a device that can be taken out of the cab.

However, there is still plenty of life in hard-wired in-cab computers for some operations, including emergency services. And if you're capturing data about the vehicle itself, your computer has to be connected to it in some way - whether by a simple plug-in link or through some more permanent umbilical cord.

Certainly those systems that were designed initially to capture and display on-board vehicle telemetry still tend to be hard-wired into the vehicle, and that applies particularly (and not surprisingly) to those from the truck manufacturers themselves.

Not that this means these systems need be limiting, though. They may have been designed primarily to capture and display truck and driver performance data, and record drivers' hours, but the trucker makers have realised that transport management features are also crucial. With Scania, you can even choose between a hard-wired system and one based around a portable PDA.

Some use their own proprietary systems, but those based on open-platform architecture, such as Scania's FMS (see m.logistics September/October 2005) can be integrated with various third-party routing and scheduling and operational management systems.

Just how far will this open-standards philosophy go? In this context, it will be interesting to follow the progress of a new standard called Skylark (see News Update, page 4). Leading supply-chain companies Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola and Masterfoods have teamed up to develop a standard which aims to offer uniform visibility of track and trace information about goods and consignments, without regard to what haulier is handling the products or what telematics system each carrier might be using. Providing other companies join the scheme (and m.logistics has been told that is the intention) Skylark could blossom gradually into an industry-wide standard.

Particularly appealing in this approach is the fact that participants will be free to use any complying telematics equipment and any order processing and transport management system they want, so long as these can send and receive information in the required format. This freedom would appear to answer possible doubts among users or suppliers who might object to the idea of being shoehorned into accepting standards that might seem limiting.

The initial system is being administered by Road Tech Computer Systems, which was appointed following competitive tender, and was instrumental in drawing up the standard. While it is hard to envisage the industry adopting a standard that is exclusive to one supplier, if the basic specification becomes widely known and adopted, that may not be a problem.

Mobile Data Terminals

If you're looking for portable computers that can be docked in the cab, it is worth checking out the manufacturers of warehouse data capture devices such as Psion Teklogix and LXE. Most are now configured with a Windows operating system, making it easy to deploy mobile application programs.

Ruggedness can be taken as read, as they are designed for a five-year plus life in the warehouse. The latest generation of devices have modular platforms that make it easier to incorporate digital signature capture, for example, and peripherals such as printers and barcode readers, GPS tracking modules and GSM communications devices to extend the range beyond an 802.11b wireless network. Some can accept GPS location data from an on-board telematics unit, displaying it on the screen.

You do need to be aware, though, that that many of these fully-portable in-cab devices are designed primarily as consignment tracking devices, and may offer only limited ability to interface with on-board data capture systems and store data from on-board sensors such as door opening alerts and a temperature rise in a chilled load compartment. Make sure the mobile device has the inputs to accept such data if you need it.

That is possibly why we could be seeing something of a revival in the more traditional in-cab computer. There is now a recognition that while PDA-style devices may suit some operations, they may not deliver all the functionality a logistics operation needs. Masternaut, for example, which has previously advocated PDAs for vehicle tracking and communications management, has now added a vehicle data terminal (VDT) to its range. The terminal can have up to 18 pre-set options, and there is a separate numeric keypad for data entry. Data can also be entered directly on the monochrome LCD touch screen. The VDT is fixed to the dashboard and powered by a wired connection to the Masternaut mobile communication unit.

Masternaut expects the screen to appeal particularly for job despatch tasks requiring drivers to send acceptances and notifications of completed jobs via press-button commands.

The unit can also be used to record driver and vehicle information such as stop-start, hours worked and refuelling, and it accepts inputs from tracking systems, tachographs and vehicle sensors. The information is uploaded directly to the Masternaut Web site, where it can be viewed by customers.

Overview Mapping is another supplier now offering an in-cab computer system to support its fleet tracking service - reflecting its transformation from a mobile-phone based tracking business to a full GPS-based fleet management provider. The Overview MDT is priced £400 plus £50 installation, and includes unlimited two-way GPRS-based free messaging.

A shallow monochrome display is standard, but there is an optional neat landscape-format colour touch screen, and ability to connect a third-party external screen display screen if required. Included as standard are a swipe-card facility, CANbus interface and driver-identity checking system. Options include Bluetooth and Wi-Fi wireless networking and satellite navigation via the external screen; and a USB port.

Another contender in the mobile data terminal market is TouchStar. The TouchPC Eagle is a landscape portable computer with integrated GSM/GPS which weighs just 874 grams. The company also makes the TouchPod proof-of-delivery roll printer and a range of PC cradles. It has a 400 MHz processor and 64 Mb of RAM, and operates on the Windows CE 4.2 .NET platform. The recent acquisition of TouchStar by Britain's Belgravium has brought down prices, and we could see a further rise in interest in this brand here.

Wired-in

Wired in-cab terminals now have the in-built flexibility and modularity to include whatever end-users want: multi-display support, internal GPS receiver, internal GSM/GPRS modem, expansion module space and wireless software. Typical of this latest breed is the Aplicom range, which includes x86-based integral computers and RISC-based computers with pre-installed Windows CE5.0 for light-duty data processing. The rugged enclosure has no ventilation holes, to maximise water and dust penetration resistance.

The Aplicom F-series is a range of DIN-format in-cab workstations, and is aimed at operations requiring live messaging, on-board telemetry and tracking features. The ICA-series consists of an Aplicom ICA vehicle computer with large backlit screen, a monochrome display and a keypad or keyboard.

The vehicle computer has four serial ports for additional peripherals. Versions with touch-screen display, internal GPS-receiver, vehicle sensor and CANbus connections are also available. Other options, such as different keyboards, barcode readers and other external peripherals can be added according to user needs, and do not increase the compact installation.

Aplicom Voice Call Option even makes GSM voice calls possible with the Aplicom F-Series and C-series vehicle computers.

Emergency services

One group of mobile workers who are not only still using wired-in computers, but also extending their use of them, is the emergency services and utility companies.

These organisations are using mobile data to improve response times. Any relevant data can be sent to the vehicle while it is en route to the emergency. Paperwork can be submitted while the vehicle is still in the field. The closest vehicle to an accident or crime scene can be dispatched. Police can conduct licence and warrant checks more quickly than over the radio network.

Tempus Computers, which fits Microbus in-vehicle computers, has installed mobile units on over 1,500 vehicles so far. Two of Microbus's most prominent customers are the London Metropolitan Police Service and the London Ambulance Service NHS. Compared with laptops and rugged laptops and tablets, says Microbus, vehicle PCs have to be designed for wide temperature variations, continuous vibration and shock, and must suit differing vehicle voltage ratings.

The in-cab screen mounts include DIN slots, flat-surface mounts and even replacement console mouldings. The computer unit is shock-mounted on to a backboard or other suitable surface and is usually located in the rear of the vehicle. A cage option can be fitted to ensure the connections are unharmed by other kit in the vehicle. A single cable connects the computer unit to the screen, and a power cable connects the computer unit to the vehicle battery.

The In-Vehicle PC is a Windows XP/2000 computer with high-brightness colour TFT touch screens of varying size to optimise the available space in the vehicle. For emergency service work, says Microbus, the PC not only has to have connectivity for peripherals within the vehicle, but also needs to support optimal positioning of antenna to maintain best coverage and most accurate GPS position.

Emergency services want to turn the vehicle PC on from the ignition to save time when attending an incident. Microbus says another requirement is to manage the automatic shutdown to prevent the vehicle's batteries being completely drained and unable to start the engine - a risk, for example with incident support vehicles that may be on site for several hours. Laptops/tablets may not be meet these stringent design criteria, Tempus says, and could therefore drain the vehicle battery.

Electrical standards

From Tempus Computers comes a reminder that any electronic or electrical equipment retrofitted to the vehicle should have an "E-mark" or an "e-mark". Believe it or not, these are two different standards; the first is a United Nations ECE standard; the second a European Union requirement. EU Regulations require that any electronic equipment bought later and fitted to the vehicle must undergo the same test that the vehicle manufacturer uses.

E-marked equipment (that is, the EU version) has been tested to ensure that it does not produce emissions which will adversely affect other approved equipment. An example of such equipment is the electronic CANbus data "spine" on many goods vehicles, which controls systems such as braking and fuel injection. The equipment itself be also immune to harmful emissions. EC Directive 95/54 sets out the rules.

Vehicle manufacturers test the design of the electronic systems fitted in their factories. For each system they check both that the EM field produced is within specified limits, and that the system can operate properly within an EM field. Any equipment fitted later must comply with the same standards.

For the emergency services, there is an addition standard, A&E Specification 5, which is a check that the equipment will not interfere with the radio and wireless frequencies used by police forces and fire brigades.