Technician guide: Equipment Asset Tracker - Wired (for Reveal)

This installation guide provides comprehensive "before you get started" information. It is intended for the professional installer who is not yet familiar with installing this specific device or may need a review of such knowledge. Installers already well-versed in the installation of this specific device may opt to proceed to the Reveal Hardware Installer app and follow the process outlined there.

In this article:

• Product overview
  • Identifying the EAT device
  • Device label
  • Status button
  • Status LEDs
• What to bring
• What's in the box
• Reveal Hardware Installer App
• Wiring the device
• Mounting the device

Product overview

The Equipment Asset Tracker (EAT) is designed by Verizon Connect and replaces the CalAmp TTU-2830. The EAT device offers:

• I/O leads for 2 digital sensor inputs and 1 digital output.
• Long life backup battery.
• Optimized internal antenna design for improved signal reception.
• Status button that wakes the device, initiates the status test, and prompts the device to send a report.
• LED status indicators for Battery, Network, and GPS.
• 2-wire or 3-wire installation options.

Identifying the EAT device

Be aware the EAT and EAT-B look similar to one another. This installation guide deals with the EAT device which has an integrated I/O power harness attached.

Device label

The label with S/N and IMEI barcodes is found on the side of the device, which allows it to be read even after mounting. You will scan the label when instructed in the Reveal Hardware Installer app, or if the scan should fail, enter the IMEI. The text on the device label is small, so if difficult to read, you can refer to the enlarged label found on the box that came with the device. The box label is also scannable.

Status button

In the Reveal Hardware Installer app, as you go through the installation steps, you will be instructed to press the device's status button before mounting the device. This will activate and test the device.

1. Hold the device in the mounting location.
2. Press the status button firmly for 1-3 seconds to wake the device.*
   • Avoid pressing the status button for too long because this can put the device in Bluetooth pairing mode. Bluetooth features are not currently supported in the device. If you put the device in Bluetooth pairing mode, wait about 30 seconds until the Bluetooth LED stops flashing and then press the status button for 1-3 seconds to restart the network check.
3. Press the status button again to start the status check.
4. Check the status LEDs. (See table in Status LEDs section below.)

*Note for earlier models

If your tracker's HW Rev is "A.11" or lower on the device label, you need to apply additional force to press the status button.

Instead of using only your finger, use a capped pen at an angle to press the bottom edge of the button for 1-3 seconds to wake the device.

If powering up the device for the first time, two presses may be needed. The first press to wake the device, and the second press to start the network status check.

Status LEDs

The device runs a status test for Battery, Network, and GPS whenever the status button is pressed. Status test results are displayed on the status LEDs as described below. The LEDs stay lit only for a brief duration. However, the test can be repeated by pressing the status button again, which is useful for determining the best place on the asset to mount the device.

Icon	Name	Status
	Battery	1 flash = 10 - 25% full 2 flashes = 25 - 50% full 3 flashes = 50 - 75% full 4 flashes = 75 - 100% full
	Network	Slow flash: device is seeking network Solid: network connection acquired
	GPS	Slow flash: device is seeking GPS. It does not indicate fail/success status. Check Live Map in Spotlight app or Reveal to confirm location reporting.
	Bluetooth	At this time, the device does not support customer accessible Bluetooth features. If the status button is pressed longer than 3 seconds, the device will bypass the network test and go into Bluetooth pairing mode. If Bluetooth pairing mode is turned on: 1. wait for the Bluetooth LED to go out and 2. Press the status button for a shorter duration (1-3 seconds) to restart the network check.

What to bring

• Cordless drill with metric and standard bits. For mounting hardware sizes, see What's in the box.
• Safety glasses or other eye protection
• Marker for marking where holes will be drilled
• If drilling a pass-through hole, a grommet and silicone to seal the grommet. (Use a polyurethane-based silicone instead of those with acid-based curing agents to avoid corroding metal surfaces).
• Heat shrink ring terminals
• Heat shrink butt connectors
• Protective wire loom
• Dielectric grease
• Super 33 or better electrical tape
• 16-18-gauge wire to extend connections, if needed
• Wire ties
• The Reveal Hardware Installer App

What's in the box

• EAT Device with attached 15 ft (4.5m) harness
• 4 x self-drilling screws for metal: standard 5/16-inch (8mm) hex head, number 12 size, 1 inch (25mm) long
  
  
• 4 x bolts: Serrated-flange 5/16-inch (8mm) hex head, 10-32 thread, 1 ¼ inch long, .19-inch screw width
  
  
• 4 x locknuts 3/8-inch (9.5mm) head
  
  
• 4 x washers, flat type
  
  

Always get permission before you drill, and look to make sure you will not damage any adjacent equipment or OSHA required certified ROPS structures. Refer to the ROPS identification help article for more information about identifying ROPS structures.

Depending on where the device is to be mounted, you may use the provided screws or the bolts with lock nuts and washers to mount the device. If using the screws or bolts, pre-drilling the holes may make the task easier. Based on the application, zip ties VHB tape may also be used to mount the device.

• If you are unable to determine what parts makeup the manufacturer defined ROPS structure reasonable efforts should always be made to mount devices in locations where the device can be secured using zip ties and VHB tape.
  • Use at least two 1-inch (25mm) wide strips of VHB tape placed down the full length of the edges of the asset tracker's longest side.

Device configuration

If the EAT device is installed using a 2-wire connection, set it to a 2-wire configuration as follows:

1. Get the device Serial Number (see Device label).
2. Contact the Technician Support Line and supply the device Serial Number.
3. Request that the device be set to a 2-wire configuration.
   At this time, an EAT device 2-wire or 3-wire configuration setting can only be set through Technician Support.

Reveal Hardware Installer App

The Reveal Hardware Installer App replaces the VZ Check App.

Download the Reveal Hardware Installer app from either Google Play Reveal Hardware Installer for Android or the App Store Reveal Hardware Installer for iOS.

Using the Reveal Hardware Installer App, prior to mounting the device on the asset, you will:

1. Select the work order and then scan the device barcode or enter the device ESN.
   
   
2. Select Multi PWRD Asset Devices from the list. (Note that the selection applies to all asset trackers, for powered or non-powered assets.)
   
   
3. Test the device for network connectivity and GPS location fix. (See sections on Status Button and Status LEDs).
4. Select the wiring method (2-wire or 3-wire). (See Wiring the device.)
5. Enter the asset information.
6. Wire and mount the device to the asset. (See Mounting the device.) After wiring and before mounting, press the status button again to confirm the Network and GPS LEDs light up when the device is wired.
7. Complete device setup and activation.

At this time, an EAT device 2-wire or 3-wire configuration setting can only be set through Technician Support.

Wiring the device

This section covers the following topics:

• Device harness wiring layout
• Wiring best practices
• Wire splicing
• 2-wire versus 3-wire installation
• 2-wire installation steps
• 2-wire installation for nose-mounted semi-trailers using a 7-way connector
• 3-wire installation steps
• 3-wire Installation for reefer trailers
• Connecting to digital input/output sensors

Device harness wiring layout

The EAT device has a molded 15.4 ft (4.7m) long power and I/O harness terminating with these color-coded wires with bare leads:

• The 1-Wire I/O wire will not be used at launch but is planned for a later phase.
• The three black ground wires are twisted together at the exposed end, giving the appearance of being one wire.

The device harness includes two weather-proof fuse holders, each holding a 3A mini-blade replaceable fuse. Therefore, there is no need to splice in any fuses during installation. Replacement fuses, if needed, can be purchased from any auto-parts store. The fuses are located on the device’s red VDC power wire and white ignition wire.

Wiring Best Practices

To prevent chafing, run the harness cable through a pass-through hole, using existing holes to pass the cable through rather than drilling a new one. If drilling is necessary, always check before you drill to verify you are not drilling into anything unintended behind the drilling surface. Insert a grommet, that is the right size and type for the hole, into the newly drilled hole to protect the wire and seal with all-weather silicone as necessary.

Because the device and its wires will usually be exposed to the elements, heat-shrink butt connectors and ring terminals should be used instead of splicing wires. These connectors are preferred instead of splicing, even when wires will not be exposed to the elements, as being much better at preventing air and moisture from reaching wires and causing corrosion.

Heat-shrink butt connector:

Heat-shrink ring terminal:

In addition, create a drip loop to prevent moisture from running down the length of the wire toward devices and connections.

Wire splicing

If for some reason using butt connectors and ring connectors is not practical, and if wires will not be exposed to the elements (for example, wires lying internally within the asset’s cab) any splicing should be done by using the standard "poke and wrap" technique.

1. Remove approximately one inch of wire insulation.
2. Split the wire in half making an oval and push the wire to be terminated through that hole.
   
   
3. Press the wire back together then wrap the excess newly inserted wire tightly around it.
4. Wrap the new splice with Super 33 or better electrical tape.
5. Apply two wire ties to the splice. The first goes over the splice and the other approximately one inch down the line of splice.
   
   

2-wire versus 3-wire installation

Determine whether you are doing a 2-wire or 3-wire installation. The Reveal Hardware Installer app will ask you to select one or the other. The 2-wire method is typically used on trailers while the 3-wire method is typically used on heavy equipment "yellow iron" assets such as backhoes and bulldozers.

2-Wire installation steps

1. Connect the device’s red wire to the asset’s +12/24V constant power source.
2. Use a ring terminal to connect the device’s Black Ground wire to the asset’s negative battery terminal or use a self-tapping screw and a ring terminal to connect the device’s black ground wire to a chassis ground.
3. Coil up and zip tie any extra length of the device harness. Do not cut the harness to shorten it, as doing so limits the device’s usability if transferred to another asset in the future, and also increases the chance of making an error with wiring.

2-Wire installation for nose-mounted semi-trailers using a 7-way connector

1. Remove the 7-pin connector’s mounting plate.

2. Mount the unit to the trailer using provided mounting hardware.

3. Use an existing pass-through hole or, if one is not available to use, drill a new pass-through hole into the trailer skin. If it’s a new hole, pull the harness through a grommet.

4. Push the harness end down the interior side of the trailer wall toward the 7-way connector.

   • If it will be necessary for the harness to pass through, clip off the preinstalled fused links from the device harness.

   • Make a drip loop in the harness to prevent condensation from running towards electrical connections.

   • If a grommet is used, insert it into the pass-through hole. Apply a bead of silicone around the grommet to seal the pass-through.

5. Pull the wiring harness through at the 7-pin connector.

6. Reattach the fused links using heat shrink butt connectors, and verify a 3-5-amp fuse is present.

7. Separate the black and red wires from the harness.

   • Tape any unused harness wires to the harness sheath (do not cut to custom length).

8. Connect the device’s black ground wire to the trailer’s white wire/top pin on the 7-way trailer stud using a heat shrink ring terminal or poke-and-wrap method.

9. Connect the device’s red VDC power wire to the trailer’s blue "aux" wire/center pin on the 7-way trailer wire stud using a heat shrink ring terminal or the poke-and-wrap method.
   Do not connect the red power wire to the marker or running lights unless this is specifically requested by Verizon Connect.
   Shown below are the typical wiring colors and pin layout for a tractor-trailer 7-way connector.
   
   

10. Coat both newly installed ring terminal connections with dielectric grease or terminal protecting anti corrosion spray as necessary, and use a wire loom to protect any remaining exposed wiring portions not protected by the device’s wire harness jacket.

11. Remount the 7-pin cover plate.
    Refer to the typical wiring colors and pin layout above.
    Connect the device’s red power wire to the trailer’s blue auxiliary wire.
    Connect the device’s black ground wire to the trailer’s white ground wire.
    Do not connect the red power wire to the marker or running lights unless this is specifically requested by Verizon Connect.
    

3-Wire Installation Steps

1. Connect the device’s Red VDC power wire to the asset’s +12/24 VDC constant battery power source.
2. Connect the device’s Black Ground wire to the asset's negative battery terminal. If that is not practical, connect instead to a chassis ground on the asset by using a ring terminal and self-tapping screw or factory bolt.
3. Connect the device’s white Ignition wire to the asset’s +12/24 VDC ignition/switched power. The asset’s ignition source will vary depending on the type of asset; it could be located at the asset’s ignition switch or at the asset’s fuse box.
4. Coil up and zip tie any extra length of the device harness. Do not cut the harness to shorten it, as doing so limits the device’s usability if transferred to another asset in the future, and also increases the chance of making an error with wiring.

3-Wire Installation for Reefer Trailers

While most trailers require 2-wire installation, Reefer trailers are an exception, usually requiring 3-wire installation. In addition to the primary three wires, a digital input wire should be used to enable monitoring the reefer’s engine hours via the reefer’s ignition circuit.

Connecting to digital input/output sensors

After installing the primary device wiring, you can proceed to the I/O wiring for sensors, if called for in the work order. Sensor functions such as PTO, boom, rear door, or lights are an optional part of the installation. If installation does not include I/O wiring, disregard this section, and proceed to completing the installation as instructed in the Reveal Hardware Installer app.

Sensor inputs, for functions such as PTO, boom, rear door, or lights are an optional part of the installation. If the installation does not call for inputs, proceed to complete the installation as instructed in the Reveal Hardware Installer app.

The EAT device has these I/O options:

• Two digital inputs. These inputs can switch between either positive or negative polarity, so no relays are required. As shown in the Device Harness Wiring Layout section, each of the two inputs has two wire leads, for high (positive) and low (negative). With each input used, both wires must be connected.
• One digital output. Digital output provides a negative 200 mA output. Digital output is typically used to energize a relay coil, or functions such as buzzer or LED.
• One-Wire input and output (one wire for both). One-Wire I/O is not yet supported by this device; therefore, the device’s grey One-Wire lead is not used at this time, but is planned for a later phase of the product.

Mounting the device

This section provides information about where to mount the device and how to mount it.

Where to mount the device

Where the device is mounted depends partly on the type of asset, but the device’s long harness enables a variety of options.

The most important thing to remember is to first hold the device where you intend to mount it and test for Network and GPS before you start drilling holes. You perform the test by pressing the device’s status button and reading the LED status lights. If the LEDs do not indicate successful connection to Network and a GPS location fix, repeat the test elsewhere on the asset until network connection and GPS fix are successful.

• Make sure the asset itself is not located where the network or GPS signals may be diminished during installation, for example, under a metal shed.
• Even though the device is IP67 rated, keep the device clear of moving parts or areas that will expose the device to road debris or high-pressure water spray. Also, do not mount the device next to any heat-generating machinery.
• Good spots for mounting on trailers include on top of the trailer’s tongue or the hitch rail, side rails or front bulkhead.
  • Use the included mounting hardware. Do not use rivets or countersink screws. Do not over torque. Over torquing or using the wrong mounting hardware can cause the plastic surrounding the mounting hole to crack.
• Installation requiring the use of a ladder is not advised. However, if working at height, it is your responsibility to ensure use of safety equipment and proper safety procedures are followed.
• We do not recommend mounting the device facing down, underneath the asset, because ground reflections cam impair reporting accuracy.
• How you orient the device can affect how well it performs. Here are some preferred mounting options:

Mounting the device vertically on a vertical surface

When mounting the device vertically on a vertical surface, the preferred orientation is with the Verizon check mark right side up. This puts the status button at the bottom where it is less exposed to the elements.

Mounting the device horizontally on a vertical surface

When mounting the device horizontally on a vertical surface, the preferred orientation is with the device label (label not shown in the picture) facing down. This will help keep the label from getting worn by the elements.

Mounting the device on a horizontal surface

When mounting the device on a horizontal surface, have the Verizon check mark, that is, the front of the device, facing up. Mounting the device facing down is not preferred, as doing so can impact reporting accuracy.

How to mount the device

After a successful Network and GPS test, and after completing the device setup and activation in the Reveal Hardware Installer app.

1. Hold the device where it will be mounted mark the positions of the four mounting holes where you will drill.
2. If using the screws, pre-drilling the holes is recommended.
3. Secure the device to the asset using the included screws or bolts. Do not over torque. Do not use rivets or countersink screws. Over torquing or using the wrong mounting hardware can cause the plastic surrounding the mounting hole to crack.
   

FCC compliance statement

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation.

If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

Consult the dealer or install technician for help.