Troubleshooting Guide
Please also see the attached flowchart at the end of this article
Troubleshooting your device
The main reasons a DM device is not performing correctly often comes down to one of four reasons.
- Power issues
- SIM card configuration
- GPS/Cellular Reception or network coverage
- Platform configurations
Power issues
Hard Wired Devices
Check the External Voltage reading, either in OEM or the end tracking platform. For most devices it must be above 8V.
If it is below this (or 0) - the device may operate for some time on it's internal battery if it has one. Internal batteries are generally fully charged at 4.2V, and flat at around 3.5-3.7V for most devices. If these are the values you see, power is the issue.
For earlier warning in future, set up an External Power Removed alert in TG or your tracking platform.
Battery Powered Devices
The majority of DM devices use 3 x AA or AAA Lithium batteries. The devices have a variety of firmware smarts to be able to effectively monitor the battery level - see Battery Life, Battery Capacity Estimate & Low Battery Flag. However there are some quick and easy indicators that device batteries are flat/very low and the reason a device isn't connecting.
| Battery Type | Full Voltage approx. | Empty Voltage approx |
| 3 x AAA LiFeS2 (Yabby devices) | 5.2V | 4.5 - 4.7V |
| 3 x AA LiFeS2 (Oyster, Falcon etc) | 5.2V | 4.5 - 4.7V |
| 3 x AA LTC | 11.6V | 10V |
| 2 x D Cell LTC (Remora2) | 7.4V | 7V |
If your device battery voltage is around the empty level - and it hasn't connected for a while - this is likely the reason.
Additionally, most devices will record when their battery is at a critical level as they will log an Under Voltage Lockout Reset. In OEM - View the Device Logs, and if you see this log appear, it means the batteries are critical and must be replaced.
SIM Card:
Installation
the SIM card should be of the correct size, or use a suitable adaptor plate, and be inserted with the correct orientation, with the golden pads facing the PCB. Check that the sim holder is latched closed securely.
The SIM usually doesn't have a PIN set. but if it does, the PIN can be retrieved from the OEM Server web interface.
Make sure the SIM card has credit / airtime or has had a communications plan and data plan enabled by contacting your provider.
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APN
A new device will be set to Auto-APN unless your distributor has made special arrangements. An in-service device may have been configured with a specific APN in the past. You can check the current settings in OEMServer Admin Parameters.
If there is a currently pending Admin parameter update in the OEM Pending Updates column, that would be evidence that perhaps somebody has applied an incorrect setting.
You can also see if anyone has previously played with the APN by checking out the User Activity Log in OEM. For any device, click the Details link in the device grid, and view the user activity tab. You will see SetDeviceAdminParameters
The LED will flash slowly until it connects to the server. Once connected it will flash fast. If data is sent, it will got solid briefly and revert to flashing fast.
Note
Resetting an APN isn't a usual step for devices that have been deployed, rather for new devices that are struggling to get online with a new SIM card or network config.
No GPS/Cellular Reception
GPS Troubleshooting
See our detailed guide on GPS debugging here
Cellular Troubleshooting
See our detailed guide on Cellular reception debugging here
Platform Configurations
Devices not appearing in Telematics Guru
A device first appears in Telematics guru when it gets it's first valid GPS fix. You can see in Assets > Manage Assets whether a device has received a GPS position, this is shown with a red GPS icon. For a quick way to start generating GPS fixes, you can put the device into 'trip state' by taking it for a drive for example, or for a wired device connecting the white ignition wire to a power source while connected to external power.
Device committing to OEM Server but not Telematics Guru (or 3rd party server)
If your device is showing in Telematics Guru as 'Never connected' (see below) but is connecting into OEM Server, the connector might not be set.
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Setting a Connector
To learn how to set a connector, see our how to guide here
Forcing a Connection
Note
There is no way to initiate a connection remotely because when the device sleeps, it switches off its modem. You will need to wait for the next scheduled connection – either a heartbeat, trip start or input change.
If you have the unit in your hands, you can force a connection by either removing the batteries or toggling the external power (for wired devices). This change will trigger an upload. Ensure the external power change is long enough to trigger the external power debounce period – 2 seconds by default.
You can also change any of the inputs set to trigger an upload. Usually ignition will trigger an upload. This depends on the system parameter configuration.
Debugging with OEM
The OEM Admin Interface is a powerful tool for understanding what your device is doing. See the OEM guide for detailed instructions. The following notes may help:
- Check when it last connected and if it committed records successfully.(All data displayed is from last committed time)
- Check to see if the connector is set to your correct endpoint
- Check external power and internal battery level.
- Enable the data log capture. Normally the OEM server forwards logs to the 3rd party software platform. You can View the logs in the Device Details->Logs tab.
Enable debugging for a module. View the logs in the Device Details->Logs tab
OEM Server Installer page
A handy tool is the OEMServer Installer page that shows which the status of Power inputs, digital inputs, connection times and GPS Fixes.