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SpartanLync Tools (MyGeotab App Integration) - Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q)

Where do Timestamps in SpartanLink Tools come from?

The Geotab GO device in a vehicle has an internal clock that is syncronized with the MyGeotab network.

When sensor data from the SpartanLink ECU is received by the Geotab GO device, that data is stamped with a timestamp in UTC and stored in the Geotab network.

For Reports and Status updates, SpartanLync Tools retrieves all sensor data from the Geotab network as UTC, converts it to the users timezone (as defined in settings) and then displays it.

Other than TPMS and TempTrac Sensor Data, the SpartanLink ECU also transmits to the Geotab GO device it's "ECU Device ID" Number every 10 seconds. This Device ID is also timestamped in UTC and displayed by SpartanLync Tools to help identify the vehicle is connected correctly and active.

What is the SpartanLync "ECU Device ID" Number?

The SpartanLync "ECU Device ID" Number is a 6-digit combination of letters and numbers printed on the outside cover of every SpartanLync ECU device, which is physically connected to a Geotab GO device within a vehicle.

Why is the "ECU Device ID" Number Important?

The ECU Device ID is communicated to Geotab every time the Vehicle Ignition occurs. Therefore seeing this ID in SpartanLync Tools indicates a working SpartanLync / Geotab Installation and connection.

This ECU Device ID will appear in the SpartanLync Tools App AFTER;

1. Ensuring the SpartanLync ECU device and the Geotab GO device are physical connected
2. Turning on the vehicle ignition and hearing a beep from the SpartanLync ECU device, indicating a successful power connection
3. Waiting up to a max of 5 minutes
4. Launching SpartanLync Tools App or refreshing the Vehicle list by clicking the Vehicle "Refresh" button.

Look for this ID within the SpartanLync Tools App, beside a Geotab Vehicle name "e.g. 2022 (0012AB)" in the Vehicle List (where 2022 would be the Geotab Vehicle Name and 0012AB is the SpartanLync ECU Device ID).

If you do not see a SpartanLync ECU Device ID beside the Geotab Vehicle name, that means that according to the Geotab network, an SpartanLync ECU has not yet been plugged into a Geotab GO device AND TURNED ON via vehicle ignition WITHIN a defined time range (default 24 hours) shown in the SpartanLync Tools App Settings "Device ID Search Range"

To resolve, follow the steps explained above OR change the "Device ID Search Range" setting to 48 or 96 hours, and then click the vehicle "Refresh" button to search within the last 2 to 4 days respectively for a Vehicle ignition occurrence with correctly installed hardware.

Additionally, an asterisk symbol (*) beside the ECU Device ID in the Vehicle List indicates SpartanLync Tools at some time in the past found ECU Device ID "00209F" for vehicle "Lab Rat 4 - GORUGGED" and remembered it, BUT DID NOT find that ECU Device ID on the last Vehicle Refresh within the defined "Device ID Search Range", e.g. the last 24 hours from starting the SpartanLync Tools App.

This makes the asterisk symbol (*) a very helpful diagnostic tool to identify whether the ECU is communicating correctly right now with its paired GO device on that vehicle.

How frequently does the SpartanLink ECU send data to a connected Geotab GO device?

After vehicle ignition, the Geotab GO device will receive the "ECU Device ID" Number within the first 2.3 seconds. TPMS and TempTrac Sensor Data will then be received within 21 to 41 seconds of ignition about 70% of the time and up to 81 seconds in the worst cases.

During normal operation the SpartanLink ECU transmits to the Geotab GO device it's "ECU Device ID" Number every 10 seconds, but the storage of data to the Geotab network and retrieval by SpartanLync Tools is dependent on the Go Device Plan and its "Curve Logic" communications algorithm.

When the GO device is programmed for periodic wake-up (customizable, but defaults to 5 minutes), its the IOX cable and therefore the attached SpartanLink ECU is powered up for a fixed duration of 90 seconds before being powered down again. This cycle will repeat when period wake-up is enabled. During this wake-up time, the SpartanLink ECU transmits data to the GO device as explained earlier.

Why is the "ECU Device ID" Number found ONLY after 48 hours WHILE Sensor data was found for today?

This is very common behavior that will be seen often, especially in a 3-wire harness installation, like a 24/7 Reefer solution.

The Geotab GO telematics device will report:

• Sensor Data every 2/3 minutes when the vehicle is STATIONARY (or less when vehicle is MOVING) and the data has changed.
• ECU Device ID on IGNITION of vehicle.

Therefore you can expect to get much more frequent sensor readings reported than transmissions of the ECU Device ID, especially in a 3-wire harness situation where the YELLOW ignition wire is not disconnected very often; leaving you to have to search longer in SpartanLync Tools for a ECU Device ID reported.

In a vehicle, this means that;

1. The vehicle is stationary with a long or infinite standby power and the ignition off (configurable as custom parameter or the MyGeotab setting shown below)
2. or a vehicle has been moving or idling non-stop without being turned off for over 24 hours.

You would have to research further about the installation in that situation to find out which of the above scenarios is true.

In Sensor Reports, why is the timestamp for the TempTrac Zone 1 sensor different than timestamp for the Zone 2 sensor?

This is a very common occurrence as Zone 1 and Zone 2 TempTrac sensors are completely independent.

TempTrac and TPMS sensors each report to the ECU on a 10 second interval, at arbitrarily different start times.

The ECU will then report these sensor readings to the Geotab GO device, at which time the Go device will add a timestamp for each sensor reading. Next, (1) If that reading is different enough from the prior reading by that same sensor, OR (2) the GO device is configured to report to MyGeotab on its own Interval, then the last readings for each sensor is forwarded to MyGeotab for storage in a database.

These readings are stored in a universal UTC timestamp, but reported by SpartanLync Tools in the users configured timezone.

In summary, all of these timing / reporting factors by SENOR/ECU/GO-DEVICE means that there is ABSOLUTELY NO GUARANTEE that readings for sensors will sync up to the same timestamp. In fact, its much more likely that the timestamps will be different based on environmental factors affecting the temperature reading for each sensor and the interval the sensor will report those environmental readings. So the staggering of timestamp readings for each zone in reports is completly individualized and normal.