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Contents
Sensor Types
  • sensors
  • sensor_types

When creating a sensor, you should select its type in accordance with the principle of its operation and the equipment used.


Take into account the current limitation for the size of the numerical parameter value sent by the sensor.


The types of sensors provided in the Wialon system are divided into six groups:

  • mileage,
  • digital,
  • gauges,
  • engine,
  • fuel,
  • other.

The sensors from each group are described below.

Mileage

This group includes sensors which are used to determine the travelled distance. 

Sensor typeUnits of measurementDescription
Mileage sensorkm (kilometers), mi (miles)

The sensor which shows the distance travelled by the unit. You can use it in the trip detector to detect trips and parkings. 

Relative odometerkm (kilometers), mi (miles)

The sensor which shows the distance travelled by the unit since the last message was received from it. You can use it in the trip detector to detect trips and parkings.

Digital

This group consists of sensors which can have only two states. For example, on/off, activated/deactivated, and so on. 

Sensor typeUnits of measurementDescription
Engine ignition sensor

On/Off 

or any

The sensor which shows whether the ignition is on or off. You can use it in the trip detector to detect trips and parkings and in mileage and engine hours counters. In addition, you can use the engine ignition sensor to detect fuel drains at idle. To do this, you should specify the fuel consumption rate at idle in the Consumption, liters per hour field.

Alarm triggernone

The sensor a non-zero value of which allows marking a message as an alarm one (SOS). The messages registered in the system before the creation of the sensor are not marked as alarm ones.

Private mode

On/Off 

or any

The sensor which is used to determine whether a trip is business or private. If the sensor is enabled during a trip, it is considered private. To see such trips in a report, configure filtration by the enabled private mode sensor, and to see business trips, by the disabled one.

You can activate the Do not show unit location option in the sensor properties, so that no location data is transmitted in messages from the unit during private trips. This affects the display of the unit and the acquisition of its data as follows:

  • The icon  is shown next to the unit name on the map and in the work list.
  • On the map, the unit remains at the last known location. 
  • The Query position command can’t be executed. 
  • Instead of a private trip track, you can see a straight dashed line which connects business trips. 
  • When you request messages, a dash is shown in the Coordinates and Location columns. 
  • The notifications of the Geofence type still work, but data on the exact unit location is unavailable in the notification text.
  • When you run a report, a dash is shown for private trips in all the columns related to the unit location (including the Last location column in the Statistics table). The last location of the unit is not shown on the map, even if the Unit last location option is enabled in the report settings. However, mileage, engine hours, speed, trip start and end times, values of sensors (except those that transmit address and coordinates), and eco-driving information are all available. For example, you can see if the driver has accelerated or braked sharply, but data on the unit location at that moment will not be available.
Real-time motion sensorOn/Off

The sensor which determines the movement state of units in real time. The movement state determined by the sensor is shown on the map and in the work area on the Monitoring tab. To do this, the Replace unit icons with motion state signs option should be enabled in the user settings as well as the Motion state option on the Monitoring tab. The sensor readings can be based on the values of speed, ignition, engine revolutions, etc. As for other sensor types, you can specify an expression parameter and configure validation.

Custom digital sensor

On/Off 

or any

The custom sensor which has two states: on/off, activated/deactivated, etc. 

If a non-digital parameter is specified for a digital sensor, then any numerical value other than 0 is considered as 1, that is, as an enabled state. In such cases, it is advisable to configure a calculation table so that all incoming values are converted to 0 or 1. This avoids distortions in formula calculations and in the mathematical calculation of fuel consumption.

Gauges

This group contains sensors which are used to measure values such as voltage, weight, acceleration, temperature.

Sensor typeUnits of measurementDescription
Voltage sensorV (volts)

The sensor which shows the voltage value. For example, this value can be used to determine temperature or the ignition state.

Weight sensort (tons), pounds

The sensor which is used to determine the weight of transported goods.

Accelerometerg

The sensor which is used to determine acceleration along the X, Y, Z axes, which allows detecting a collision, that is, a road traffic accident.

Temperature sensor°C (degrees Celsius), °F (degrees Fahrenheit)

The sensor which shows the temperature value or any other parameter. You can use the temperature sensor to analyze received values. See a configuration example.

Temperature coefficientnone

The coefficient which is used to calculate the fuel level at different temperatures in the tank more precisely. See a configuration example.

Engine

This group includes sensors which are used to measure values associated with the engine operation.

Sensor typeUnits of measurementDescription
Engine revolution sensorrpm (rounds per minute)

The sensor which shows the frequency of engine revolutions.

Engine efficiency sensoranyThe sensor which is used to determine the movement coefficient under load, which is used to calculate the fuel consumption. The sensor can function as a reduction coefficient if its values are from 0 to 1. You can specify any unit of measurement for this sensor.
Absolute engine hoursh (hours)

The sensor which shows the total number of engine hours.

Relative engine hoursh (hours)

The sensor which shows the number of engine hours, taking into account the work intensity coefficient. See a configuration example

Using relative and absolute engine hours, you can also detect fuel drains at idle. To do this, you should specify the fuel consumption rate at idle in the Consumption, l/h field.

Fuel

This group consists of sensors which can be used to determine the amount of consumed fuel and the fuel level in the tank. 

Sensor typeUnits of measurementDescription
Impulse fuel consumption sensorl (liters), gal (gallons)

The sensor which shows the accumulated value of impulses. To convert the received value into the amount of consumed fuel, you should configure the calculation table and activate the Calculate data in reports by the sensor option. For sensors of this type, the calculation table is applied to the difference between two messages in a row. If the device sends not the accumulated value of impulses but the number of impulses between messages, you should use the instant fuel consumption sensor. 

Absolute fuel consumption sensorl (liters), gal (gallons)

The sensor which shows the fuel consumption for the entire period of the vehicle operation. To get data on the fuel consumption for a specific period, you should take the sensor values at the end of the selected period and deduct the sensor values at the beginning of the period. In the sensor properties, you should enable the Calculate data in reports by the sensor option.

Instant fuel consumption sensorl (liters), gal (gallons)

The sensor which shows the amount of consumed fuel since the previous measure (message). In the sensor properties, you should enable the Calculate data in reports by the sensor option.

Fuel level sensor l (liters), gal (gallons)

The sensor which determines the fuel level in the tank. In the sensor properties, you should enable the Calculate data in reports by the sensor option. See a configuration example

Impulse fuel level sensorl (liters), gal (gallons)

The sensor which is designed to calculate the amount of fuel in the tank. When calculating the amount, the difference in the values of the impulses from two messages in a row is divided by the time difference between them.

Other

This group includes a custom sensor and sensors which are used to control passengers, drivers, and trailers. 

Sensor typeUnits of measurementDescription
Counter sensorany

The sensor which allows determining the intensity of passenger traffic or the number of certain actions (for example, opening and closing the door). There are several types of such sensors:

  • instant (shows the difference of values between two messages in a row);
  • differential (shows the total number);
  • differential with overflow (2 bytes);
  • switch from ON to OFF (counts the number of deactivations);
  • switch from OFF to ON (counts the number of activations).

You can specify any unit of measurement for this counter.

In unit messages and tooltips, the values of this type of sensor are always rounded to hundredths. At the same time, the actual sensor values are not changed, so the calculations in the system are not affected.

Custom sensor

any

The sensor which can be configured to measure any value. You can specify any unit of measurement for this sensor. 

Driver assignmentnone

The sensor which can be used to detect the assignment of the driver to the unit.

Trailer assignmentnone

The sensor which can be used to detect the assignment of the trailer to the unit.

Passenger sensornone

The sensor which can be used to detect when passengers are picked up or set down.

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