SmartDrive's Telematics Solution Enhances Road Safety

SmartDrive aimed to develop devices that can fit into an OBD-II or 12V socket, otherwise known as a car cigarette lighter, in all major car models to maintain safety and usability worldwide. In order to meet the global requirements, SmartDrive had four major factors to consider: size, connectivity, future migration, and cost. The module size had to be small enough to avoid physical impact to drivers. Sierra Wireless® HL Series modules, based on the CF3™ design standard, were selected in part because they were the smallest embedded wireless modules (22 x 23 mm) evaluated that met the features requirements of the DriveOn and DriveOps in-vehicle applications.  The solution was also required to cover multiple telecommunications standards for various international markets. Cellular connectivity was chosen for the telematics data transmission because of its wide coverage and low cost. However, telecommunications standards vary in every country, and regulatory approvals and compliance can take several years.  Sierra Wireless’ embedded modules are pre-certified for the most widely used telecommunications standards, which helps SmartDrive to support customer requirements, regardless of location. Perhaps most importantly, future-proofing was a deciding factor for SmartDrive. The Sierra Wireless HL Series modules are completely interchangeable across 2G, 3G, 4G LTE and LPWA technologies.  The HL Series uses the common CF3 form factor, which is footprint-compatible across product lines and network technologies and will remain fully interchangeable with future versions of the modules, including those for LPWA networks when they become available. Finally, in addition to basic module price, SmartDrive also needed to consider the investment required to support multi-market, multi-standards and future migration. Sierra Wireless was able to work with local teams to provide cost-effective deployment and support packages.