Analogue Input
In Arabicالمدخل التماثلي
A tracker terminal that reads a continuously varying voltage from a sensor, which the platform turns into a value such as litres of fuel or tonnes of load.
What is an analogue input in fleet management?
Unlike a digital input, which knows only on and off, an analogue input measures a voltage at any value within its range and reports it as a number. Sensors whose output rises and falls with what they measure connect here: fuel level sensors, weight sensors on axles or suspension, some temperature probes, or simply the vehicle's battery voltage.
A voltage alone means nothing; it has to be calibrated against known values, such as the tank empty and full, or the truck empty and weighed. In Safee each analogue input is linked to its sensor and calibrated, so the raw reading becomes litres or kilograms.
How it works
- 1Sensor wired to an analogue input
- 2Tracker reports the voltage
- 3Calibration turns voltage into a value
Why does an analogue input matter in fleet management?
Many of the readings a fleet pays for arrive through analogue inputs: fuel in the tank, weight on the axles. If an input is wired to the wrong sensor, shares a channel with another, or is calibrated carelessly, the platform still shows a number, just a wrong one, and Fuel Theft alarms, Load weight limit alarms and consumption reports all inherit the error. Getting the input right at installation is cheaper than doubting every report afterwards.
What you gain
- Fuel and weight as real figures
- One tracker, several sensors
- Readings you can calibrate and check
How does Safee help you set up and calibrate analogue inputs?
In Safee you choose which analogue input carries the fuel sensor's output, then set the voltage for an empty and a full tank and add up to 30 calibration points for irregular tanks. For analogue weight sensors you configure units, channels and axles for the tractor and its trailer, and the Analog weight-sensor explorer shows the raw value from each analogue input, so you can see how the sensor behaves while calibrating on the weighbridge.
A field example
An aggregate haulier in Fujairah fitted analogue weight sensors to 30 tractors and their tipper trailers, but on six of the vehicles the weights never matched the quarry weighbridge. The raw values from each analogue input showed two sensors giving a flat voltage because of damaged cables, and four trailers set on the same input as their tractor. Once the cables were replaced, the inputs separated and the sensors recalibrated on the weighbridge, readings came within 3% of it. In the first month the company identified 41 overloaded trips; by the third month there were six.
Frequently asked questions
What voltage range does an analogue input accept?
It depends on the tracker model; many accept up to about 10 or 30 volts. The sensor's output range must fall within the input's range, or readings will stop at the top limit.
Why does my analogue reading fluctuate?
Usually because of a poor ground connection, a damaged cable or electrical noise from the vehicle. Check the raw values first: a sound sensor on a clean connection gives a steady reading while the vehicle is parked.
Want to put this to work in your fleet?
Talk to a Safee fleet expert about your vehicles and how you operate, and we will suggest what fits.
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