Asset tracking device (GPS tracker)

01

Set the accuracy and communication link you need

GPS.gov explains that positioning accuracy depends on satellite geometry, signal blockage, atmospheric conditions and receiver design: "GPS-enabled smartphones are typically accurate to within a 4.9 m (16 ft.) radius under open sky", but worse near buildings, bridges and trees, and high-quality single-frequency receivers in FAA data reached ≤1.82 m horizontal accuracy 95% of the time, while dual-frequency or augmented receivers can reach a few centimetres. Error sources include blocked signals, indoor or underground use and reflections from buildings (multipath). [1]

Gotop's A70-B, a solar-powered tracker from a linked supplier, illustrates the link choices: it switches between 4G LTE (with 2G fallback) and satellite IoT messaging on the Tianqi constellation for areas without cellular coverage, the satellite link using chirp spread spectrum at up to 2 W with −138 dBm sensitivity over distances of 1,500 km. It uses a GPS and BeiDou chip with 64 channels, gives positioning accuracy under 10 m (1σ), a 32 s average cold start and 1 s warm start, stores data during signal loss and retransmits it, and supports geofences and SOS, tamper, low-battery and overspeed alarms. [2]

Editorial note: if assets sit in yards between containers, in warehouses or under structures, ask for accuracy and fix-rate measured in those conditions, not only under open sky.

Give the supplier the asset type and mounting, where it travels and stays (countries, indoor or outdoor), accuracy needed, reporting interval moving and parked, network (cellular bands, LTE-M/NB-IoT, LoRaWAN, satellite), power source (battery, solar, vehicle), required battery life, sensors and alarms, sealing (IP rating), temperature range, platform or API integration, and certifications (radio approvals in each market).

02

Budget the battery from current draw and sleep modes

Gotop lists the A70-B with a 30,000 mAh 3.7 V polymer battery, a 6.6 W solar panel charging at up to 1.5 A, 50 mA average operating current and 3 mA average standby current at 3.7 V, satellite transmit current up to 1,500 mA instantaneous, and a 3-axis accelerometer that puts the unit into low-power sleep when the asset is stationary. It is rated IP68, −20 to 75 °C operating, weighs 1.8 kg and measures 37.5 × 14.3 × 4.8 cm. [2]

Editorial calculation: without solar input, 30,000 mAh at the 3 mA standby average lasts about 30,000 / 3 = 10,000 hours (about 417 days), but at the 50 mA operating average only about 30,000 / 50 = 600 hours (25 days). The real figure depends on how much time the tracker spends awake and transmitting, so ask the supplier for battery life at your reporting interval and climate.

A battery-only design shows the other end of the range. Digital Matter's Oyster3 runs on 3 × AA lithium or LTC cells, with an LTE-M/NB-IoT link (Nordic nRF9160) and a Sony CXD5612 GNSS module tracking GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou, falling back to cell-tower data when GNSS is unavailable. Digital Matter lists battery life estimates of 10 years at one location update per day, 6 years with movement-based updates and 3.5 years with hourly updates, a sleep current below 10 µA, location accuracy of about 2 m CEP (which it says is the module supplier's figure for ideal conditions), an IP68 and IK07 housing and −30 to +60 °C operation. [4] Editorial calculation: hourly reporting for 3.5 years is about 24 × 365 × 3.5 ≈ 30,700 location updates, against about 3,650 updates in 10 years of daily reporting, so the reporting interval sets battery life far more than the cell count.

03

Compare what suppliers offer

Suppliers linked to this page list asset or GPS trackers; each card links to the page reviewed.

Listings include 4G vehicle, asset, container, personal and pet trackers, solar and satellite trackers, LoRaWAN animal trackers, and customised tracking devices with platforms. Chip makers, GNSS module makers and PCB assemblers linked to this product are hidden here. Ask each for accuracy, network bands, battery life at your interval, sealing and certifications.

04

Test fix success and location error where your assets sit

A University of Otago study published in PLoS One measured how sky obstruction changes tracker performance. Three 120 g GPS collars with a 12-channel receiver were set to take a location every 15 minutes for 24 hours (97 possible fixes) at 36 stationary sites in suburban gardens, grouped by the percentage of clear sky not blocked by vegetation or buildings. At a survey mark under open sky all three collars collected 100% of their fixes; across the garden sites the fix success rate was 90.6% and the average location error 30.1 m. Fix success fell from 96.7% at 76–100% sky availability to 81.3% at 0–25%, and the mean location error rose from 17.7 m to 29.4 m. [3]

Fix type mattered: 3-D fixes (four or more satellites) made up 64% of all fixes and had an RMS location error of 26.2 m, against 35.5 m for 2-D fixes from three satellites, and 2-D fixes were concentrated in the 0–25% sky class. HDOP explained only 14% of the variation in location error, and the authors found accurate fixes at large HDOP values and among 2-D fixes, so discarding all 2-D fixes also throws away good locations. [3]

For a purchase, ask the supplier to log fix type, HDOP and satellite count with each position, and run your own stationary test before accepting an accuracy claim: the Otago team left each unit for 24 hours at each site, on a 30 cm block with the antenna pointing upright, and logged a fix every 15 minutes. Test at the mounting points and sky conditions your assets will actually see. [3]

05

Trace the tracker components

This is a functional reference built from the sources cited; it is not one maker's specification.

06

Fill the specification fields with values for your assets

A tracker quotation needs values for your assets. The table explains each field, gives published values where a reviewed source states them, and says what to obtain from the supplier.

07

Send the asset, route and reporting data together

Paste it into your enquiry below or into an email to a maker, then replace every bracket.

Asset: [type; mounting; power available]
Routes: [countries; indoor/outdoor; remote areas]
Accuracy: [needed]
Reporting: [interval moving; parked]
Network: [cellular bands; LPWAN; satellite]
Battery: [life target; solar]
Alarms: [tamper; geofence; SOS]
Platform: [software; API]

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