The supported edge gateways' GPS* coordinates are locally available and can be used in different ways and for different purposes, for example to simply track your machine location or for use in geo fencing. Below is an overview of what is and isn't possible.

* In this article, the term "GPS" is used as a general term for satellite navigation. GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) is the official umbrella term for all global satellite navigation systems, which includes BeiDou, Galileo, GLONASS, and GPS.

Information

Accuracy and placement

If the GPS antenna is placed outdoors with an unobstructed view of the sky, the edge gateway can determine the GPS coordinates, which will be accurate within 5 meters. If the GPS antenna has no (clear) view of the sky or is placed indoors, the edge gateway may not be able to determine the GPS coordinates. It is intended for outdoor use.

Supported bands

Prepare your edge gateway

The edge gateway will need to be prepared first.

1. Make sure your edge gateway meets the supported hardware at the top of this article.
2. A GPS antenna is required. Connect one to the GNSS SMA connector.
   • We don’t offer GPS antennas, but they are widely available at numerous online and local shops.
   • The GPS antenna needs to have an SMA male connector, needs to support the above bands, and needs to be suitable for outdoor use (e.g. IP67 certified or better).
   • A low-loss cable is recommended.
3. Make sure the GPS antenna is placed outdoors and has an unobstructed view of the sky.
   • If the antenna is placed indoors or has no (clear) view of the sky, the edge gateway may not be able to determine the GPS coordinates. It is intended for outdoor use.

Use your edge gateway's GPS coordinates

The GPS coordinates are available locally, via the edge gateway API and a Docker container, depending on the edge gateway model.

4. Use the GPS coordinates.
   • On supported SecureEdge variants:
     • Get the GPS coordinates from the local edge gateway API for use in a locally connected PC or PLC.
   • On supported SecureEdge Pro variants:
     • Get the GPS coordinates from the local edge gateway API for use in a locally connected PC or PLC.
     • Integrate the coordinates into your own Docker container using the prepared Docker container below as example.
     • Use a prepared Docker container together with a data source to visualize the live and historical location of a device on a Device page using GPS Tracking. This requires the modules mentioned at the top of this article.
     • Using the same prepared Docker container, you can use the data like any other logged machine data, explained at the bottom of Configure and use historical data. This requires the modules mentioned at the top of this article and potentially more, depending on how you intend to use the data.