Vehicle Tracking System Using GPS and SMS - Mobitek.com.my

Table of Contents 

Vehicle Tracking System Using GPS and SMS 

List of Figures ..................................................................................................................................... 3 

Acknowledgements........................................................................................................................... 4 

Abstract ................................................................................................................................................ 5 

Chapter 1: Introduction .................................................................................................................. 6 

1.1 General Introduction ........................................................................................................ 6 

1.2 Aims and Objectives ............................................................................................................. 7 

1.3 The GPS + GSM modem ..................................................................................................... 8 

1.4 GSM modem ............................................................................................................................ 8 

1.5 System Architecture diagram ............................................................................................ 9 

Chapter 2: Literature Review ...................................................................................................... 10 

2.1 Programming Languages Required ................................................................................ 10 

2.1.1 PHP ................................................................................................................................... 10 

2.1.2 Java Script ..................................................................................................................... 10 

2.2 XAMPP ..................................................................................................................................... 11 

2.3 Adobe Dreamweaver .......................................................................................................... 11 

2.4 ODBC ....................................................................................................................................... 11 

2.5 SMS Engine ........................................................................................................................... 11 

2.6 IntelliTrac X1 Wizard .......................................................................................................... 12 

2.7 No-IP ....................................................................................................................................... 12 

2.8 Google Maps API .................................................................................................................. 12 

Chapter 3: Getting Started .......................................................................................................... 13 

3.1 Step 1: Create a Microsoft Access Database .............................................................. 14 

3.2 Step 2: Configure and Test the SMS Engine Software ............................................ 16 

3.3 Step 3: Configure the ODBC ............................................................................................ 19 

3.4 Step 4: Install, Test and Configure the IntelliTrac X1 ............................................. 21 

3.4.1 Installing the IntelliTrac X1 ...................................................................................... 21 

3.4.2 Testing the IntelliTrac X1 .......................................................................................... 22 

Akila Wajirakumara Page 1


3.4.3 Configuring the IntelliTrac X1 Wizard ................................................................... 23 

3.5 Step 5: Adding the Google Maps API ............................................................................ 25 

Chapter 4: Creating the Online Vehicle Tracking System ........................................................................ 27 

4.1 View Information of all the Vehicles Page ................................................................... 28 

4.2 Locate and Track the Vehicle’s last position Page ..................................................... 29 

4.3 Find Closest Vehicle to your Location Page ................................................................. 31 

4.4 View Complete Vehicle Log Page .................................................................................... 32 

Chapter 5: Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 33 

5.1 Important features of this project .................................................................................. 33 

5.2 Practical Implementations ................................................................................................ 34 

5.3 Future Development ........................................................................................................... 34 

References ........................................................................................................................................ 35 

Appendix ............................................................................................................................................ 36 

Codes .............................................................................................................................................. 36 

Google Maps codes to Locate and Track Vehicle ........................................................... 36 

Functions for Updating the Main Database ..................................................................... 39 


List of Figures 


Figure 1 - IntelliTrac X1 08 

Figure 2 - Q24 08 

Figure 3 - Table containing all the information of the drivers in the database 14 

Figure 4 - Vehicle log of all the drivers in the database 15 

Figure 5 - Configuring SMS Engine 16 

Figure 6 - Starting SMS Engine 17 

Figure 7 - SMS Engine Database 18 

Figure 8 - ODBC Create Data Source 19 

Figure 9 - ODBC Microsoft Access Setup 19 

Figure 10 - ODBC Data Source Administrator 20 

Figure 11 - Installing the IntelliTrac X1 21 

Figure 12 - Setting parameters for Port Settings in Hyper Terminal 22 

Figure 13 - Test Output for X1 on Hyper Terminal 23 

Figure 14 - COM Port Setting in X1 Wizard 23 

Figure 15 - Enter Unit Password to Reboot in X1 Wizard 24 

Figure 16 - Reboot Complete in X1 Wizard 24 

Figure 17 - Communications Setting in X1 Wizard 24 

Figure 18 - Configuring the X1 to Track using X1 Wizard. 25 

Figure 19 - Uploading data into the X1 using X1 Wizard 25 

Figure 20 – Signing up for the Google Maps API Key 26 

Figure 21 – Google Maps API Key 26 

Figure 22 – GPS Modem Table Web Page 28 

Figure 23 – Vehicle Query page prompts Vehicle number 29 

Figure 24 – Vehicle Query page showing the Vehicle’s log 29 

Figure 25 – Vehicle Query page showing the map 30 

Figure 26 – Find closest Vehicle Page prompting user to enter location 31 

Figure 27 – Find closest Vehicle Page Map 32 

Figure 28 – Vehicle Log Page 32 



Acknowledgements 

I would like to thank my supervisor, Dr Lim Wee Gin for his undying support, attention and 

his abundance of guidance which helped me throughout this project. He was most 

understanding and patient with his supervision over my project. 

Mr. Ng Kong Leng, the marketing director of “MOBITEK System Sdn Bhd” for supplying me 

with all the relevant equipments to fulfill my project. Also for the training which gave me a 

good head start on my project, thank you. 

And finally to my family and friends who always believed in my abilities and potential. My 

parents, for all your support and love, thank you all. 


Abstract 


This project deals with an SMS (Short Message Service) enabled vehicle tracking system. 

The heart of this project lies with the use of a GPS + GSM modem which is installed in the 

vehicle and is in charge of tracking the vehicle and sending the coordinates to the GSM 

(Global System for Mobile communication) modem. The GSM modem in the control center 

receives the coordinates via SMS and updates the main database which contains all the 

whereabouts of all the vehicles at specified times. The information is uploaded in a website 

where the vehicle’s position can be located in a map with the aid of the Google Maps 

application. This thesis explores the foundation of GPS, GSM, and all the software related in 

the project; and the use of their concepts to produce a vehicle tracking system which is 

cheaper and more effective than most commercial car tracking features in the market 

today. 



Chapter 1: Introduction 

1.1 General Introduction 

GSM (Global System for Mobile communication) is a cellular network that mobile phones use to 

acquire connectivity in their immediate vicinity. These networks operate in different frequency 

ranges, mainly between 900 MHz and 1800 MHz. It uses a narrowband variation of Time 

Division Multiple Access (TDMA), which allows eight simultaneous calls on the same radio 

frequency. SMS (Short Message Service) is a protocol for sending and receiving text messages 

over GSM networks. The text can comprise of words, numbers or an alphanumeric 

combination. A message can go up to 160 characters of text in length using GSM coding. 

GPS (Global Positioning System) is a satellite based navigation system made up of a network of 

24 satellites placed into the orbit. These satellites transmit coded information which allows us 

to identify locations on earth precisely by measuring the distance from the satellites. The 

Vehicle Tracking System (VTS) also uses GPS to take the location, speed, direction and time data 

via satellite from the Global Positioning System to the GPS + GSM receiver in a vehicle and also 

transmits it to a central computer connected to a private network or the internet. It is an 

electronic device installed in a vehicle to enable the owner or a third party to track the vehicle’s 

location. Most of these systems combine with mobile phones through SMS to communicate the 

vehicle’s location to a remote user. The market for GPS vehicle tracking systems is considered 

as one of the fastest growing markets for GPS applications. There are many levels of 

sophistication, but what all systems have in common is a GPS receiver and software to put the 

tracking results on a map. The Vehicle Tracking System has several applications such as stolen 

vehicle recovery, fleet management, asset tracking, field service management, field sales and 

trailer tracking. 

PHP (Hypertext Pre-processor) is a server-side; HTML embedded scripting programming 

language used to create web pages with dynamic features. In this project it is used for 

designing an online Vehicle Tracking Report. 



1.2 Aims and Objectives 

The aim of this project is to produce an SMS (Short Message Service) enabled vehicle 

tracking system using GPS and SMS. This project is divided into three main parts namely 

the GPS + GSM modem, the GSM modem and the website with the Google Maps 

application. My objectives for this project are 

1. Install the GPS + GSM modem in a vehicle a developing a remote configuration tool. 

2. Connecting the GSM modem to the control center and ensure it receives the 

information sent from the GPS + GSM modem. 

3. Design an online Vehicle Tracking Report which includes a map. 



1.3 The GPS + GSM modem 

The GPS + GSM modem used in this project is the IntelliTrac X1. The modem can function 

as a standalone system once programmed using the IntelliTrac X1 Wizard software. The 

GPS + GSM modem will be the core of this project as it will be used to SMS the coordinates 

of the vehicle’s location at specified time or distance intervals to the GSM modem in the 

control center. There is a SIM card connected to this device. 

1.4 GSM modem 

Figure 1 - IntelliTrac X1 

The GSM modem used in this project is the Q24. This modem is connected to the control 

center where it receives SMS from the GPS + GSM modem and is stored in a Microsoft 

Access Database with the aid of the SMS Engine software. There is a SIM card connected to 

this device as well. 

Figure 2 - Q24 



1.5 System Architecture diagram 

[1] 

IntelliTrac X1 (GPS Terminal) 

Q24 (GSM Modem) 

SMS Engine 

Google Maps Web Application 

• Locate the vehicle 

• Track the vehicle 

• Show GPS report 

Automatically sends out GPS data 

through SMS 

Receive the incoming SMS and insert a 

new record to SMS Engine 

Updates the database and uses Google 

Maps to locate the vehicle 



Chapter 2: Literature Review 

This thesis covers the basis of a Vehicle Tracking System using GPS and SMS.This chapter 

introduces all the theories and information related to this project to aid understanding of the 

other chapters in this thesis. 

2.1 Programming Languages Required 

There are two programming languages, PHP and Java Script which are required to develop 

the Vehicle Tracking System. These programming languages are highly essential for this 

project in order to interact with the Microsoft Access Databases via ODBC to read the 

information and to add the Google Maps API Application. 

2.1.1 PHP 

PHP (Hypertext Pre-Processor) is a widely used general purpose scripting language that is 

especially suited for Web development and can be embedded into HTML. PHP Scripts are 

enclosed within tags (starts with ) and because of that, the 

programmer has the flexibility to jump between HTML and PHP instead of having to rely on 

heavy amounts of code to output HTML. Since PHP is executed on the server, the codes 

cannot be viewed by clients [11]. In addition, PHP can send HTTP headers, set cookies, 

manage authentication and redirect users. It offers excellent connectivity to many 

databases such as Microsoft Access through ODBC and integration with various external 

libraries that let you do everything from generating PDF documents to parsing XML [12]. 

2.1.2 Java Script 

Java Script is a scripting language developed by Netscape to enable Web designers to 

create interactive websites. Despite the name, Java Script is unrelated to the Java 

programming language even though the two of them have superficial similarities; Java 

Script was developed independently. Both these languages use syntaxes influenced by that 

of C syntax, and Java Script copies many Java names and naming conventions. It can 

interact with HTML enabling Web designers to make their websites more interactive with 

dynamic content [13]. 


2.2 XAMPP 


XAMPP is an easy to install Apache distribution that contains MySQL, PHP and Pearl [4]. 

Apache is a freely available web server that is distributed under an open source license and 

XAMPP is a free open source cross-platform web server package. It is used as a web 

development tool to allow web designers and programmers to test their work on their own 

computers without any access to the Internet [5]. In this project, we use XAMPP to test our 

website in PHP before it is hosted on the World Wide Web. 

2.3 Adobe Dreamweaver 

Adobe Dreamweaver is an industry standard website authoring program created by 

Macromedia and now developed by Adobe Systems. It enables users to create fullyfunctional 

websites using both programming code and design view where the user is able to 

see the layout of the page. In this project I used Adobe Dreamweaver to do my PHP coding. 

2.4 ODBC 

Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) refers to a software API (Application Programming 

Interface) for using Database Management Systems (DBMS). ODBC is created to be 

independent of programming languages or operating systems and offers access to different 

database systems [6] via SQL queries. It can be used as an access tool to various databases 

such as Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Text and dBase. Through these Call Level 

Interface (CLI) specifications of the SQL Access group, ODBC allows a neutral way if 

accessing the data stored in personal computers and various databases [7]. ODBC allows us 

to grab information from our Microsoft Access Databases and insert them into our PHP 

codes to be viewed in our website. 

2.5 SMS Engine 

SMS Engine is a part of the SMS Gateway Development Kit (SMS GDK) which is given free 

when the GSM modem was purchased. With SMS Engine, the System Integrator and 

Software Developer (SI/SD) does not need to write any code to write an SMS Gateway. It 

will read and send SMS, with the use of a Microsoft Access database it will store the 

incoming SMS and also check if there is any pending SMS to be sent. The SI/SD only needs 

to insert record into the database to send the SMS and receive record from the database to 

read the SMS. The SMS Engine takes care of all the SMS transactions in this project. 



2.6 IntelliTrac X1 Wizard 

The IntelliTrac X1 Wizard is the software used to program the X1 to send SMS of the 

coordinates of the vehicle’s location at specified intervals to the GSM modem (Q24). It 

records the latitude, longitude, satellite strength, timestamp, heading, altitude, ReportID, 

input and output at the specific location, coverts and compresses into an SMS and sends it. 

The IntelliTrac X1 Wizard enables you to program the X1 to send SMS at different time or 

distance intervals depending on the user’s needs. 

2.7 No-IP 

No-IP is a Dynamic DNS (Domain Name Service) provider for free services. Dynamic DNS is 

a technology that allows the user to update the IP address of a domain in real time. It is 

capable of notifying a domain name server to change for networked devices such as routers 

or computer systems using the Internet Protocol Suite. The active DNS configuration of its 

configured hostnames, addresses or other information are stored in DNS in real time. A 

popular Dynamic DNS application is that it provides a residential user’s Internet gateway 

that has a variable often changing IP address with a well known hostname resolvable by 

network applications through standard DNS queries [8]. No-IP’s Dynamic DNS applications 

allow the user to remotely connect to their computer from work and also run a personal 

website. Once signed up to the No-IP free service at http://www.no-ip.com , it allows the 

user to create a domain to use instead of a hard to remember IP address or URL. 

Additionally it also uses a dynamic update client to keep track of the user’s dynamic IP 

address. Hence the user will always be able to get to their computer even if the user’s IP 

address is dynamically assigned [9]. In this project No-IP is used to host the PHP pages and 

the real time updating Microsoft Access databases in the control center into the World Wide 

Web. 

2.8 Google Maps API 

Google Maps is a free web mapping service application and technology provided by Google 

that powers many map-based Google Maps website, Google Ride Finder and embedded 

maps on third party websites via Google Maps API (Application Programming Interface). An 

API (Application Programming Interface) is a set of routines and/or protocols provided by 

libraries and/or operating system services in order to support the building of the 

applications. Google Maps offers street maps, a route planner, and an urban business 

locator for numerous countries worldwide. Google Earth is a stand-alone program for 

Microsoft Windows and other Operating Systems which is more sophisticated and offers 

more globe-viewing features. Google created the Google Maps API to facilitate web 

developers to integrate Google Maps into their websites with their own data points. It 

embeds Google Maps into your website with Java Script and is currently free of charge. The 

Google Maps API provides a vast number of utilities for manipulating maps, just like in the 

Google Maps website http://maps.google.com and adds content to the map through a 

variety of services. In order to use the Google Maps API, you first need to sign up for an API 

key on http://code.google.com/apis/maps/signup.html which will then allow you to develop 

the map application on your website [1][10]. 



Chapter 3: Getting Started 

This chapter covers all the important steps that have to be carried out in order to start 

designing the PHP website. The steps are as follows. 

Step 1: Create a Microsoft Access Database 

Step 2: Configure and Test the SMS Engine Software 

Step 3: Configure the ODBC 

Step 4: Install, Test and Configure the IntelliTrac X1 

Step 5: Adding the Google Maps API 



3.1 Step 1: Create a Microsoft Access Database 

A main Microsoft Access database is created which contains all the information of all the 

drivers and also a log that contains all the coordinates sent by the IntelliTrac X1 at different 

times. The database has two tables, namely the “GPS_modem” table which contains 

information of all the vehicles that has the X1 device, and the “vehicle_log” table that 

contains a log of all the coordinates sent by the X1. We shall start off by entering fake 

details before connecting the GPS + GSM modem and the GSM modem. 

The fields in the “GPS_modem” table are modem_ID, vehicle_no, date_created, 

vehicle_type, vehicle_desc and #number. 

Figure 3 - Table containing all the information of the drivers in the database 



The fields in the “vehicle_log” table are modem_ID, longitude, latitude, satellite_strength, 

timestamp, speed, Heading, Altitude, ReportID, Input an Output. 

Figure 4 - Vehicle log of all the drivers in the database 



3.2 Step 2: Configure and Test the SMS Engine 

Software 

The Q24 GSM modem is now connected to the control center and the SMS Engine software 

is installed. Firstly it is configured to our requirements and the SIM card number is entered. 

[1] 

Figure 5 - Configuring SMS Engine 

SIM Setting 

SIM Card no: also known as MSISDN 

PIN: to unlock SIM operator depending 

on the number 

Modem 

COM: Enter the port number which the GSM Modem 

is connected to the PC 

Poll: Set how frequent the SMS Engine should 

access the database. If you set it to 3 seconds, then 

the SMS Engine will read incoming SMS, store into 

Inbox and query the Outbox to send out SMS in every 

3 seconds. 

Delivery Status Report: If checked, SMS Engine will 

check for the report for each outgoing SMS. 

Routing: Check “All” to instruct SMS Engine to send 

SMS to all mobile numbers or checked the 

appropriate box to instruct SMS Engine to send out 

SMS selective numbers only. If you set to Maxis 

(012), then the SMS Engine will only send SMS to 

mobile numbers starting with 012 only. 

Direction: Set the GSM modem to 2 way, 1 way 

read only, or 1 way send only. If you set it to 1 way 

read, the SMS Engine will only read incoming SMS 

and will not send out. 



The settings are then saved and then the connection is established by clicking the “Start” 

button. 

[1] 

Incoming Message 

will increase one if 

the SMS Engine 

receive a message 

Sent Message will 

increase one if the 

SMS Engine sent 

out a message 

Figure 6 - Starting SMS Engine 

Fail Message will 

increase one if the 

SMS Engine fail to 

sent out a message 



All the received SMS is automatically saved in a Microsoft Access Database in the same folder as the 

SMS Engine software is installed in the hard disk. 

Figure 7 - SMS Engine Database 

The SMS Engine can be tested by sending it an SMS from a mobile phone. The SMS should 

be displayed in the SMS Engine window as well as in the “Inbox” table in the database. 



3.3 Step 3: Configure the ODBC 

The ODBC has to be configured in order to connect both our databases to our PHP code. 

Setting up an ODBC connection is very simple; the steps are as follows. 

Go to “Control Panel”, click on “Administrative Tools and then click on the “Data Sources 

(ODBC)” icon. Open the “System DSN” tab and click the “Add” button. The following window 

will open. 

Figure 8 - ODBC Create Data Source 

Select “Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb,*.accdb)” and click the “Finish” button. 

Figure 9 - ODBC Microsoft Access Setup 



For the main database type “X1” under “Data Source Name”, then click the “Select” button 

and browse to the location of the database and click “OK”. Repeat the same procedure for 

the SMS Engine database; name it “SMS Engine”. 

After completed, click the “OK” button. 

[1] 

Figure 10 - ODBC Data Source Administrator 



3.4 Step 4: Install, Test and Configure the 

IntelliTrac X1 

3.4.1 Installing the IntelliTrac X1 

Input/Output Cable 

Figure 11 - Installing the IntelliTrac X1 

GSM Antenna 

RS – 232 Cable 

GPS Receiver 



3.4.2 Testing the IntelliTrac X1 

In order to test and configure the IntelliTrac X1, the Hyper Terminal program is setup to 

which the appropriate COM Port is selected which connects the X1 by the RS-232 cable; in 

my case it is COM6. 

The parameters of the Port Settings are then setup as follows 

Bits per second: 57600bps 

Data bits: 8 

Parity: None 

Stop bits: 1 

Flow control: None 

Figure 12 - Setting parameters for Port Settings in Hyper Terminal 

Next, click on “Properties” on the toolbar menu, select the “Settings” tab and click the 

“ASCII Setup” button. Check on the boxes “Send line ends with line feeds” and “Echo typed 

characters locally” and then click “OK”. 



Back to the main screen, please type the “$ST” then press [Enter], if the communication 

has established correctly, the unit should return the message “$ER: =0”as follows. 

Figure 13 - Test Output for X1 on Hyper Terminal 

If there is no response from the IntelliTrac X1, please check with the serial port connection. 

[2] 

3.4.3 Configuring the IntelliTrac X1 Wizard 

Open the IntelliTrac X1 wizard; select the appropriate COM Port and the default Baud Rate 

to 57600bps. The incorrect will lead to unavailable communication between the X1 device 

and the X1 Wizard. 

Figure 14 - COM Port Setting in X1 Wizard 

Turn ON the power in the IntelliTrac X1 and in order to make the connection between the 

device and the X1 wizard, select “Tool” in the menu bar and click on “Reboot”. 

It then prompts a password, enter the default password “0000” and click “OK”. 



Figure 15 - Enter Unit Password to Reboot in X1 Wizard 

Figure 16 - Reboot Complete in X1 Wizard 

Once it has completed rebooting, next click on the “Communication” icon on the left and 

enter the following settings. 

Primary communication type: SMS 

SMS base phone number: Enter the phone number of the GSM modem (Q24) 

CSD base phone number: Enter the phone number of the GPS + GSM modem (X1) 

Figure 17 - Communications Setting in X1 Wizard 

Go to “File” and save it so that this procedure does not have to be carried out the next the 

X1 wizard is opened. 



Next go to Track, select the “Start Function” button configure the X1 to send SMS to any 

specified interval according to your personal requirements. 

Figure 18 - Configuring the X1 to Track using X1 Wizard. 

Click on “Backup Battery” on the left and select “Turn ON backup battery”. This procedure 

can be skipped if there is an alternate method of supplying power to the IntelliTrac X1. 

Once all this is done it is now ready to upload all this information to the device. Select 

“Tool” from the menu bar and click on “Upload”. 

Figure 19 - Uploading data into the X1 using X1 Wizard 

Remove the Serial cable and the power cable; and the X1 is ready to be taken for a drive. 

[3] 

3.5 Step 5: Adding the Google Maps API 



In Order to use the Google Maps API, we need to sign up for the API Key which is found in 

the website http://code.google.com/apis/maps/signup.html 

Figure 20 – Signing up for the Google Maps API Key 

After accepting the terms and conditions and entering the URL, the Key will be automatically 

generated in the next page. 

Figure 21 – Google Maps API Key 

We are now ready to add the Google Maps API into our website. 

Google Maps API Key 



Chapter 4: Creating the Online Vehicle Tracking 

System 

Before the web pages are designed, there is a function that has to be included in the 

beginning of every page. This is the function that updates the main database. Whenever the 

X1 sends and SMS to the Q24, the message is automatically saved into the SMS Engine 

database as a string. Using PHP, this message is broken down into ten different fields 

namely longitude, latitude, timestamp, speed, satellite strength, heading, altitude, 

ReportID, input and output. The database is updated with the use of the timestamp. The 

timestamp the GPS modem gets from the satellite is 8 hours behind. This problem is 

rectified using PHP coding and the new timestamp is being updated. In order to update the 

main database, this new timestamp is converted to seconds. This is done my using a simple 

algorithm where the timestamp is in the format “yyyy-mm-dd H:m:s”. 

Timestamp in seconds = s + (m*60) + (H*60*60) + (dd*24*60*60) + 

(mm*30*24*60*60) + (yyyy*365*24*60*60) 

This calculation is also done using PHP. Next the latest timestamp in the “vehicle_log” table 

in the main database is found and is also converted to seconds. The maximum timestamp in 

seconds in the main database is then compared with the timestamps in seconds in the SMS 

Engine. A PHP function is created to update the main database if the received phone 

number in the SMS Engine database matches with the phone numbers in the main database 

and only if the timestamps in seconds in the SMS Engine database are greater than the 

maximum timestamp in seconds in the main database. This function is included in every 

page in the website. 

The Online Vehicle Tracking System website consists of four pages excluding the index 

page. 

1. View Information of all the Vehicles Page 

2. Locate and Track Vehicle's last position Page 

3. Find Closest Vehicle to your location Page 

4. View Complete Vehicle Log Page 



4.1 View Information of all the Vehicles Page 

This page contains a table of the information of all the drivers that has the IntelliTrac X1. 

This is taken from the “GPS_modem” table in the main database through ODBC. 

Figure 22 – GPS Modem Table Web Page 

In this page it not only shows the table, it also has links on the Vehicle Number to connect 

to the page that shows the particular vehicle’s complete log and also tracks down its five 

latest position on the map. 



4.2 Locate and Track the Vehicle’s last position 

Page 

In this page, the user is prompted to enter their Vehicle Number. Once the Vehicle Number 

is submitted, it will display a table containing the log of the particular and also a map with 

markers added to the five latest positions. 

Figure 23 – Vehicle Query page prompts Vehicle number 

Figure 24 – Vehicle Query page showing the Vehicle’s log 



Figure 25 – Vehicle Query page showing the map 

The balloon shaped marker is the vehicle’s latest position and the crossed markers are the 

next four positions. The blue lines connecting the markers are called polylines which allows 

the user to understand the vehicle’s route more clearly. 



4.3 Find Closest Vehicle to your Location Page 

This page allows the user to key in their desired latitude and longitude and the time period 

in hours. Once this information is submitted, it will automatically calculate that distance of 

the closest vehicle to the location entered along with its timestamp. It also shows the 

position of the vehicle in the map. 

Figure 26 – Find closest Vehicle Page prompting user to enter location 

Figure 27 – Find closest Vehicle Page Map 



When the submit button is clicked after the data is entered, it first creates a table of each 

car’s latest timestamp using an SQL statement in the PHP code and calculates the distance 

between the coordinates and that on the table for each car. These timestamps in the table 

are converted to seconds in the same manner explained earlier in the thesis. The current 

timestamp is created and it is also converted to seconds. The number of hours entered by 

the users is then converted to seconds and is then deducted from the current timestamp in 

seconds. A while loop is created which will then eliminate the information of the vehicles in 

the table whose timestamp is less than the value calculated earlier. From the vehicles that 

are left in the table, the one with the least distance is chosen and displayed on the map. 

4.4 View Complete Vehicle Log Page 

This page contains a table of all the GPS data received from all the vehicles that has the 

IntelliTrac X1. This is taken from the “vehicle_log” table in the main database through 

ODBC. 

Figure 28 – Vehicle Log Page 



Chapter 5: Conclusion 

All the deliverables and objectives were completed. The GPS + GSM modem was configured, 

tested and implemented to track the vehicle’s location and displayed on a map with the aid 

of Google Maps API in the online Vehicle Tacking Report. The IntelliTrac X1 can function as a 

standalone system once the embedded application is transferred into it. The Q24 can 

successfully receive all the GPS data sent by the IntelliTrac through without any delay 

provided there is GSM connectivity in the location of the two parties, the GPS + GSM 

modem and the GSM modem. The control center can automatically update the main 

database each time GPS data is received. The online Vehicle Tracking System is able to 

locate, track and calculate the distance of the closest vehicle available to a desired location 

at any period of time. These equipments and data can only help to a certain extent because 

practical comprehension is more challenging and requires greater analysis with comparison 

to hypothetical understandings. This project has vastly broadened my knowledge about the 

theory of GPS and also improved my programming skills in PHP. During the course of 

completing the project, there were many expediency issues which were added to ensure 

that the product realization is complete, robust and usable for commercialization of this 

system. 

5.1 Important features of this project 

1. GPS + GSM modem can send GPS data to the GSM modem via SMS at user 

desired intervals of time and/or distance. 

2. Ability to track a vehicle’s last five positions and displayed on a map with 

different markers clearly distinguishing their time and location. 

3. Polylines on the map when tracking a vehicle. Polylines are imaginary lines 

connecting the five latest positions in order of time giving a higher approximation 

of the vehicle’s route. 

4. Finding and calculating the distance of the nearest vehicle to a specific location 

entered by the user at given period of time. 



5.2 Practical Implementations 

The Online Vehicle Tracking System can be used in many places like buses, taxis and other 

transporting companies. The following are a few scenarios where the Vehicle Tracking 

System can be really helpful. 

• Fleet Management: When managing a fleet of vehicles, with the ability of finding the 

real-time location of all drivers would allow the management to meet the customer 

need in a more effective manner. Drivers would only need an internet connection to 

track and dispatch the vehicle e.g. Boss said, "I want to know which lorry is closest 

to the pick-up point so that I can call that nearest lorry to pick-up the goods”. 

• Asset Tracking: If a company needs to track valuable assets for monitoring and other 

purposes, it could closely monitor its movement and status on the map. 

• Field Service Management: Companies with a service workforce for services must be 

able to plan the workers’ time, scheduled subsequent customer visits and be able to 

operate efficiently. With vehicle tracking, it allows the companies to quickly locate a 

field engineer and dispatch the closest one to meet a new customer request. 

5.3 Future Development 

The potential of this project can be further explores and improved to its functionality and 

features. The GSM can also send SMS, but this hasn’t been used in this project. This can 

open doors to lot improvements for the Vehicle Tracking System in the commercial world. A 

program can be made where an SMS can be sent from the control center to driver’s mobile 

phone giving him the location of his next destination. An Immobilizer could be connected to 

the X1 which can be programmed to function through SMS where the control center could 

trigger the immobilizer if the driver is violating orders such as speeding or going out of 

track. 

The IntelliTrac X1 has an RF (Radio Frequency) reader output which can be implemented in 

a school bus for example. In this case, each student would have their own RFID cards and 

once a student enters the bus the student’s details can be recorded along with the GPS 

location when the student entered and left. The control center can monitor the student’s 

attendance and where they entered and left the bus. 


References 


[1] Vehicle Tracking System Guide provided by MOBITEK Sdn Bhd. 

[2] IntelliTrac X1 Installation Guide provided by MOBITEK Sdn Bhd. 

[3] X1 Wizard User Manual provided by MOBITEK Sdn Bhd. 

[4] http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp.html 

[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XAMPP#Use 

[6] http://www.ntchosting.com/postgresql/odbc-jdbc-with-php-perl-and-python.html 

[7] http://www.tech-faq.com/odbc.shtml 

[8] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_DNS 

[9] http://www.no-ip.com/services/managed_dns/free_dynamic_dns.html 

[10] http://www.google.com/enterprise/maps/ 

[11] http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/PHP.html 

[12] http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-22_11-5074693.html 

[13] http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/J/JavaScript.html 


Appendix 

Codes 


Google Maps codes to Locate and Track Vehicle 

 

Find Closest Vehicle 

 

 

var UnitID=""; 

var datetime=""; 

var lat=""; 

var long=""; 

var datetime1=""; 

var lat1=""; 

var long1=""; 


var lat2=""; 

var long2=""; 


var lat3=""; 

var long3=""; 


var lat4=""; 

var long4=""; 

function loadEarth() { 

if (GBrowserIsCompatible()) { 

var point; 

var cIcon = new GIcon(); 

cIcon.image = 'cross.png'; 


cIcon.iconSize = new GSize(25,25); 

cIcon.iconAnchor = new GPoint(16,11); 


var map=new GMap2(document.getElementById("map")); 

map.addControl(new GOverviewMapControl()); 

map.enableDoubleClickZoom(); 

map.enableScrollWheelZoom(); 

map.addControl(new GMapTypeControl()); 

map.addControl(new GSmallMapControl()); 

var marker = new GMarker(new GLatLng(lat,long)); 

var marker1 = new GMarker(new GLatLng(lat1,long1),cIcon); 




map.setCenter(new GLatLng(lat,long),17); 

GEvent.addListener(marker, "click", function() { 

map.openInfoWindowHtml(map.getCenter(),("Vehicle No: " + UnitID + "" + "DateTime: 

" + datetime + "" + "Longitude:" + long + "" + "Latitude:" + lat + 

"")); 

}); 

GEvent.addListener(marker1, "click", function() { 


" + datetime1 + "" + "Longitude:" + long1 + "" + "Latitude:" + lat1 + 

"")); 

}); 




"")); 

}); 




"")); 

}); 




"")); 

}); 


} 

map.addOverlay(marker); 

map.addOverlay(marker1); 





map.setCenter(new GLatLng(lat,long), 16); 

map.setMapType(G_SATELLITE_MAP); 

var polyline = new GPolyline([ 

new GLatLng(lat, long), 

new GLatLng(lat1, long1), 

new GLatLng( lat2, long2), 

} 

 

new GLatLng(lat3, long3), 

new GLatLng(lat4, long4) 

], "#3333cc", 10); 

map.addOverlay(polyline); 

 


Functions for Updating the Main Database 


} 

else if ($gpsday==31) 

{ 

} 

case "02": 

break; 

$gpsmnth = "02"; 

$gpsday = "01"; 

if ($gpsyr%4 ==0) 

{ 

} 

else 

{ 

if ($gpsday9 && $gpsday


} 

case "03": 

break; 

} 

$gpsday = $gpsday + 1; 


{ 

} 



} 


{ 

} 

case "05": 

break; 



{ 

} 

case "07": 

break; 



} 

case "09": 

break; 


case "11": 


break; 


} 

else 

{ 

} 

} 

$gpshr = $gpshr; 


$gpsts = "$gpsyr-$gpsmnth-$gpsday $gpshr:$gpsmin:$gpssec"; 

$gpstss = $gpssec + ($gpsmin * 60) + ($gpshr * 60 * 60) + ($gpsday * 24 * 60 * 60) + ($gpsmnth * 

30 * 24 * 60 * 60) + ($gpsyr * 365 * 24 * 60 * 60); 

return $gpstss; 

} 

function gps_to_timestamp($gpst) 

{ 

$gpsyr = substr($gpst, 0, 4); 

$gpsmnth= substr($gpst, 4, 2); 

$gpsday = substr($gpst, 6, 2); 

$gpshr = substr($gpst, 8, 2); 

$gpsmin = substr($gpst, 10, 2); 

$gpssec = substr($gpst, 12, 2); 

$gpshr = $gpshr + 8; 

if ($gpshr=24) 

{ 

$gpshr = $gpshr - 24; 

if ($gpshr


{ 

} 


$gpsday = "0$gpsday"; 

else if ($gpsday>9 && $gpsday


} 

case "03": 

break; 



{ 

} 





} 






} 



{ 

} 

case "11": 

break; 


} 

else 

{ 

} 

} 



{ 

} 

$gpshr = $gpshr; 

break; 

$gpsmnth = "01"; 

$gpsday = "01"; 

$gpsyr = $gpsyr + 1; 

$gpsts = "$gpsyr-$gpsmnth-$gpsday $gpshr:$gpsmin:$gpssec"; 

return $gpsts; 

} 

function timestamp_to_second($ts) 

{ 

$yyyy= substr($ts, 0, 4); 

$mm= substr($ts, 5, 2); 

$dd= substr($ts, 8,2); 

$hr= substr($ts, 11, 2); 

$min= substr($ts, 14,2); 

$sec= substr($ts,17, 2); 

$tss = $sec + ($min * 60) + ($hr * 60 * 60) + ($dd * 24 * 60 * 60) + ($mm * 30 * 24 * 60 

* 60) + ($yyyy * 365 * 24 * 60 * 60); 

} 

return $tss; 

function 

add_log_entry($modem_id,$longitude,$latitude,$sattelite_str,$timestamp,$speed,$heading,$altitude, 

$report_id,$input,$output) 

{ 

$query = "INSERT INTO 

vehicle_log(modem_ID,longitude,latitude,sattelite_strength,[timestamp],speed,Heading,Altitude,Rep 

ortID,Input,Output) 

values 



('$modem_id','$longitude','$latitude','$sattelite_str','$timestamp','$speed','$heading','$altitud 

e','$report_id','$input','$output')"; 

$dbc = odbc_connect("X1","",""); // Trying to establish connection with database 

if (!$dbc) 

{ 

exit("Connection failed:".$dbc); 

} 

$rs = odbc_exec($dbc,$query); 

odbc_close($dbc); 

} 

function get_modem_id_for_number($number) 

{ 

$query = "SELECT modem_ID FROM GPS_modem WHERE `#number` = '$number'"; 


if (!$dbc) 

{ 


} 


if (!$rs) 

{ 

exit("Error in SQL. ".$rs); 

} 

$result = odbc_result($rs,1); 

return $result; 


} 

function get_latest_timestamp_in_db() 

{ 


if (!$dbc) 

{ 


} 



$query = "SELECT TOP 1 timestamp FROM vehicle_log order by timestamp desc"; // SQL 

Statement 


if (!$rs) 

{ 

exit("Error in SQL. ".$rs); 

} 

while (odbc_fetch_row($rs)) 

{ 

} 

$ts = odbc_result($rs, "timestamp"); 

$yyyy= substr($ts, 0, 4); 

$mm= substr($ts, 5, 2); 

$dd= substr($ts, 8,2); 

$hr= substr($ts, 11, 2); 

$min= substr($ts, 14,2); 

$sec= substr($ts,17, 2); 

$tss = $sec + ($min * 60) + ($hr * 60 * 60) + ($dd * 24 * 60 * 60) + ($mm * 30 * 24 * 60 

* 60) + ($yyyy * 365 * 24 * 60 * 60); 

return $tss; 


} 

function get_message_and_number() 

{ 

$dbc = odbc_connect("SMSEngine","",""); // Trying to establish connection with database 

if (!$dbc) 

{ 


} 

$query = "SELECT message,mobile FROMInbox"; 


$i=1; 

while (odbc_fetch_row($rs)) 

{ 

$message = odbc_result($rs, "Message"); 


} 


$mobile = odbc_result($rs, "Mobile"); 

$message_exploded = explode(',',$message); 

for($j=0;$j

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