The Development of Embedded GPS-GSM Based Real Time Vehicle Tracking System

Abstract

The project is an integrated system which is placed inside a vehicle for the purpose of tracking it to determine its current GPS location in the real time, the system use Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) network as a medium to send the information to a monitoring station in two way: the first way by using Short Messaging Service (SMS) while the second way use General Packet Radio Service (GPRS).The tracking system consist of two general units, the first unit is Vehicle unit and the second is the Monitoring unit. The main components in vehicle unit is the microcontroller (PIC18F452) which is the main part to control all operation in the vehicle starting with read GPS information and the vehicle status ending with sending the collected information to the monitoring unit through the wireless GSM, the second important component is the IC (GM862-GPS) which is a GSM modem, the PIC interfaced to GM862-GPS serially via RS232 interface protocol, so the PIC inquire GPS information from GM and command the GM to send the information to the monitor. The monitoring unit is a Laptop with a Universal Serial Bus (USB) GSM modem connected to it in order to send and receive information to/from GSM network. The information received from the vehicle will be displayed on a Graphic user interface (GUI) designed by Visual Basic (VB), the GPS of the car will be displayed on a Google earth map.