Falcom STEPP Configurator Software instructions

This document is available at HTTP://WWW.FALCOM.DE/ . 

Falcom STEPP 

Configurator 

Software instructions 

Version 2.1

STEPP-CONFIGURATOR VERSION 2.1 

Index of contents 

0 CHAPTER 1........................................................................4 

0.1 STEPP CONFIGURATOR OVERVIEW ......................................................................................... 4 

1 CHAPTER 2........................................................................5 

1.1 THE FALCOM STEPP STARTER KIT.................................................................................................. 5 

2 CHAPTER 3........................................................................6 

2.1 STEPP CONFIGURATOR SOFTWARE................................................................................................. 6 

2.1.1 Installation on Microsoft Windows Systems ................................................................................. 6 

2.1.2 Installation on GNU/Linux Systems.............................................................................................. 6 

2.1.2.1 JRE Installation.............................................................................................................................................. 6 

2.1.2.2 Stepp Configurator Software Installation....................................................................................................... 6 

2.1.2.3 Serial Ports .................................................................................................................................................... 7 

2.1.3 Running the Stepp Configurator Software..................................................................................... 7 

2.1.3.1 Console .......................................................................................................................................................... 8 

3 CHAPTER 4......................................................................10 

3.1 STEPP DEVICE CONFIGURATION ................................................................................................... 10 

3.1.1 Device Settings ............................................................................................................................ 10 

3.1.2 Messages...................................................................................................................................... 12 

3.1.2.1 Time, Displacement and Speed Condition.................................................................................................... 12 

3.1.3 Authorized Numbers.................................................................................................................... 13 

3.1.4 Voice Call Settings ...................................................................................................................... 14 

3.1.5 Alarms ......................................................................................................................................... 14 

3.1.5.1 Digital Alarms.............................................................................................................................................. 15 

3.1.5.2 Analog Alarms.............................................................................................................................................. 16 

3.1.6 Geofencing................................................................................................................................... 17 

3.1.7 History ......................................................................................................................................... 19 

3.1.7.1 Acquiring History......................................................................................................................................... 19 

3.1.8 Allowed Protocols ....................................................................................................................... 20 

3.1.9 Applying the Configuration......................................................................................................... 22 

3.1.10 Setting the Digital Outputs .......................................................................................................... 23 

4 CHAPTER 5......................................................................24 

4.1 STEPP DEVICE STATUS ................................................................................................................. 24 

4.1.1 GSM Status.................................................................................................................................. 24 

4.1.2 Location Information ................................................................................................................... 24 

4.1.3 Inputs and Outputs....................................................................................................................... 24 

5 CHAPTER 6......................................................................27 

5.1 GSM CONNECTION TO A STEPP DEVICE....................................................................................... 27 

5.1.1 Temporary Connections............................................................................................................... 28 

6 APPENDIX A....................................................................31 

6.1 FALCOM STEPP DEVICE PROGRAMMING INTERFACE .................................................................... 31 

6.1.1 A-1 N MEA sentences Transmitted by Stepp Device.............................................................. 31 

6.1.2 A.2 Configuring the Stepp Device............................................................................................. 35 

6.1.2.1 A.2.1 Reading the Configuration................................................................................................................ 37 

6.1.3 A.3 Acquiring History ............................................................................................................... 38 

6.1.4 A.4 Initiating a GSM Connection .............................................................................................. 38 

6.1.5 A.5 SMS Messages.................................................................................................................... 38 

7 APPENDIX B....................................................................41 

7.1 CONFIGURATION COMMANDS - FOR FALCOM STEPP................................................................... 41 

This confidential document is the property of FALCOM GmbH and may not be copied or circulated without permission. 

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7.1.1 SMS Commands .......................................................................................................................... 42 

7.1.2 Extended NMEA Commands – for FALCOM STEPP only....................................................... 48 

Version history: 

Version number Author Changes 

2.0 Fadil Beqiri - Initial version 

2.1 Fadil Beqiri - Chapter 7 added. 


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Cautions 

Information furnished herein by FALCOM is believed to be accurate 

and reliable. However, no responsibility is assumed for its use. Also 

the information contained herein is subject to change without notice. 

Please, read carefully the safety precautions. 

If you have any technical questions regarding this document or the 

product described in it, please contact your vendor. 

General information about FALCOM and its range of products is 

available at the following internet address: http://www.falcom.de/ 

Trademarks 

All terms mentioned in this document that are known to be trademarks or 

service marks have been appropriately capitalized. Use of a term in this 

document should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any 

trademark or service mark. 

AMP is a trademark of AMP Inc. 

INFOPORT is a trademark of Whitaker Corporation. 

Microsoft and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. 

Molex and Micro-Fit 3.0 are trademarks of Molex, Inc. 

Red Hat is a trademark of Red Hat, Inc. 

Sun Microsystems and Java are trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. 

Copyright 

The Falcom STEPP hardware and softwares description are 

copyrighted by FALCOM GmbH with all rights reserved. No part of 

this user’s guide may be produced in any form without the prior 

written permission of FALCOM GmbH. 

FALCOM GmbH. 

No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information 

contained herein. 


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0 Chapter 1 

0.1 STEPP CONFIGURATOR Overview 

The Falcom Stepp device is an easy-to-setup GSM/GPS terminal. It can be 

configured for use in a wide range of applications including automatic 

vehicle location, fleet management and vehicle security and recovery. 

General information about Falcom and its products is available at the 

Falcom home page at http://www.falcom.de/. The latest versions of the 

Stepp device firmware, configuration software and manuals can also be 

found at the Falcom home page. 

Configuration of the Stepp device can be done using a PC in combination 

with a Stepp starter kit or via a GSM connection, either using a data call or 

SMS messages. 

A GSM data connection can be made to the Stepp device for real time 

tracking. The device can also send SMS messages in various situations, for 

example if a vehicle equipped with the device goes out of a pre-configured 

region. Other than real-time tracking, the device can also be used to store 

parameters such as location and speed. The stored history can be retrieved at 

a later time, or over a GSM data call. 

Voice calls can be made to and from the Stepp device. The device also 

provides four digital outputs, four digital inputs, two analog inputs and 

digital inputs for the ignition and battery status in a car. Each of the inputs 

can be configured to trigger the device to send an SMS message or initiate a 

data or voice call. 

Chapter 2 explains how to connect the Stepp device to a PC using a Stepp 

starter kit, while Chapter 3 explains how to install the Stepp Configurator 

software. Chapter 4 describes how to use the Stepp Configurator to 

configure the Stepp device. Chapter 5 shows what status information the 

Stepp Configurator gives about a Stepp device, while Chapter 6 shows how 

to use the Stepp Configurator to communicate with a Stepp device using a 

GSM modem. The Stepp device programming interface is described in 

Appendix A. Remotely programming the Stepp device via SMS and $PSRF 

commands is described in Appendix B. 

Please note that, the help file attached to the “Falcom Stepp Configurator” 

software, is identical to this manual, except chapter 7. 


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1 Chapter 2 

1.1 The Falcom Stepp Starter Kit 

The Stepp device can be obtained as a single unit or as part of a starter kit. 

The device has two antenna plugs, one for GSM and one for GPS. The 

device has a slot where a GSM SIM can be used. The SIM would be used 

for GSM communication to the device. The device also has a Molex Micro- 

Fit 3.0 socket and an AMP INFOPORT Series III header. The Molex socket 

gives access to the power input and signals such as the inputs and outputs. 

The AMP header gives access to signals such as the microphone, the 

speaker and the RS232 serial connection. 

The Stepp starter kit provides an environment for evaluating and 

configuring the Stepp device. The kit can be used to emulate the final 

hardware setup used when the device is installed. Connecting the device to 

the evaluation board gives easy access to the device connections. 

The components of the starter kit are listed below. 

Falcom Stepp device 

Falcom Stepp evaluation board 

power module 

GSM/GPS antenna 

microphone and speaker 

Molex Micro-Fit 3.0 plugs cable 

AMP INFOPORT Series III connector and DB15 plug cable 

DB9 RS232 serial cable 

software CD 

The kit can be setup using the procedure below. 

1. Connect both antenna plugs to the corresponidng plugs on the Stepp 

device. 

2. Connect the AMP connector on the cable to the AMP header on the 

Stepp device. Connect the DB15 plug on the other end of the cable to 

the respective socket on the evaluation board. 

3. Connect a Molex plug on the cable to the socket on the Stepp device. 

Connect the plug on the other end of the cable to the respective socket 

on the evaluation board. 

4. Connect the speaker and microphone to the respective sockets on the 

evaluation board. 

5. Use the serial cable to connect the evaluation board to a serial port on 

the PC. 

6. Connect the power module to the evaluation board and to the ac power 

supply. 

For more informatione about the hardware installation please refer to the 

“stepp_1.4.3_sw_eng.pdf” manual which is available on the Falcom’s 

homepage: 

http://www.falcom.de/ service/downloads/manual/Falcom STEPP 


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2 Chapter 3 

2.1 Stepp Configurator Software 

The Stepp Configurator version 2.0 software can be installed from the 

software CD. The software can be installed on Microsoft Windows systems 

or GNU/Linux systems. The Stepp Configurator requires the Java 2 

Runtime Environment (JRE) version 1.4 or later. The JRE is copyrighted by 

Sun Microsystems, Inc., a nd is available on the Sun Microsystems Java 

home page at http://java.sun.com/. 

The JRE is also available on the software CD. 

2.1.1 Installation on Microsoft Windows Systems 

Insert the software CD in the CD-ROM drive and mount it. We will assume 

that the software CD is mounted on /mnt/cdrom on the system; if the mount 

point is different, the path names below must be updated accoringly. 

If the JRE version 1.4 or later is not installed on the system, it must be 

installed before the Stepp Configurator can be used. The JRE is available on 

the software CD. If a suitable JRE is already installed, skip Section 2.1.2.1. 

2.1.2 Installation on GNU/Linux Systems 

Insert the software CD in the CD-ROM drive and mount it. We will assume 

that the software CD is mounted on /mnt/cdrom on the system; if the mount 

point is different, the path names below must be updated accordingly. 

If the JRE version 1.4 or later is not installed on the system, it must be 

installed before the Stepp Configurator can be used. The JRE is available on 

the software CD. 

If a suitable JRE is already installed, skip Section 2.1.2.1. 

2.1.2.1 JRE Installation 

Follow the installation instructions as given by Sun Microsystems. The 

instructions are located at /mnt/cdrom/linux/jre/install-linux.html. 

It is possible to choose either a self-exctracting binary file installation or an 

rpm package installation. The respective installation files are located at 

/mnt/cdrom/linux/jre/j2re-1_4_2_04-linux-i586.bin and 

/mnt/cdrom/linux/jre/j2re-1_4_2_04-linux-i586-rpm.bin 

2.1.2.2 Stepp Configurator Software Installation 

The Stepp Configurator is located in the /mnt/cdrom/linux/steppconfig 

directory in the software CD. To install the software on the hard drive, copy 

the steppconfig directory and its contents to any location on the hard drive 

as follows cp -R /mnt/cdrom/linux/steppconfig 


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2.1.2.3 Serial Ports 

On GNU/Linux systems, permissions are needed to access the serial ports 

and the locking mechanisms. This may be different on various distributions; 

contact the distributor to find out how to set the required permissions. On 

some distributions, users would have the required permissions by default. 

On other distributions, such as Red Hat systems, it might be necessary to 

add the users who need to use the Stepp Configurator to the uucp and lock 

groups. 

2.1.3 Running the Stepp Configurator Software 

Before running the Stepp Configurator, make sure that the hardware is set 

up as described in Chapter 2. Switch on the Stepp device by switching on 

the V+ and ACCU switches on the evaluation board. 

To run the software on Microsoft Windows systems, choose Falcom Stepp 

Configurator from the Start menu. To run the software on GNU/Linux 

systems, execute SteppConfig from the steppconfig directory. 

As soon as the program is executed, a dialog will prompt for the serial port 

where the Stepp device is connected as seen in Figure 3.1. Choose the serial 

port in the Modem/Device drop-down list box and click Connect. 

Figure 3.1: The New Connection dialog. 

The main window for the Stepp Configurator should appear. The 

configurator has two tabs, one which gives the Stepp device status and one 

which is used to configure the Stepp device. 

If the same serial port is going to be used for several sessions, the Stepp 

Configurator can be set to remember the serial port name. Choose 

Configurator→Preferences and select the Ports tab, which is shown in 

Figure 3.2. Other than choosing the default port, it is also possible to set the 

Stepp Configurator to start automatically, without confirming which serial 

port to open. 


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Figure 3.2: The ports preferences. 

The Stepp device transmits GPS NMEA sentences and other Stepp device 

specific NMEA sentences. A copy of the sentences received from the Stepp 

device can be sent to another serial port by enabling the Send received data 

option in the New Connection dialog (see Figure 3.1) or the Ports tab in the 

preferences (see Figure 3.2). 

To start the second instance of the Stepp Configurator, choose 

Configurator→New. A dialog will prompt for a second serial port. 

2.1.3.1 Console 

The Stepp Configurator communicates to the Stepp device using NMEA 

sentences. To monitor the sentences being sent to and from the Stepp 

device, choose View→Console. The console is shown in Figure 3.3. The 

sentences sent by the Stepp device are shown in a regular weight font, while 

the sentences sent by the Stepp Configurator are shown in a bold font. 

To send an NMEA sentence to the Stepp device, type the sentence in the 

text field. The NMEA checksum is calculated and appended to the sentence 

automatically. To send the sentence, press Enter or click Send. The 

sentences used to configure the Stepp device are described in Appendix A. 

While using the console, it is possible to clear the display (click Clear), 

capture the received sentences to a file (click Capture) or pause the console 

display (click Stop). It is also possible to filter the lines using a regular 

expression. Clearing the console, pausing the console display or filtering 

using regular expressions has no effect on capturing. While capturing, all 

received sentences are appended to a capture file. 


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Figure 3.3: The Stepp Configurator console. 

The capture file and other preferences can be set by choosing 

Configurator→Preferences and selecting the Console tab, which is shown 

in Figure 3.4. 

The number of lines buffered in the console can be adjusted. The echoing 

(displaying) of sentences sent by the Stepp Configurator (including 

sentences typed in the console text field) can be disabled. The line 

termination can also be changed from the defualt carriage return and line 

feed (CR LF). The line termination affects the sentences typed in the 

console text field only. Changing the line termination from the default (CR 

LF) might cause the Stepp device to ignore the sentences. 

Figure 3.4: The console preferences. 


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3 Chapter 4 

3.1 Stepp Device Configuration 

To configure the Stepp device, start the Stepp Configurator (see Chapter 3) 

and select the Configuration tab. There will be a selection of panels, each 

giving access to a section of configuration parameters. The panels available 

are listed below. 

Device settings 

Messages 

Authorized numbers 

Voice call settings 

Alarms 

– Analog inputs 

Geofencing 

– Messages 

History 

Allowed protocols 

Note that changes done to the configuration are not applied immediately; to 

apply the configuration to the Stepp device see Section 3.1.9. 

3.1.1 Device Settings 

The device settings are general device configuration parameters. The device 

settings panel can be seen in Figure 4.1. 


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Figure 4.1: The device settings configuration panel. 

The device settings are described below. 

Device identifier 

This is a name given to the Stepp device. When the device sends an SMS 

messages, it identifies itself using this identifier. 

SIM PIN 

This is the PIN used by the Stepp device to register the installed SIM, if 

the SIM is set to require a PIN. 

SMS password 

If an SMS password is set, the Stepp device will not accept commands 

via SMS without the password. 

Switch off GSM 

The GSM module in the Stepp device can drain the car battery. When the 

car ignition is turned off, the GSM module will be switched off after the 

time given in this field. 

Set geofencing master region 

It is possible to set the geofencing master region (see Section 3.1.6) as 

soon as the ignition is turned off. If this option is set, switching off the 

ignition will set the geofencing master region to an area with the given 


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radius centred at the location at the time of switch off. The text field will 

be sent in any message correspoding to the new master region. 

3.1.2 Messages 

The Stepp device can be configured to send SMS messages periodically. 

The messages panel can be seen in Figure 4.2. 

Figure 4.2: The messages configuration panel 

The Messages enabled check box must be set in order to use the message 

feature. An SMS message is sent to the specified GSM terminal number 

when the specified minimum number of satellites are visible and the 

condition specified in Section 3.1.2.1 is satisfied. The SMS message may 

contain up to two NMEA sentences (see Section 3.1.8). Messages are not 

sent more frequently than one message every 30 seconds. 

3.1.2.1 Time, Displacement and Speed Condition 

In order to satisfy the time, displacement and speed condition, either all the 

enabled limits from the first three limits are satisfied or any of the enabled 

limits from the last three limits is satified. For example, the settings in 

Figure 4.2, indicate that a message can be sent if 

since the last message was sent, at least 3,600 seconds (1 hour) have 

passed and the vehicle has travelled for at least 10,000 meters (10 

kilometers), or 


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the vehicle has travelled for at least 100,000 meters (100 kilometers) 

since the last message was sent, or 

the speed is higher than 120 kph. 

For another example, see Section 3.1.7. 

3.1.3 Authorized Numbers 

The authorized numbers give restriced access to the Stepp device via a GSM 

connection. The authorized numbers panel can be seen in Figure 4.3. 

Figure 4.3: The authorized numbers configuration panel. 

The Stepp device can accept voice calls, data calls and SMS messages via 

GSM. Accepting all incoming calls and messages, however, is insecure. To 

prevent the Stepp device from accepting all calls and messages, it is possible 

to set up to ten authorized numbers. If no authorized numbers are set, the 

device accepts all incoming calls and messages. 

For each authorized number, choose what type of connection the Stepp 

device can accept. This can be an SMS message, a data call, a voice call or a 

listen call. A listen call is similar to a voice call, but the Stepp device does 

not send any audio to the speaker. Thus, the caller can receive audio but 

cannot transmit audio. 


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3.1.4 Voice Call Settings 

The voice call settings control the Stepp device response to an authorized 

incoming voice call. The voice call settings panel can be seen in Figure 4.4. 

The voice call settings are described below. 

Ringer melody 

The ringer melody is used to signal an incoming voice call. Note that the 

Stepp device answers automatically after ringing. To disable ringing, 

choose no melody, otherwice choose one of nine different melodies to be 

sounded on the speaker or buzzer. 

Microphone and Speaker level 

The microphone level and the speaker volume can be adjusted using 

these settings. 

3.1.5 Alarms 

Figure 4.4: The voice call settings configuration panel. 

The alarms send a notification on specified events at the Stepp device 

inputs. Alarms can be triggered by the four digital inputs, the car battery 

(digital), the car ignition (digital) and the two analog inputs. 


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3.1.5.1 Digital Alarms 

The panel for digital input alarms can be seen in Figure 4.5. 

Figure 4.5: The digital alarms configuration panel. 

Each input can be set to trigger an alarm. An alarm can be set to initiate a 

data call, voice call or listen call. A listen call is similar to a voice call, but 

the Stepp device does not send any audio to the speaker. Otherwise, the 

alarm can be set to send an SMS message. Further details can be set for each 

alarm by clicking Details. The details dialog is shown in Figure 4.6. Any 

digital input alarm can be set to be triggered on the rising edge, falling edge 

or both. If the alarm is set to send an SMS message, some text can be setup 

to be sent in the message. One or two NMEA sentences (see Section 3.1.8) 

can also be sent in the message. 


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Figure 4.6: The digital alarms configuration details dialog. 

3.1.5.2 Analog Alarms 

The panel for analog input alarms can be seen in Figure 4.7. 

Figure 4.7: The analog alarms configuration panel. 

The analog input alarms are similar to the digital input alarms. The details 

are not given in a separate dialog; they are given in the analog alarms 

configuration panel itself. The triggering method is also different for the 

analog input alarms. Give a range of acceptable input values, and whenever 

the analog input goes beyond the limit an alarm is triggered. 


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3.1.6 Geofencing 

The Stepp device supports geofencing, monitoring if the vehicle is within 

some configured region. The geofencing panel can be seen in Figure 4.8. 

Figure 4.8: The geofencing configuration panel. 

The Stepp device geofencing works by sending messages similar to the 

messages described in Section 3.1.2. There is a panel similar to the one 

shown in Figure 4.2 to set the message parameters for geofencing messages. 

The Stepp device can store up to 100 regions, one of which is the master 

region. Although the maximum number of regions is 100, it is not advisable 

to use more than 20 regions. 

To insert or remove the master region, set or reset the Master enabled 

checkbox. If the master region is enabled, all other regions are ignored; if 

the master region is disabled, all the regions are considered. Other regions 

can be inserted or removed by clicking Insert or Remove. To browse the 

regions, click Next or Previous, or click Master to go to the master region. 

Each region is rectangular, with a North, a South, an East and a West 

boundary. 

The geofencing regions control whether the messages specified in the 

geofencing messages configuration panel are sent or not. If a region is 

configured to send messages when inside (using the When drop-down list 

box), messages are sent only when the vehicle is inside the region. If a 

region is configured to send messages when outside, messages are sent only 


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when the vehicle is outside the region. A region can also be configured to 

send messages both when inside or outside. 

When the vehicle goes in or out of a region, a message is sent immediately, 

even if the conditions specified in the geofencing messages configuration 

panel are not met. For example, if the messages were configured to be sent 

every 30 minutes, and only 5 minutes have passed since the last message 

was sent, the crossing of a region boundary would still cause a message to 

be sent. 

Although regions are rectangular, several regions can be linked using the 

ID. If several regions have the same ID, they are considered as one region. 

Thus, going from a region to another region with the same ID does not 

trigger a message to be sent. 

Region editing can be done using the numerical values for the latitude and 

longitude or using maps. Click Add to add a map to the map collection. The 

Add Map dialog is shown in Figure 4.9. The map should be in cylindrical 

equidistant projection. To add a new map, give a name to the map, specify 

the locations of the map edges and give the image file. 

Figure 4.9: Adding a geofencing map. 

To edit regions on a map, select the map from the Maps list and click Show. 

The map viewer is shown in Figure 4.10. To add a new region using the 

map viewer, click on the map and drag the pointer. To move or resize 

regions, drag the region border or corners respectively. To delete a region, 

right click on the region's border and choose Delete. 


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3.1.7 History 

Figure 4.10: The geofencing map viewer. 

The Stepp device can be configured to store history depending on various 

conditions. The history panel can be seen in Figure 4.11. 

Figure 4.11: The history configuration panel. 

When history logging is enabled and the minimum number of satellites is 

visible, history records will be stored depending on the time, displacement 

and speed conditions as described in section 3.1.2.1. The history records 

would be NMEA sentences as specified in Section 3.1.8. The settings in 

Figure 4.11 indicate that a history record can be stored if 

since the last history record was stored, at least 300 seconds (5 

minutes) have passed and the vehicle has travelled for at least 1,000 

meters (1 kilometer), or 

3600 seconds (1 hour) have passed since the last history record was 

stored, or 

the speed is higher than 100 kph. 

3.1.7.1 Acquiring History 

To acquire the history that the Stepp device has stored, choose 

Tools→Acquire History. The Acquire History dialog is shown in Figure 

4.12. Choose the starting time and date for the history records to be 

acquired; any records which were stored earlier than the selected time will 

not be acquired. The number of sentences to acquire can be limited, or else 

all the sentences available can be acquired. The acquired history is saved in 

the chosen file. 


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Figure 4.12: The Acquire History dialog. 

To clear all stored history records from the Stepp device memory, choose 

Tools→Clear History. To send the acquired history sentences from a file to 

a serial port, choose Tools→Send History. 

3.1.8 Allowed Protocols 

The Stepp device can send a set of allowed NMEA sentences every second 

(5 seconds in the case of GPGSM). The allowed protocols panel can be seen 

in Figure 4.13. The NMEA sentences the Stepp device is capable of giving 

are listed below. 


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Figure 4.13: The allowed protocols configuration panel. 

GPGGA 

GPS Fix Data — includes time, position, GPS quality and number of 

satellites in use. 

GPRMC 

Recommended Minimum Specific GPS Data—includes time and date, 

position, speed and heading. 

GPGSV 

GPS Satellites in View — includes the number of satellites in view and 

their elavation, azimuth and signal-to-noise ratio. 

GPGSA 

GPS DOP and Active Satellites — includes the list of satellites being 

used. 

GPGLL 

Geographic Position in Latitude/Longitude—includes the time and 

position. 

Figure 4.14: Applying everything or just the changes. 


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GPIOP 

Stepp Device Input/Output Ports — includes the status of the input and 

output ports. 

GPGSM 

Stepp Device GSM Status—includes the GSM operator and reception 

status. 

Development information 

Information used for debugging the Stepp device operation; this does not 

give NMEA sentences. Any combination of the above sentences can be 

selected. If some of the NMEA sentences are disabled, however, the 

status given by the Stepp Configurator (see Chapter 5) will be 

incomplete. For example, if GPIOP is disabled, the status of the digital 

inputs cannot be know. 

3.1.9 Applying the Configuration 

Changes made in the configuration panels are not applied immediately to 

the Stepp device. To apply the configuration, click Apply. A dialog will ask 

wether to apply all the configuration or just the changes, as seen in Figure 

4.14. If Apply All is chosen, all the Stepp device configuration will be 

updated to reflect the configuration in the configuration panels. This option 

is suitable for setting a completely new configuration. If, on the other hand, 

Apply Changes is chosen, the current Stepp device configuration is 

retained, and only the updated fields are changed. This is suitable for a small 

change in the configuration. To read the configuration from the Stepp 

device, click Read. Reading the configuration is recommended before 

making small changes in the configuration. To undo all changes since last 

read, click Revert. To reset the configuration to default values, click 

Default. Note that to reset the Stepp configuration to default values, it is 

necessary to apply the whole configuration after clicking Default. 

Figure 4.15: Setting the Stepp device outputs. 


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3.1.10 Setting the Digital Outputs 

To control the digital outputs, choose Tools→Set Outputs. The Set 

Outputs dialog is shown in Figure 4.15. For each output, there is a selection 

of the following items. 

No Change 

Do not change the current output behaviour. 

Off 

Switch the output off. 

On 

Switch the output on. 

Pulse 

Switch the output on for the duration of the pulse, then switch the output 

off. The duration of the pulse can be set in seconds. 

Square Wave 

The output will oscillate between the on and off state. The durations of 

the on and off state can be set in seconds. 


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4 Chapter 5 

4.1 Stepp Device Status 

The Status tab in the Stepp Configurator main window shows the current 

state of the Stepp device, provided that the NMEA sentences are enabled 

(see Section 3.1.8). The status tab is shown in Figure 5.1. The status can be 

monitored, but it cannot be changed directly through the Status tab. 

4.1.1 GSM Status 

In the GSM status section, the Stepp device GSM connection status is 

shown. The GSM network provider and the signal quality are given. 

4.1.2 Location Information 

The location information section gives the latitude, longitude and altitude. It 

also gives the speed and heading. GPS satellite information can be obtained 

by clicking GPS Details. The Satellite Diagram tab (see Figure 5.2) gives 

a visual map of the visible satellites, showing a visual representation of the 

elevation and azimuth for each visible satellite. The Signal to Noise Ratio 

tab (see Figure 5.3) shows the received signal quality for each of the visible 

satellites. 

4.1.3 Inputs and Outputs 

In the inputs and outputs section, the status of the Stepp device IO ports is 

shown. The four available digital inputs are represented by check boxes; a 

check is present if the respective input is high. The four digital outputs 

given by the Stepp device are also represented by check boxes. The values 

at the two analog inputs is shown. 


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Figure 5.1: The Status tab. 

The ignition and car battery states are represented by check boxes. The 

voltage level of the Stepp device backup battery is also shown. 

Figure 5.2: The satellite diagram. 


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Figure 5.3: The signal to noise ratio for the visible satellites. 


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5 Chapter 6 

5.1 GSM Connection to a Stepp Device 

So far, we have only considered a Stepp device connected to a PC using a 

Stepp evaluation board. The Stepp Configurator can also communicate with 

a deployed Stepp device via GSM. A GSM modem such as the Falcom 

Twist GSM modem is needed to communicate to a deployed Stepp device. 

To communicate to a Stepp device using a GSM modem, start the Stepp 

Configurator giving the serial port where the modem is connected. The 

Stepp Configurator software will detect the modem and start in the 

connection mode. The main window now has a Connection tab as well. The 

Connection tab is shown in Figure 6.1. 

The modem status section gives details about the GSM modem network 

status. The Stepp Configurator can keep a list of deployed Stepp devices. 

This list is displayed in the car section. To edit the list, choose View→Car 

List. The car list editor is shown in Figure 6.2. Any name can be used for a 

car, for example, the registration number can be used as the car name. A 

voice call number and a data call number can then be associated with each 

car. These numbers would be the network numbers for the SIM used in the 

Stepp device in the car. It is not necessary to have both numbers, for 

example, the data call feature may be unavailable. To communicate to a 

Stepp device, either select a car from the car list or type in the network 

number corresponding to the device. Once the Stepp device is selected, a 

voice call or data call can be initiated, provided the GSM modem network 

number is authorized (see Section 3.1.3). If a data call is started, the Stepp 

Configurator can be used just as if the Stepp device were connected to the 

PC using the Stepp evaluation board. 


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Figure 6.1: The Connection tab. 

5.1.1 Temporary Connections 

The longer a data call is, the higher the network charges. It is possible to set 

up a data call and hang up automatically before and after performing a task, 

minimizing the connection time. Some tasks can also be performed using 

SMS messages rather than data calls. Consider the task of changing some 

configuration. If there is a data connection, proceed as if the Stepp device 

was connected to the PC using the Stepp evaluation board. If there is no data 

connection, however, a temporary connection might be necessary. Change 

the configuration as required, then click Apply and choose to apply the 

changes only. The changes cannot be applied without a connection to the 

Stepp device, so the Stepp Configurator will ask for a temporary 


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Figure 6.2: The car list. 

Figure 6.3: Setting up a temporary connection. 

connection setup, as seen in Figure 6.3. When setting up a temporary 

connection, either choose a car from the car list or type in the network 

number. It is possible to communicate to the Stepp device via SMS 

messages or via a data call. When connecting using SMS messages, the 

SMS password might be necessary (see Section 3.1.1). When connect using 

a data call, it is necessary to specify wether or not to hang up after the 

operation is ready. Temporary connections can be used for the operations 

listed below. 

• Reading and applying configuration. 


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• Acquiring history (data call only). 

• Clearing history. 

• Setting the outputs. 


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6 Appendix A 

6.1 Falcom Stepp Device Programming Interface 

The Stepp Configurator communicates to the Stepp device using NMEA 

sentences and SMS messages. NMEA sentences are transmitted via a serial 

port using the Stepp evaluation board or via a GSM data call using a GSM 

modem. SMS messages are transmitted using a GSM modem. This 

appendix describes the NMEA sentences and SMS messages used by the 

Stepp device. An NMEA sentece starts with a ‘$’ character and sentence 

identifier. This is followed by several fields separated by commas. An 

optional checksum (required by the Stepp device) can be appended. The 

checksum consists of the ‘*’ character followed by two hexadecimal digits. 

A sentence is terminated by a carriage return and line feed. 

The checksum hexadecimal digits represent the exclusive or of the ASCII 

value of the characters in the sentence, excluding the ‘$’ and ‘*’ characters. 

The Stepp Configurator console (see Section 2.1.3.1) automatically 

calculates and appends the checksum to the NMEA sentences. 

For more information about the configuration of Falcom STEPP remotely 

via SMS refer to the Chapter 7. There you will find a comprehensive 

overview of all SMS and NMEA commands including examples, too. 

6.1.1 A-1 N MEA sentences Transmitted by Stepp Device 

The Stepp device transmits NMEA sentences every second, depending on 

the configuration (see Section 3.1.8). 

The identifiers for the NMEA sentences transmitted by the Stepp device are 

listed below. 

GPGGA 

GPRMC 

GPGSV 

GPGSA 

GPGLL 

GPIOP 

GPGSM 

The sentences mentioned above are described in the Tables A.2–A.10. Note 

that the GPGSM sentence can be given in one of three different modes. The 

first field is used to identify the mode. Mode 0 indicates that the sentence 

gives the GSM module status. Mode 1 indicates that an SMS message was 

received. Mode 2 indicates that there was an incoming call. Thus, there are 

three tables for GPGSM. The formats used are described in Table A.1. If a 

format is not described below, it should be taken verbatim. 

Format 

hhmmss.ss 

ddmmyy 

ddmm.mmmm 

dddmm.mmmm 

dd.dddddd 

Description 

Time: hh hours, mm minutes, ss.ss seconds. 

Date: day dd, month mm, year yy. 

Latitude: dd degrees, mm.mmmm minutes. 

Longitude: ddd degrees, mm.mmmm minutes. 

Latitude/longitude: dd.dddddd degrees. 


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dd'mm'ss" 

x 

xx 

x.x 

hh 

bbbbbbbb 

a 

"a" 

 

Table A.1: Field formats. 

Latitude/longitude: dd degrees, mm minutes, ss seconds 

Integer. 

Integer having exactly two digits (using leading zeros). 

Number including fraction. 

Two-digit hexadecimal number (using uppercase A–F). 

Eight-digit binary number. 

ASCII text. 

ASCII text in quotation marks. 

Carriage return and line feed. 

Field Description Format 

Start of sentence 

$GPGGA 

1 UTC time hhmmss.ss 

2 Latitude ddmm.mmmm 

3 Latitude direction (N/S) a 

4 Longitude dddmm.mmmm 

5 Longitude direction (W/E) a 

6 GPS fix quality: 

x 

0: invalid 

1: GPS fix 

2: DGPS fix 

7 Number of satellites in use xx 

8 Horizontal dilution of precision (relative accuracy x.x 

of horizontal position) 

9 Altitude above mean sea level (geoid) x.x 

10 Altitude units (meters) M 

11 Height of geoid above earth ellipsoid x.x 

12 Geoid height units (meters) M 

13 Time since last DGPS update (seconds) x 

14 DGPS reference station ID xxxx 

Checksum 

*hh 

Sentence terminator 

 

Table A.2: The GPGGA sentence. 



$GPRMC 

1 UTC time hhmmss.ss 

2 Position validity (A: valid, V: invalid) a 





7 Speed (knots) x.x 

8 Heading (degrees) x.x 

9 Date ddmmyy 

10 Magnetic variation (degrees) x.x 

11 Magnetic variation direction (W/E) a 

Checksum 

*hh 


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Table A.3: The GPRMC sentence. 

 



$GPGSV 

1 Number of messages (1 to 3) x 

2 Message number (1 to 3) x 

3 Number of satellites in view (1 to 12) xx 

4 Satellite PRN number xx 

5 Satellite elevation (degrees) (00 to 90), may be null xx 

6 Satellite azimuth (degrees) (000 to 359), may be null xxx 

7 Satellite signal to noise ratio in dB (00 to 99), may be xx 

null 

8–11 Similar to 4–7 for next satellite, may all be null 



Checksum 

*hh 


 

Table A.4: The GPGSV sentence. 



$ GPGSA 

1 Operating mode: 

a 

M: Manual, operate in 3-D mode. 

A: Automatically choose 2-D or 3-D mode. 

2 Fix mode: 

x 

1: Fix not available 

2: 2-D fix 

3: 3-D fix 

3–14 PRN numbers of satellites in use (unused fields null) xx,xx, . . . 

15 Position dilution of precision x.x 

16 Horizontal dilution of precision x.x 

17 Vertical dilution of precision x.x 

Checksum 

*hh 


 

Table A.5: The GPGSA sentence. 



$GPGLL 





Checksum 

*hh 


 

Table A.6: The GPGLL sentence. 



$GPIOP 

1 Inputs: 8–1 (1: on, 0: off) bbbbbbbb 


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1–4: Inputs 1–4 

5–6: Unused 

7: Car battery status 

8: Ignition status 

2 Outputs: 8–1 (1:on, 0: off) 

bbbbbbbb 

1–4: Outputs 1–4 

5–8: Unused 

3 Analog input 1 (V) x.x 

4 Analog input 2 (V) x.x 

5 Backup battery level (V) x.x 

Checksum 

*hh 


 

Table A.7: The GPIOP sentence. 



$GPGSM 

1 GSM status mode: 0 x 

2 Registration (1:registered, 0: unregistered) b 

3 GSM status x 

4 Network operator name "a" 

5 GSM field strength (0 to 31) 0: $-$113 dB 31: $-$51 dB x 

6 Area code a 

7 Cell ID a 

Checksum 

*hh 


 

Table A.8: The GPGSM sentence in GMS status mode. 



$GPGSM 

1 SMS message received mode: 1 x 

2 Sender number a 

3 Sender phonebook entry "a" 

4 SMS message text "a" 

Checksum 

*hh 


 

Table A.9: The GPGSM sentence in SMS message received mode. 



$GPGSM 

1 Received call mode: 2 x 

2 Call type: 

a 

D: data call 

V: voice call 

A: listen call 

3 Caller number a 

4 Caller phonebook entry "a" 

Checksum 

*hh 


 

Table A.10: The GPGSM sentence in received call mode. 


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6.1.2 A.2 Configuring the Stepp Device 

NMEA sentences can be used to send commands or configuration data to 

the Stepp device. The Stepp Configurator console can be used to send the 

sentences to the device. The console can also be used to monitor the 

sentences used by the Stepp Configurator itself while configuring the 

device. The Stepp device is configured using the $PSRF108 sentence. The 

sentence format is 

$PSRF108,=[: …]*hh 

One sentence can have several configuration settings, separated by colons. 

A value can be assigned to each configuration parameter; to clear the 

configuration value of a parameter, give the parameter name without a 

value, as shown below. 

$PSRF108,*hh 

The different possibilities for the name and the corresponding 

formats are given in Table A.11. See Chapter 4 for more detailed 

explanations of the parameters. 

Parameter 

NAME 

PIN 

PWD 

IGN 

MSG 

TEL 

Value and Description 

The name given to the Stepp device. 

The PIN for the SIM used in the Stepp device. 

The SMS password. 

,, The actions taken when the ignition is 

switched off. 

: Time (in seconds) to switch GSM off after the ignition is 

switched off. 

: Geofencing master region radius (in meters) after ignition 

is switched off (0 disables feature). 

: Text to be sent in messages controlled by above master 

region. 

,,,,,,,, 

Periodic messages sent depending on time, distance and speed. 

: Can be S (SMS message), D (data call), V (voice call) or A 

(listen call). 

: Destination number for messages. 

: Minimum number of visible satellites to send. 

, , : Combined time, distance and speed 

conditions. If all these three limits are exceeded, a message will be 

sent. Any null value is ignored. 

, , : Time, distance and speed. If any of these 

three limits is exceeded, a message will be sent. Any null value is 

ignored. 

: NMEA sentences sent in SMS messages (e.g., RMC). Can 

be null, one NMEA identifier, or two NMEA identifiers separated by 

a ‘+’ character (e.g., RMC+IOP). 

The authorized network numbers. 

: The entry index (0–9). 

: Can be S, D, V or A. 


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RING 

VOL 

KEY 

IN 

GEO 

GEOMSG 

LOG 

: The authorized number. 

The ringer melody. 0 gives no melody. 1–9 each give a 

different melody on the speaker. To use the buzzer rather than the 

speaker, add 10. 

,Set the speaker and microphone levels. 

: The speaker level from 0 (silent) to 15 (loudest). 

: The microphone level from 0 (silent) to 15 (loudest). 

,,, The digital input 

alarms. 

: The input index. The index can be 1–4 for the four digital 

inputs, 7 for the car battery and 8 for the ignition. 


: The number where the alarm is sent. 

: The text sent if the alarm type is SMS. 

: NMEA sentences sent if the alarm type is SMS. 

: The edge that triggers the alarm. Can be 1 (rising edge), 2 

(falling edge) or 3 (both). 

,,,, The analog 

input alarms. 

: The analog input index. The index can be 1–2 for the two 

analog inputs. 


: The number where the alarm is sent. 

: The text sent if the alarm type is SMS. 

: The minimum value before triggering. 

: The maximum value before triggering. 

: NMEA sentences sent if the alarm type is SMS. 

,,,,,,The 

geofencing regions. 

: The region index (00–99). The 00 region is the master 

region. 

: The text is sent in any message related to the respective 

region. 

: The region ID. 

, , , : The region boundaries. 

: Controls when to send messages related to the region (in 

addition to the messages when a region boundary is crossed). Can be 

0 (send when vehicle is outside region), 1 (when inside) or 2 (both). 

,,,,,,,,Messages sent by geofencing system. See 

MSG. 

,,,,,, 

History logging depending on time, distance and speed. 

: Minimum number of visible satellites to store. 

, , : Combined time, distance and speed 

conditions. If all these three limits are exceeded, a history record will 

be stored. Any null value is ignored. 

, , : Time, distance and speed. If any of these 

three limits is exceeded, a history record will be stored. Any null 

value is ignored. 


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PORTS 

PORT 

COORD 

P1#..,P2 … 

P4#..The output ports behaviour. 

: Behaviour type. A means off. E means on. I gives a single 

pulse. Z gives a periodic square wave. By setting an output to I, the 

output will be set to E for a given time, then it will be set to A. 

: The single pulse duration or the positive half cycle 

duration of the square wave in fifths of a second. 

: The negative half cycle duration of the square wave in 

fifths of a second. 

,,Set the behaviour of one of the output 

ports. 

: The output port index (1–4). 

: Can be A, E, I or Z. 

, : Time in seconds. 

The format used for latitude and longitude coordinates. Can 

be NMEA (ddmm.mmmm), DECIMAL (dd.dddddd) or MIN_SEC 

(dd'mm'ss"). 

Table A.11: The configuration parameters. 

To set the allowed protocols, use 

$PSRF103,,00,,01*hh 

where is the sentence period in seconds (0 to disable) and 

is: 

00 GPGGA 

01 GPGLL 

02 GPGSA 

03 GPGSV 

04 GPRMC 

07 GPIOP 

08: GPGSM 

To switch the development information on or off, use 

$PSRF105,*hh 

where is 0 for off and 1 for on. 

6.1.2.1 A.2.1 Reading the Configuration 

To read the current parameters, send the sentence 

$PSRF108,CNF*49 

to the device. The device will return a list of the set configuration 

parameters, in the form 

$CONFIG,=*hh 

To read the allowed protocols configuration information, look for the 

sentence staring with 

$CONFIG,NMEA 


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Any allowed protocol would have its identifier in the above sentence, 

followed by its period in seconds. If, for example, GPRMC is being 

transmitted every second, the above sentence would contain the string 

RMC.1 

6.1.3 A.3 Acquiring History 

To acquire stored history records, use the command 

$PSRF109,0,,,,*hh 

where and (ddmmyy and hhmmss) give the time for 

the first history record and and give the time for the 

last history record to be acquired. Note that sending any sentence to the 

Stepp device while acquiring history stops the acquiring process. It is also 

possible to use the command in the form 

$PSRF109,0,,*hh 

in which all the history records after the start time are acquired. 

The Stepp device starts transmission of the history records using the 

sentence 

$GPLOG,1,, 

where and give the time of the first history record. The 

device stops the transmission using the sentence 

$GPLOG,0,, 

To clear all the history records from the Stepp device memory, use the 

command 

$PSRF108,LOG=CLR*26 

6.1.4 A.4 Initiating a GSM Connection 

An NMEA sentence can be used to initiate a GSM connection using the 

following command. 

$PSRF110,,*hh 

where can be S, D, V or A to indicate an SMS, data call, voice call 

or listen call, is the number to connect to and is the text 

to be sent if the connection type is SMS. 

6.1.5 A.5 SMS Messages 

SMS messages can be used to configure the Stepp device, to request specific 

information such as the position and to instruct the device to initiate a GSM 

connection such as a data call. 

The NMEA sentences mentioned in Section 6.1.2 (A-2) can be sent to the 

Stepp device via SMS. If more than one NMEA sentence are to be sent in 

one SMS message, they should be separated by a carriage return and line 

feed. Note that if an SMS password is enabled, NMEA sentences starting 

with $PSRF108 are not accepted via SMS. 


Page 38


If an SMS password is enabled, it should be included in SMS messages after 

the message header. The password is indicated as 

[password] 

in the messages described below, indicating that it is an optional field. 

To configure the Stepp device via SMS, send a message in the format 

&CNF [password] UNIT = [: …] 

The and fields are described in Table A.11. 

It is also possible to configure some of the parameters using the format 

&CNF [password] 

Only the NAME, KEY, IN and PORT parameters 

are accepted in this format. Additionaly, the PWD parameter may be 

configured using the format 

& CNF [password] PASS 

The GPS system can be reset to a particular latitude and longitude using the 

message 

&CNF [password] START , 

The geofencing master region can be set to an area centred at the present 

location using the message 

&CNF [password] WATCH , 

The area will have the a radius of in meters. Any messages sent 

corresponding to the new master region would include the text specified in 

. 

The Stepp device position can be requested, either for just one time or 

periodically, using the message 

&REQ [password] POS [period] 

The position (an SMS message containing the GPGGA and GPRMC 

NMEA sentences) is returned to the message sender. If no period is given, 

the position is sent once. If a period is given (in seconds), the MSG 

parameter is modified so that the position is sent periodically. If the period 

is set to 0, the periodic messages are stopped. 

To read the Stepp device configuration, send the message 

&REQ [password] CNF 

The Stepp device will respond by a message in the format 

CNF 

where is the device identifier (NAME parameter) and 

contains the system parameters separated by colons. If the 

configuration does not fit in one message, it is sent in several messages. In 

this case, CNF is replaced by CNFxx, where xx is the message index 

starting from 00. In the last message, CNF is replaced by ENDxx. 

The Stepp device can be instructed to start a GSM connection. The device 

will start a data connection if it receives the message 

&REQ [password] CONNECT [number] 


Page 39


If a number is not given, the device will start a data connection to the SMS 

message sender. Changing CONNECT with PHONE1 or PHONE2 will 

cause the device to initiate a listen call or voice call respectively. 


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7 Appendix B 

7.1 Configuration commands - for Falcom STEPP 

In Table B.1 you will find an overview of the commands for SMS remote 

configuration of a Falcom STEPP. 

In Table B.2 you will find an overview of the NMEA commands for remote 

configuration of a Falcom STEPP. 

Please read the corresponded commentary for all configuration commands 

(including SMS and NMEA commands) having (a,b,c,d or f) symbol. The 

command having that symbol are not supported to all Falcom STEPP 

Firmware. 

The SMS and NMEA commands included in the chapters and could not be 

used by Falcom Stepp Configurator software. In order to use them you need 

a Mobile phone SMS-enabled or another terminal software (such as 

HyperTerminal or FalcomSTEPP, where a suitable GSM modem, such as 

the Falcom SWING or a software compatible device (Falcom TANGO, 

Falcom A2D-1), has to be connected to the your PC). 


Page 41


7.1.1 SMS Commands 

All SMS commands have to be sent in uppercase (capital letter) 

otherwise the configuration will not be accepted. 

Commands 

&REQ [PWD] POS n 

&REQ [PWD] POS (a) 

s,fmit,fmat,dmi,dma,smi,s 

ma,Protocol1Protocol2 

&REQ [PWD] CNF 

Description 

Request vehicle position every (n) min. 

If n = 0, only one position request will be started. 

Example l : &REQ password POS 0 

Example 2 : &REQ password POS 5 

Example 3 : &REQ POS 10 

Parameter description (see history parameters) 

s = Min. number of satellite 

fmit = FixMinTime //unit is [s] 

fmat = FixMaxTime //unit is [s] 

dmi = Distance Minimum //unit is [m] 

dma = Distance Maximum //unit is [m] 

smi = Speed Minimum //unit is [km/h] 

sma =Speed Maximum //unit is [km/h] 

Protocol1Protocol2= up to two different protocols can be used 

(e.g. RMCIOP). 

HINT: After the configuration via SMS by 

using this command, the first position from 

the FALCOM STEPP will be sent after 30 sec 

(provided the other parameters are 

implemented). The FALCOM STEPP does not 

evaluate the other parameters before 30 sec. 

are over. (See examples below). 

Configure and request vehicle position every (fmit) sec. 

The fmit parameter has to be ≥ 30 the unit is . 

If fmit < 30, this parameter will be ignored and it will be set to 30 

sec. 

Example l : &REQ password POS 0,0,0,0,0,0,0,RMCIOP 

//polling position, send RMC and IOP protocols 

immediately. 

Example 2 : &REQ password POS 4,0,0,0,50,25,50,RMC 

//polling position, send RMC protocol after 30 

sec, and if the other parameters are implemented. 

Example 3 :&REQ password POS 4,30,0,0,50,25,50, 

RMC // polling position, send only RMC protocol 

after 30 sec, and if the other parameters are 

implemented. 

Example 4 :&REQ password POS 4,60,0,0,50,25,50, 

GGAIOP // polling position, send GGA and IOP 

protocols after 60 sec, and if the other parameters 

are implemented. 

The following protocol types can be used: 

− GGA, GLL, GSA, GSV, RMC, IOP,GSM 

Request vehicle configuration 

Example 1 : &REQ password CNF 

Example 2 : &REQ CNF 

a This new command is available on the FALCOM STEPP with Firmware version 1.05. 


Page 42


&CNF [PWD] UNIT 

Name=Value[:Name=Value] 

...[:Name=Value] 

The below parameter are 

available: 

PIN 

NAME 

RING 

PWD 

PORT1..4 

KEY1..8 

IN1-2 

TEL0..9 

VOL 

LOG 


ACK (c) [=Value] 


GPSRESET (c) [=Value] 


GSMRESET (c) [=Value] 


GSMCALL (c) [=Value] 

Example: 

&CNF password UNIT PIN=1234 

&CNF password UNIT NAME=name 

&CNF password UNIT RING=2 //Ringer melody 2 

&CNF password UNIT PWD=password 

&CNF password UNIT PORT1=Z,1,1 

&CNF password UNIT KEY1=S123456,Alarm Input 1,RMC 

&CNF password UNIT TEL0=+4912345678 

&CNF password UNIT VOL=10,12 

&CNF password UNIT LOG=4,5,3600,0,0,0,0 

&CNF password UNIT IGN=15 

&CNF password UNIT IN1= S123456,Alarm Analogue1,2,3,IOP 

//This command sets the range of values min “2” and max” 

3” on Analogue input 1. If Analogue 1goes out of range (2 

or 3), an alarm SMS “Alarm Analogue1” will be 

transmited to the ”123456” target mobile phone with 

attached GPIOP value protocol (for more details, please 

read carefully chapter 3.2.3.1.4 Fehler! Verweisquelle 

konnte nicht gefunden werden.). 

It is possible to combine several parameters: 

Example 1 : &CNF passwort UNIT TEL1=S123:VOL=7,10 

(TEL1 123 is saved at the position 1 of the autorized list. The flag 

S is for SMS.) 

A phone number can be deleted from the authorized list by 

sending the command below. 

Example 3 : &CNF passwort UNIT TEL1 

After the command is accepted the SEPP delate the phone 

number which is saved at the position 1. 

Example: 

&CNF password UNIT ACK=0 //confirmation SMS is disabled. 

&CNF password UNIT ACK=1 // confirmation SMS is enabled. 

Example: 

&CNF password UNIT GPSRESET=3 // the GPS core will be reset 

every 3 minutes, if no satellites are in view. 

Example: 

&CNF password UNIT GSMRESET=2 // the GSM core will be 

reset afer 2 minutes, if no data can be received from STEPP device via 

data connection. 

Hint: The countdown starts after receiving “Connect 9600 ...” 

and no data can be transmitted. 

Example: 

&CNF password UNIT GSMCALL=10 // when a data connection is 

established and message “Connect 9600” is received, the Falcom 

STEPP waits additionally 10 seconds before it sends the pre-defined 

protocols. 

c This new command is available on the FALCOM STEPP with Firmware version 1.4. 





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&CNF [PWD] UNIT MSG 

= , 

s,fmit,fmat,dmi,dma,smi,s 

ma,Protocol1Protocol2 

&CNF [PWD] NAME 

Name 

&CNF [PWD] PASS 

Password 

&CNF [PWD] KEY 

[[Flag]Target telephone 

number, [Alarm text], 

[Protocol1Protocol2] 

KEY1..4 – Alarm input 1..4 

KEY5 – not supported 

KEY6 - not supported 

KEY7 – Vehicle battery 

KEY8 – Ignition (Clip 15) 

at ignition lock 

protocol types 

-GGA, GLL, GSA, GSV, 

RMC, IOP, GSM 

Parameter description (see history parameters) 

Flag = Denotes the type of alarm which will be sent. 

Tel = Target phone number 

s = Min. number of satellite 

fmit = FixMinTime //unit is [s] 

fmat = FixMaxTime //unit is [s] 

dmi = Distance Minimum //unit is [m] 

dma = Distance Maximum //unit is [m] 

smi = Speed Minimum //unit is [km/h] 

sma =Speed Maximum //unit is [km/h] 

Protocol1Protocol2= up to two different protocols can be used 

(e.g. RMCIOP). 

You can configure your Falcom STEPP via SMS (Example 

1) to send its positions (GPS protocols) to the target 

telephone number, set of the intervals (fmit, fmat). 

The flag can be also another target phone number 

(Example 2). The Falcom STEPP will transfer its GPS 

protocols (RMCIOP) to the (0125156105) user. 

Example 1: &CNF [PWD] UNIT MSG 

=S132345678,4,60,0,0,0,0,0,RMCIOP //The 

protocols GPRMC & GPIOP will be transmitted 

periodically every 60 seconds to the destination 

number 132345678, if the number of satellites in view 

is at least 4. 

Example 2: &CNF [PWD] UNIT MSG 

=S0125156105,4,60,0,0,0,0,0,RMCIOP // The 

protocols will be transferred via SMS to the given 

number. 


GGA, GLL, GSA, GSV, RMC, IOP,GSM 

To stop transfering of protocols the command below is to be sent 

to Falcom STEPP: 

&REQ POS 0 

or 

&CNF UNIT MSG (without parameters) 

Give the target device a name 

Example 1 : &CNF password NAME MyCar1 

Example 2 : &CNF NAME MyCar2 

Define a password for the target device 

Example 1 : &CNF password PASS PasswordNew 

Example 2 : &REQ PASS PasswordNew 

(Example 2 – if no password has been defined yet) 

Please note that if an SMS password is enabled, NMEA sentences 

starting with $PSRF108 are not accepted via SMS. 

Flag: 

- S – SMS – Only an alarm SMS is sent. 

- A – Alarm call – An alarm call is established in case of an alarm 

- V – Voice call – A voice call is established in case of an alarm. 

- D –Data call – A data call is is established in case of an alarm. 

Target Telephone number: 

Telephone number where the alarm is to be sent to 

Alarm text: 

− 

This text is sent as an alarm SMS to the target telephone 

number. 


− GGA, GLL, GSA, GSV, RMC, IOP, GSM 

Example 1 : &CNF password KEY0 S123,Alarm1,GGARMC 

Example 2 : &CNF KEY3 V123 

Example 1 : &CNF KEY7 S123,Alarm1,RMC 


Page 44


&CNF [PWD] KEY 

[[Flag]Target telephone 

number, [Alarm text], 

[Protocol1Protocol2],[Active] 

KEY1..4 – Alarm input 1..4 

KEY5 – not supported 

KEY6 - not supported 

KEY7 – Vehicle battery 

KEY8 – Ignition (Clip 15) 

at ignition lock 

protocol types 

-GGA, GLL, GSA, GSV, 

RMC, IOP, GSM 

&CNF [PWD] PORT 

Flag[,Time1][,Time2] 

&REQ [PWD] CONNECT 

 

Parameter: Target phone 

number 

&REQ [PWD] PHONE1 

 

&REQ [PWD] PHONE2 

 

&REQ [PWD] 

START (b) Lat Lon 

Flag: 

- S – SMS – Only an alarm SMS is sent. 

- A – Alarm call – An alarm call is established in case of an alarm 

- V – Voice call – A voice call is established in case of an alarm. 

- D –Data call – A data call is is established in case of an alarm. 

Target Telephone number: 

Telephone number where the alarm is to be sent to 

Alarm text: 

− This text is sent as an alarm SMS to the target telephone 

number. 


− GGA, GLL, GSA, GSV, RMC, IOP, GSM 

The following configuration can be done: 

1 ► LOW to HIGH //active 

2 ► HIGH to LOW //active 

3 ►( LOW to HIGH) and (HIGH to LOW) //active 

Example 1 : &CNF password KEY1 S123,Alarm1,GGARMC,1 

Example 1 : &CNF password KEY2 S123,Alarm1,RMC,2 

Example 1 : &CNF password KEY3 S123,Alarm1,RMC,3 

Flag: 

− E = Port ON 

− A= Port OFF 

− I = Port ON for [Time1] sec.(impulse) 

− Z= Port periodically ON/OFF 

for [Time1] ON and for [Time2] OFF 

Example 1 : &CNF password PORT1 Z,1,1 

Example 2 : &CNF PORT1 A // Port1 OFF 

Example 3 : &CNF PORT1 E // Port1 ON 

Example 4 : &CNF PORT1 I,5 // Port1 ca. 5sec. ON (if Port1 was 

off) or Port1 ca. 5sec OFF (if Port1 was ON) 

Initiates a return call from the device as a data call and transfers 

the set GPS protocols (Example 1, 2). 

The target phone number can be also other receiver (Example 3). 

The Falcom STEPP will transfer its GPS positions to the 

(0221345789) user. 

Example 1 : &REQ password CONNECT 1234567 

Example 2 : &REQ CONNECT +491234567 

Example 3 : &REQ password CONNECT 0221345789 

Initiates a return call from the device as an alarm or voice call. 

Example 1 : &REQ password PHONE2 //callback 

Example 2 : &REQ PHONE1 12345 // Alarm call 

Example 3 : &REQ PHONE2 12345 // Voice call 

This command resets the GPS receiver and GSM engine of the 

FALCOM STEPP. 

Example 1 : &REQ password START 

The user can also use the folowing command with defined latitude 

and longitude (if the user knows the FALCOM STEPP coordinates) 

for a quick position fix. 

Example 2 : &REQ password START 50.70 10.98 

50.70 → Latitude (unit is ) 

10.98 → Longitude (unit is ) 

b This new command is available on the FALCOM STEPP with Firmware version 1.0.5. 


Page 45


&CNF UNIT (c) 

GEO01= 

RegionName, 

Region ID, 

Lattitude UL, 

Longitude UL, 

Latitude LR, 

Longitude LR, 

AlarmType 

Parameter description: 

GEO01 - String, which determines an area. The first three 

characters are predefined (constant string), the 

last two digits have to be added. Up to 99 areas 

are 

possible. 

RegionName – String, optional region name up to20 characters 

are available. 

Region ID – Optional positive number, which identifies an 

area. It can be same one for different areas which are 

overlapped to each other. 

Lattitude UL – three different formats for Latitude can be used 

(degrees, minutes,secondes or decimal or NMEA 

format). 

Longitude UL – see previous parameter 

Latitude LR - see previous parameter 

Longitude LR - see previous parameter 

AlarmType – 

number, indicate the type of activation(0, 1, 2 are 

possible) 

0 - means the alarm is issued by leaving the 

defined zone. 

1 - means the alarm is issued by entering into the 

defined zone. 

2 - means the alarm is issued by entering and 

leaving the defined zone. (see examples below). 

!!!! Please note that, you have to configure the destination number 

where the SMS alarm should be sent to. This could be done by 

using the command &CNF UNIT 

MSG=S012345678,3,0,0,0,0,0,0,RMCGGA). Finally configure 

the geo-fencing via SMS command as described below. 

Example 1: 

&CNF UNIT 

GEO01=Ilmenau,01,50.69181,10.89674,50.67472,10.94447, 0 

A SMS alarm message is issued, when STEPP enters and leaves 

the pre-defined area. 

Example 2: 

&CNF UNIT 

GEO02=Langewiesen,02,50.68175,10.95133,50.66715,10.98726, 1 

A SMS alarm message is issued, when STEPP enters the predefined 

area. 

Note: If STEPP is pre-configured via SMS (&CNF [PWD] UNIT 

MSG) to deliver SMS periodically, then the STEPP will send 

Messages periodically till it leaves the current area. 

Example 3: 

&CNF UNIT 

GEO03=Manebach,03,50.68505,10.85257,50.67375,10.86674,2 

A SMS alarm message is issued, when STEPP enters and leaves 

the pre-defined area. 



Page 46


&CNF WATCH (c) 

Radius, 

AlarmText 


Radius: Optional positive number, unit is meter. Place 

the vehicle into a restricted square zone, whereby 

the current position (including Latitude and 

Longitude) of the FALCOM STEPP are the 

center of circle and “Radius” is the radius of. 

cycle. 

AlarmText: String, the SMS message which will be sent from 

the FALCOM STEPP terminal to the pre-defined 

call number (see &CNF UNIT MSG). 

Optional, up to 20 character length. 

Example1: 

&CNF WATCH 200,The car is stolen 

This command activate a Master Region. 

A SMS alarm message is issued, if the vehicle fitted with 

FALCOM STEPP moves beyond the pre-defined Master Region 

(with a radius from 200 m). Please note that, if a Master Region is 

activated, the others set areas are deactivated (if previously have 

been activated). 

Example2: 

&CNF WATCH 0 

This command deactivate the Master Region and automatically 

activate the other set areas (if previously have been deactivated). 

Name 

Alarmtext 

Protocol1 

Protocol2 

Table 22: SMS configuration commands and remote request commands 

Received alarm SMS from Falcom STEPP 

[Name(Max40)][Alarmtext(Max 20)] Protocol1 Protocol2 

Configured vehicle name 

Configured alarm text 

configured protocols 


-GGA, GLL, GSA, GSV, RMC, IOP,GSM 

The default delimiter can be replaced with user 

configurable delimiter by setting the DEL parameter to an 

ASCII value (i.e. 32 for space and 13 for CR). 

Example: 

White car AlarmImput1 

$GPRMC,103530.000,A,5040.3986,N,01058.8636,E,0.06,171.45,290903,,*04 

$GPIOP,11000001,00000000,4.82,3.69,4.06*72 

Table B.1: Received alarm SMS from STEPP 



Page 47


7.1.2 Extended NMEA Commands – for FALCOM STEPP only 

Commands 

$PSRF108,parameter= 

value[:parameter= 

value]*XX 

$PSRF109,rawData, 

date,time,*xx 

Description 

Parameter Configuration 

Command format: Parameter=Value 

Separate several parameters with “:” 

Supporting parameters: 

PIN – PIN number of SIM card 

NAME – Vehicle name 

PWD - Password for SMS configuration 

TEL[0-9] – Entry of a telephone number in list of “authorized 

telephone numbers” 

VOL – Volume adjustment for Audio 

LOG – History parameter "numSat,minTime,maxTime, 

minDist,maxDist,minSpeed,maxSpeed" 

KEY[1..8] – Configuration alarm inputs 

Example 1: $PSRF108,PIN=1234:TEL0=012345:CNF*76 

Example 2: $PSRF108,LOG=4,5,3600,0150,000,000,000:VOL=12,14*33 

$PSRF108,KEY1=012345,Alarm 1,RMC*15 

Request history from Falcom STEPP 

rawData : 0 = NMEA Format, 1 = Binary Format 

date = Date in DDMMYY format 

time = Time in HHMMSS format 

$PSRF103 

Commands to switch 

ON/OFF the supported 

NMEA protocols 

Example 1: $PSRF109,0,280103,155811*32 

Request history for 28.Januar 2003 

start time 15:58:11 

Switch OFF/ON NMEA protocols: 

$GPGGA – OFF: $PSRF103,00,00,00,01*24 

$GPGGA – ON : $PSRF103,00,00,01,01*25 

$GPGLL – OFF: $PSRF103,01,00,00,01*25 

$GPGLL – ON : $PSRF103,01,00,01,01*24 

$GPGSA – OFF: $PSRF103,02,00,00,01*26 

$GPGSA – ON : $PSRF103,02,00,01,01*27 

$GPGSV – OFF: $PSRF103,03,00,00,01*27 

$GPGSV – ON : $PSRF103,03,00,01,01*26 

$GPRMC – OFF: $PSRF103,04,00,00,01*20 

$GPRMC – ON : $PSRF103,04,00,01,01*21 


Page 48


$PSRF108, (c) 

GEO01= 

RegionName, 

Region ID, 

Lattitude UL, 

Longitude UL, 

Latitude LR, 

Longitude LR, 

Indicator 

 


GEO01 - String, which determines an area. The first three 

characters are predefined (constant string), the last 

two digits have to be added. Up to 99 areas are 

possible. 

RegionName – String, optional region name up to20 characters can be 

entered. 

Region ID – Optional positive number, which identifies an area. It 

can be the same for different areas which are 

overlapped to each other. 

Lattitude UL – three different formats for Latitude can be used 

(degrees, minutes,secondes or decimal or NMEA 

format). 

Longitude UL – see previous parameter 

Latitude LR - see previous parameter 

Longitude LR - see previous parameter 

Indicator – 

number, indicates the type of activity(0,1,2 are 

possible) 

0- means the alarm is issued by leaving the zone 

1- means the alarm is issued by entering the zone 

2- means the alarm is issued by entering and leaving 

the zone. (see examples below) 

- the string over which the checksum has to be 

calculated. 

Example 1: 

$PSRF108,GEO01=LANGEWIESEN,001,50.68175,10.95133,50.6671 

5,10.98726,0 

A SMS alarm message is issued, when STEPP enters and leaves the 

pre-defined area. 

Example 2: 


5,10.98726,1 

A SMS alarm message is issued, when STEPP enters the pre-defined 

area. 

Note: If STEPP is pre-configured via SMS (&CNF [PWD] UNIT 

MSG) to deliver SMS periodically, then the STEPP will send Messages 

periodically till it leaves the current area. 

Example 3: 


5,10.98726,2 

A SMS alarm message is issued, when STEPP enters and leaves the 

pre-defined area 

Table B.2: Extended NMEA commands 



Page 49

Falcom STEPP Configurator Software instructions

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