When a Raveon GPS Transponder received an over-the-air position message from a tracked car, boat, truck, or person, it sends a message out of its serial port. The message it outputs contains the ID of the vehicle that it received the position report from, along with the vehicle’s latitude and longitude.
A typical message would look like this:
$PRAVE,0003,0001,3308.8880,-11713.1500,155010,2,9,179,29,11.6,0,-86,19,-40,,*5B
The above message is in Raveon’s proprietary PRAVE message format. It was from vehicle 0003 whose position is at 33 8.888 north, 117 13.1500 west. Details of the PRAVE message are in the M7 transponder user manual, and on this Tech Blog at http://ravtrack.com/GPStracking/2009/the-prave-message-format/
Raveon’s M7 series of GPS transponders have various built-in drivers enablinging them to output vehicle positions in a variety of different formats. Some formats are in the industry standard NMEA 0183 and other message types are in proprietary formats. The type of message that the M7 transponder sends out it serial port may be configured by the user, using the GPS x command.
Below is a list of message formats that the M7 Transponder supports.
|
GPS Mode |
Common Usage |
Default Serial Port Baudrate |
Output Message |
Description |
|
GPS 1 |
Transponder Simple tracking, AVL, security. |
4800 |
GSV, GLL |
These messages are from the internal GPS only. GPS 1 turns off the radio receiver, so an M7 transponder does receive over-the-air messages. |
|
GPS 2 |
PC / Base Station Proprietary interface for PC applications that monitor M7 Transponders. |
38400 |
PRAVE |
Connect the M7 GX to a PC computer running RavTrack PC (or a custom application), The Raveon proprietary PRAVE message is in NMEA format, and provides location and status information for every transponder it receives. |
|
GPS 3 |
Marine Radar Displaying the location of M7 transponders on a ship RADAR screen. |
38400 |
TLL |
Used when the M7 GX is connected to a marine RADAR display or plotter with a serial port, and waypoints will appear on the GPS screen at the location of all M7 GX transponders within radio range. The display must support the NMEA 0183 TLL message. |
|
GPS 4 |
GPS Display Lowrance and Garmin GPS displays. Mobile displays. |
4800 |
WPL |
Connect the M7 GX to a mobile or hand-held GPS with a serial port, and waypoints will appear on the GPS screen at the location of all M7 GX transponders within radio range. |
|
GPS 5 |
-LX No GPS module Lowrance and Garmin GPS displays. Radar displays. Mobile displays. |
38400 |
PRAVE |
Connect the M7 GX to a PC running RavvTrack PC, or change the message to WPL and use with a GPS display. No internal GPS, so no positions/status transmissions. |