Usage of SMS in Telematics
November 4th, 2009 | SMS Telematics, SMS Telemetry
What is Telematics ?
Telematics is remote monitoring, measurement and presentation of data at a centralised location. Various information like weather, temperature, water level etc. information are collected and transferred in real time and those information are stored and displayed at a centralised location. This is telematics or telemetry.
SMS ( short messaging service) can be used for SMS telemetry. SMS is a wonderful way of sending and receiving short information in wireless ( GSM and CDMA ) network. Though SMS is thought as a feature built in mobile phone, but there are other equipments too which can send and receive SMS. GSM modem is such product which uses a mobile SIM card, has a computer connectivity through USB or RS232 port. FCT ( Fixed Cellular Terminal) is another product which can be used for sending and receiving SMS using AT commands.
There are many embedded equipments or even single board computers which can control GSM modem to send information by sending SMS and receiving SMS command from the centralised location. GSM modems support AT commands as well as GSM specific commands like sending and receiving SMS. Any embedded system with RS232 port can be programmed to send SMS through GSM modem. Single board computers are good option as they can control GSM modem for exchanging information between centralised location and then gathering other information through other embedded systems which are used to collect weather data, temperature, water level etc.
A typical example would be home security. Any burglar alarm could be connected to one GSM Modem and it would send an SMS to you apart from sounding alarm in police station even when you are away from home. Also, you could operate your washing machine, microwave oven, water pump remotely! How do you think about warming home from your office before you reach home remotely so that you enter into your ‘warm’ house ?
SMS has many potential application as it can exchange short messages ( upto 160 character per SMS) between two GSM modem.
SMS has come a long way as being mere text messaging! Never under estimate the power of 160 characters!
Further reading : SMS Telemtery
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1 comment so far ↓
Benedict, it is a great post thanks for posting it!
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