the company says.

(Click here for a larger view of Advantech's Vita-350P)

According to Advantech, its Vita-350P is intended for connection to the OBD (onboard diagnostics) II port found on all modern trucks, and passenger cars, for that matter. Via the OBD port, the device obtains vehicle performance data, such as vehicle and engine speed, fuel level, brake switch status, and odometer readings. Meanwhile, a vehicle's location is determined via the Vita-350P's integral GPS receiver, the company adds.

Advantech touts the Vita-350P as being ideal for "long haul trucks, private delivery fleets, waste disposal fleets, tank fleets, couriers, trailers, and utility fleets." The data the device collects may be logged to built-in flash memory, or uploaded to a central dispatcher via the unit's GSM/GPRS modem, the company says.

The Vita-350P runs Windows CE on an ARM processor, according to Advantech, though the company doesn't provide further specifics, nor does it state how much memory the device comes with. However, the unit's GPS receiver is said to be supplied by U-blox, featuring 50 channels, the ability to locate satellites within one second after a hot start, and -160 dBm sensitivity. (For more details on the U-blox 5 GPS chipset, see our earlier coverage, here.)

Meanwhile, Advantech says the GSM connectivity is supplied by a Siemens MC55 module, offering tri-band (900/1800/1900MHz) operation. The module can send uplink data at 42.8Kbps, and receive data at 85.6Kbps, according to the company.

Advantech's Trek-305R touchscreen display (Click image to enlarge)

There's apparently little or no need for a vehicle's driver to interact with the Vita-350P. Should an operator screen be desired, however, Advantech nominates the separately available Trek-305R (right). The Trek-305R, offering a 320 x 240 resistive touchscreen display, connects to a dedicated connector on the side of the vehicle computer (below), from which it receives video and audio signals.


Advantech's Vita-350p
(Click to enlarge)
The Vita-350P's display interface also provides four digital I/O ports, "for advanced tracking and alarms," Advantech says. The device has four status LEDs, connectors for external cellular and GPS antennas, and an RS232 port that is said to also carry USB client signals.

Features and specifications listed by Advantech for the Vita-350P include:

• Processor -- Unspecified ARM CPU
  
• Memory -- n/s, but includes flash memory for data logging
  
• Display -- 320 x 240 resistive touchscreen display (Trek-305R, optional)
  
• Wireless:
  • GPS
    
  • GSM/GRPS, with tri-band (900/1800/1900MHz) operation
• Other I/O:
  • 1 x RS232
    
  • 1 x USB client
    
  • 4 x digital I/O
    
  • Video and audio for optional Trek-305R display
• Power -- 12VDC to 24VDC input voltage, 1.92 Watts consumption
  
• Operating temperature -- -10 to 70 deg. C (14 to 158 deg. F)
  
• Dimensons -- 4.77 x 3.26 x 1.1 inches (121.3 x 83 x 30mm)
  
• Weight -- 0.375 pounds (170g)

Further information

Advantech's Vita-350P appears to be available now, but the company didn't provide pricing. Too bad, because if it's cheap enough, the gadget could be just the thing for parents who want to know where their teenagers went last night, and how they were driving the family chariot.

More information may be found on the company's website, here.

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