SimplePack 2.0 User Modes (API 5)

Please note the SimplePack 2.0 is a legacy device and is not available anymore.

API 5 firmware is used by the SimplePack 2.0 and SimplePack 1.1 devices and covers a myriad of use cases through seven user modes that use the button and also the accelerometer.

API 5 table

For more data on how to parse API 5, please have a look at the API 5 table!

Mode-independent information

  • Heartbeat - A heartbeat message is sent if no other message has been sent for a specified period of time (specified in time interval since any message sent)

  • Departure delay - Time between pressing the button and arming the system

  • Automatic arm - In API 5. Starts from last movement disarm. Is non-linear

  • Accelerometer sensitivity - Movement detection sensitivity.

  • Sleep time - Time in minutes after alarm/stop message is sent when the device does not send any more messages (ignoring any movements to save battery and Sigfox subscription message count). This value is non linear in API 5.

  • Arrival delay - Time in minutes after which if device doesn't move a message is sent. (Track me / Trace me mode / Put me back / Don’t drop me) or in Trace me mode period when the device does not stop the Tracing (non linear in API 5)

  • Tracing interval - Time in minutes how often a message (notification) is sent while the device moves.

  • Downlink period - Applicable for Monitor me (Maintain me) mode. Downlink is requested after specified number of uplink messages.

  • Vibration measurement window - Applicable for Monitor me mode. Value 1 to 255 represents repetitions of acceleration measurement (when making decision if there is vibration or not). Smaller value increases risk of ignoring vibration. Higher value increases current consumption of the device (longer detection time).

Arming and Disarming

Please note that the Press me mode doesn't arm or disarm at all!

Arm by:

  • Pressing the button

  • Downlink forced by extra long press or forced by heartbeat

  • After specified time of movement inactivity (API5)

Disarm by:

  • Automatic downlink after alarm or heartbeat

  • Automatic disarm

  • Long press (if active)

LED behavior

  • LED lights while the button is pressed (blinks quickly).

  • LED lights while the radio is transmitting (blinks slowly).

  • LED is lit for 40 secs while waiting for downlink.

  • LED blinks 20 times fast to acknowledges successful downlink.

  • No LED indication if downlink is not successful.

  • LED blinks (1 per 1 sec.) while in departure delay.

  • LED blinks (1 per 3 sec.) while in sleep time.

  • All LED lights can be switched off by downlink with the exception of press indication.

To force downlink request, do an Extra-long press of 10 seconds.

The device LED will blink quickly while the button is pressed and after 10 seconds, it will start to blink slowly for the duration of message transmission. The LED will be lit uninterruptedly for 40 seconds while the device waits for downlink. If the downlink is successful, the device will blink quickly 20 times to acknowledge this.

Battery voltage and temperature

  • Battery voltage and MCU temperature is reported in all heartbeats.

  • Battery voltage and MCU temperature can be appended to all payloads (with exception of Monitor me).

  • Voltage during transmission is reported (VDD tx)

User modes

All of the use cases use the accelerometer with the exception of Press me, where the button is used. All can be further configurated with the settings above.

Press me

  • Report single click, double click or long press (3 - 6 secs.).

  • No arming or disarming.

Recommended downlink (payload: 01 18 00 00 00 00 00 00):

01 - Press me mode
18 - Heartbeat is switched off
Not used in this mode
Not used in this mode
Not used in this mode
Not used in this mode
Not used in this mode
Not used in this mode (can be used for more functions)

Estimated battery life:

More than 4000 clicks.

When clicked daily, the battery will last for ten years.

Guard me

  • Arm by pressing the button, arming can be reported.

  • Any movement is reported.

  • Accelerometer sensitivity can be adjusted.

  • In case of repeated movement alert triggers, a time frame can be set between alerts (so no message is sent).

Recommended downlink (payload: 02 18 1E 07 4A 00 00 00):

02 - Guard mode - disarmed
18 - Heartbeat is sent if no message has been sent for 24 hours
1E - Departure delay = 30 seconds
07 - Accelerometer sensitivity (0x07-0x40)
4A - Sleep time = 10 minutes
00 - Not used in this mode
00 - Not used in this mode (can be used for more functions)
00 - Not used in this mode (can be used for more functions)

Estimated battery life:

More than 4000 messages.

When sending a daily heartbeat, the battery will last for ten years.

Track me

  • Imagine a luggage. You don't care about position while it's moving, but want to know when the movement starts and when it stops (to know e.g. which airport it ended up at).

  • After departure delay (arming) detection starts.

  • If the object doesn't move for Arrival delay, Stop notification is sent and downlink can be requested.

  • The device stops reacting for the duration of the Sleep time interval.

  • If the device starts to move again, an Alarm is sent and the device starts detecting stillness again.

Recommended downlink (payload: 03 18 1E 07 01 0A 00 00):

03 - Track me mode - disarmed
18 - Heartbeat is sent if no message has been sent for 24 hours
1E - Departure delay = 30 seconds
07 - Accelerometer sensitivity (0x07-0x40)
41 - Sleep time = 1 minute
4A - Arrival delay = 10 minutes 
Not used in this mode (can be used for more functions)
Not used in this mode (can be used for more functions)

Estimated battery life:

More than 4000 messages.

A typical luggage journey takes 24 hours and the luggage stops 8 times for more than 10 minutes. So you can use it for 500 journeys.

Trace me

  • Imagine a parcel/package. You want to trace the approximate position and time while it's moving using Sigfox geolocation service. It sends periodic messages while in move.

  • If object moves, a message is sent periodically set by the Tracing interval.

  • If the object stops to move for Arrival delay Stop notification is sent and downlink can be requested.

  • The device stops reacting for the Sleep time interval.

  • If the device starts to move again an Alarm is sent and the device starts detecting movement again.

Recommended downlink (payload: 04 18 1E 07 41 4A 0A 00):

04 - Trace me mode - disarmed
18 - Heartbeat is sent if no message has been sent for 24 hours
1E - Departure delay = 30 seconds
07 - Accelerometer sensitivity (0x07-0x40)
41 - Sleep time = 1 minute
4A - Arrival delay = 10 minutes
0A - Tracing interval = 10 minutes
Not used in this mode (can be used for more functions)

Estimated battery life:

More than 4000 messages.

A typical parcel journey takes 48 hours and the parcel is moving 10 hours of that, which equals 60 messages. So you can use it for 66 parcels.

Monitor me

  • Measures any vibration within predefined time slots and sends the message after 11 slots are filled in. Suitable to monitor running hours of any bridge, engine, car.

  • A movement is detected each second (can be increased in API 5) . Each detected movement increases the counter from 0 to 255, e.g. number 200 means that the movement was detected in 200 samplings from 255, or in another words, the vibrations were detected in 78% (= 200/255) of 4 min 15 seconds interval (=255 seconds in default setup).

  • There are 11 counters (bytes) in every message, so the message contains 11 numbers, representing 2805 (=255x11) measurements.

  • If at least one movement is detected within the 2805 sampling interval (default is 2805 secs which equals 46 minutes), the whole record with 11 counters is sent within one message.

  • If no movement detected, nothing is sent.

  • Sensitivity can be adjusted.

  • The time window in API5 is flowing so the first sample is always a movement.

    Recommended downlink (payload: 05 18 1E 07 DC 14 00 00):

05 - Monitor me mode - disarmed
18 - Heartbeat is sent if no message has been sent for 24 hours
1E - Departure delay = 30 seconds
07 - Accelerometer sensitivity (0x07-0x40)
DC - Downlink period = 220 (approx. once a week)
14 - Vibration measurement window
Not used in this mode (can be used for more functions)
Not used in this mode (can be used for more functions)

Estimated battery life:

More than 4000 messages.

A typical engine runs 4 hours daily - that represents 5 messages. So the battery life is over 2 years.

Put me back

  • Imagine anything leaning or turning or displaced.

  • The mode measures min and max positions of the accelerometer while moving.

  • When movement stops (device is steady for defined time), a message is sent with current orientation data.

  • Garbage bins, road signs, electricity poles... Possibilities are endless.

  • If a movement is detected, a measurement starts.

  • Sensitivity can be adjusted.

  • The measurement continues until stillness for a time period set in Arrival delay is achieved.

  • A message with min, max and final values of device orientation related to ground (Earth gravity) is sent and downlink can be requested.

  • The device stops reacting for Sleep time interval. -

  • If another movement is detected, a measurement starts again.

    Recommended downlink (payload: 06 18 1E 07 4A 01 00 00):

06 - Put me back mode - disarmed
18 - Heartbeat is sent if no message has been sent for 24 hours
1E - Departure delay = 30 seconds 
07 - Accelerometer sensitivity (0x07-0x40)
4A - Sleep time = 10 minutes
01 - Arrival delay = 1 minute
01 - Sampling period 1 second
Not used in this mode (can be used for more functions)

Estimated battery life:

More than 4000 messages.

If the dust bin is emptied each day, the battery life will be over 10 years.

Don't drop me

  • Monitors and measures any major impact during transportation.

  • If major acceleration is detected (throwing, banging, falling), alarm is sent.

  • Sensitivity is adjustable.

  • The device stops reacting for Sleep time interval.

  • If major acceleration is detected again, another alarm is sent.

    Recommended downlink (payload: 07 18 1E 07 41 00 00 00):

07 - Don’t drop me mode - disarmed
18 - Heartbeat is sent if no message has been sent for 24 hours
1E - Departure delay = 30 seconds
07 - Accelerometer sensitivity (0x07-0x40)
41 - Sleep time = 1 minute
00 - Not used in this mode
00 - Not used in this mode (can be used for more functions)
00 - Not used in this mode (can be used for more functions)

Estimated battery life:

More than 4000 messages. The permanent sensing of the accelerometer takes some energy.

The battery life is over 8 years.

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