When did everything get so complicated?

How tough is it to track usage of your PTO and Auxiliary Equipment? It’s easier than you think.

No, you do not need the exact matching diagnostic connector for your equipment. No, you do not need to pay extra for a science project to reverse-engineer data from a 9-pin or 6-pin J-Bus connector or a Caterpillar, or Deere, or the PTO manufacturer.

Instead, all you need is PowerSense™ from Momentum IoT!

 

What PowerSense™ Does

PowerSense™ enables the Momentum Eagle 1 tracking device to record when an electrically switched system is turned on or off. It captures an event each time that system’s switch is opened or closed. This enables you to track and get notified when auxiliary equipment is used.

 

Types of Equipment PowerSense™ Tracks

PowerSense™ can be used for various actuators and motors for tow arms, lift gates, pumps, buckets, etc., and lights or alarms such as door switches, interior lights, sirens, light bars, etc. For additional uses, click here: https://momentumiot.com/plugins/powersense/

 

How PowerSense™ Info is Displayed in Fleet Management Applications

1. On/Off text/email/application notifications which you set up in Monitors.
2. On any trip, you can drill down to see where equipment was turned on/off.
3. In Reports, we provide usage reports which show the duration of electrical impulse on the PowerSense™ line.
4. In many other places throughout the software.See below for some instances of PowerSense™ info in our software:

 

PowerSense™ Wiring Instructions

PowerSense™ relies on a 3rd wire installation. You get our 12-volt or OBD cable, and install those normally. (OBD goes to diagnostic port, and 12-volt direct to battery.)

Then, wire the white external wire into the circuit of your desired equipment. We recommend wiring to indicator lights, relays, or switches.

PowerSense™ Electrical Trigger Events

Our Eagle 1 device records a PowerSense™ event when there is an electrical current on the circuit. NOTE: this is not a message from your asset’s diagnostic port. There are other products on the market which need to be connected to a diagnostic port to work. Momentum’s PowerSense™ is designed to work broadly on any equipment where the electrical impulse is used, and no diagnostic signal is required. We are not limited by port type, or manufacturer codes, etc.

 

Using PowerSense™ to Verify Service

In most situations, you can zoom in to any Asset History and know when equipment was engaged, and when it was disengaged. For example, if you have a snowplow on 14th Street, you can see the moment the snowplow was lowered, and you can see when it was lifted. You can use the Asset History to determine if 14th Street was plowed. NOTE: with some equipment, there is no continuous electrical impulse when it is being used, so we don’t have reporting of “in use” times for that equipment. Reporting depends on the specifics of the equipment you deploy.

 

Using PowerSense™ to help you identify in-service hours

For equipment where there is continuous impulse, you can see total equipment utilization and then use that to determine if equipment needs service. In cases where there is no continuous electrical impulse, PowerSense™ will not provide total equipment usage levels, though other signals such as trips/mileage, coupled with on/off signals may prove useful.

 

Some great uses of PTO/Auxiliary Equipment tracking:

• • Operating a garbage truck compactor
• • Waste collection truck arm picks up a trash can
• • Lifting/lowering the winch on a tow truck
• • Turning a siren on and off in an ambulance
• • Operating the water pump on a fire engine
• • Snow plow up/down usage
• • Raising the bed of a dump truck
• • Operating the boom on a bucket truck
• • Running a truck mounted hot water extraction machine used for carpet cleaning

 

PowerSense™ Limitations

We’re absolutely sure there are use cases and equipment which cannot be addressed by a simple wire which tells when there’s an electrical impulse to a switch. If you have a use case which this product just can’t address, please go ahead and work with the telematics providers out there who have built the solution to fit your needs. However, if you are open to working within the limits of simple electrical impulses, for a price which gives you great value, let’s talk.