Custom GPS-antenna, SIM-chip, processor and 8MB of memory: what is made of a clever dog collar Mishiko
How does Mishiko work ? Depends on how to look. For someone - like this:
For others - like this:
It seems not too difficult. But before we tell the details (and show the board on the reverse side), a small game. Look at the two pictures below. Which answer seems right to you?
Picture N1
What it is?
- Photo supermarket
- Piece of art
Picture N2
Who is it?
- Supermodel
- The girl who easily "make" you in World of Tanks
Thought? And now the correct answers:
Well, it was not difficult - it is clear that we wouldn’t make it so easy. So, in the picture N1 - the photo of Andreas Gursky "99 cents", the most expensive photograph in the world in 2007. In the picture is N2 - Anna Kostenko, the famous streamer World of Tanks.
What are we? As we said, the Mishiko GPS tracker looks easy, too.
In fact, this is quite a high-tech device, which we are sincerely proud of and which we have developed entirely in Russia. Technical Director Mishiko Andrei Filimonov will tell more about his "stuffing".
Mishiko motherboard on the reverse side
1. Modem . We use a solution from Sierra Wireless, which combines both a modem and a GPS module in one chip. I cannot say that this turned out to be a very convenient solution due to a heap of technical nuances, but it copes with its function. Namely, it helps the device to find the 3G network, to receive and send SMS and GPS data.
The tracker has a passive and active mode. In the passive mode, the device accumulates data in the internal memory (of which 8MB), but does not send it. When needed, a special server sends an SMS to the modem so that the tracker is activated and starts transferring data to the application.
The "insides" of Mishiko in all details. 8MB memory block - right above the processor
2. The processor . It focuses all the logic of the collar. It is he who decides how and when the device should glow, “blink”, get in touch, fall asleep and charge.
3. Antenna . We have a very good GPS antenna with a high signal gain. Better than on smartphones - but I will not disclose the details, the secret :)
What is special: when we cover our antenna, its characteristics change. And how exactly the characteristics change is impossible to predict. Therefore, each of our antennas undergoes laser calibration during production.
GPS antenna Mishiko (right)
Calibration allows you to accurately determine the desired characteristics of the antenna when working with the device, taking into account the parameters of the cover.
4. SIM chip . Using a chip is a much more convenient solution than a regular sim card.
In recent years, smart phones have gone very far technologically forward, and everything is moving towards the complete abolition of replaceable SIMs.
SIM-chip is not flashed for any one operator. Specifically, in the Mishiko GPS tracker, it can be connected to several operators, which we have previously selected, depending on the level of communication. And the owner of the collar does not need to think "What tariff to choose?".
That is why Apple and Samsung want to quickly remove SIM slots from their devices and replace them with SIM chips. Not to mention the best water resistance - but more on this in the next paragraph.
How we achieved “waterproofness” from our tracker
We had to sacrifice a lot of things: at the very least, the same slot for sim cards is the first problem element with which it is very difficult to achieve protection from moisture.
Secondly, we had to get rid of the buttons. Totally. We have developed such a logic of working with the gadget, so that you never had to use the buttons on the device. Many malfunctions are associated with the buttons, and if the device is on a dog, then pressing the buttons is simply inconvenient. What is important, water can get into the case through the buttons. So Mishiko simply does not have them.
Third, there is no charging connector in Mishiko. Totally. It is charged using a wireless Qi-charging station, which also plays into the hands of the waterproof tracker.
Finally, the bolts that fasten the body parts have special silicone pads that rarely do. The case itself also has a silicone ring, which gives maximum sealing. The rest of the holes and slots where water can get, we do not have.
The top cover of Mishiko - in the photo is visible silicone protection of the case against water.
What chips does the device have in terms of software? At a minimum, this:
1. Auto-update feature
We wrote a special part of the server host, which is responsible for the software version of the device. Thus, we can remotely select different versions and branches of “firmware” for different series of devices.
If it is simpler: the collar communicates with the server (most often during charging) and automatically updates the firmware.
2. Accelerometer with "dog software"
The accelerometer itself is a fairly simple device. But each dog has its own step. Therefore, we invited experts who calculated how dogs of different breeds walk and run so that the algorithm works as accurately as possible, regardless of your pet's breed. So, now the accelerometer rather accurately determines the activity for each of the hundreds of rocks that are “sewn up” into the Mishiko algorithm.
3. Calculate the activity rate for each dog.
After the data on the number of steps exactly your dog obtained (see the last paragraph), we use this data in our formula for calculating the activity. It will help you to understand whether your dog is active enough, considering both his weight and height at the withers, the breed and even the gender. We developed a formula together with veterinarians and, although we do not guarantee the medical level of accuracy, we see that the data is obtained by “workers”. And most importantly - with them you can maintain a sufficient "run" of your dog for the day :)
If you keep husky in the apartment, then she - for a moment - you need not 20 minutes of walks per day. An adult Husky needs to run 5-7 kilometers 4 times a week - and with Mishiko, you don’t have to keep these numbers in your head: you can just look at all the statistics in the app and adjust the length of the walk with the dog.
4. Emergency mode in case of low charge
When the device battery is running out (<10%), Mishiko's mode of operation changes dramatically. The device enters an energy-efficient mode, which “wakes up” only when it receives a request from the application.
At the moment before the battery is completely discharged, the device finds its GPS coordinates for the last time and sends the “latest” location data via SMS to the server. So that the owner of the dog could see the latest information about where his dog was at the time the device was discharged.
In the following publications we plan to tell more about each component of Mishiko. What do you have the most questions? The interaction of the processor and memory? Energy saving? The work of the SIM chip? Ask, and in the following texts we will answer everything in detail.
For others - like this:
It seems not too difficult. But before we tell the details (and show the board on the reverse side), a small game. Look at the two pictures below. Which answer seems right to you?
Picture N1
What it is?
- Photo supermarket
- Piece of art
Picture N2
Who is it?
- Supermodel
- The girl who easily "make" you in World of Tanks
Thought? And now the correct answers:
Well, it was not difficult - it is clear that we wouldn’t make it so easy. So, in the picture N1 - the photo of Andreas Gursky "99 cents", the most expensive photograph in the world in 2007. In the picture is N2 - Anna Kostenko, the famous streamer World of Tanks.
But back to the collar
What are we? As we said, the Mishiko GPS tracker looks easy, too.
In fact, this is quite a high-tech device, which we are sincerely proud of and which we have developed entirely in Russia. Technical Director Mishiko Andrei Filimonov will tell more about his "stuffing".
Mishiko motherboard on the reverse side
Tracker components
1. Modem . We use a solution from Sierra Wireless, which combines both a modem and a GPS module in one chip. I cannot say that this turned out to be a very convenient solution due to a heap of technical nuances, but it copes with its function. Namely, it helps the device to find the 3G network, to receive and send SMS and GPS data.
The tracker has a passive and active mode. In the passive mode, the device accumulates data in the internal memory (of which 8MB), but does not send it. When needed, a special server sends an SMS to the modem so that the tracker is activated and starts transferring data to the application.
The "insides" of Mishiko in all details. 8MB memory block - right above the processor
2. The processor . It focuses all the logic of the collar. It is he who decides how and when the device should glow, “blink”, get in touch, fall asleep and charge.
3. Antenna . We have a very good GPS antenna with a high signal gain. Better than on smartphones - but I will not disclose the details, the secret :)
What is special: when we cover our antenna, its characteristics change. And how exactly the characteristics change is impossible to predict. Therefore, each of our antennas undergoes laser calibration during production.
GPS antenna Mishiko (right)
Calibration allows you to accurately determine the desired characteristics of the antenna when working with the device, taking into account the parameters of the cover.
4. SIM chip . Using a chip is a much more convenient solution than a regular sim card.
In recent years, smart phones have gone very far technologically forward, and everything is moving towards the complete abolition of replaceable SIMs.
SIM-chip is not flashed for any one operator. Specifically, in the Mishiko GPS tracker, it can be connected to several operators, which we have previously selected, depending on the level of communication. And the owner of the collar does not need to think "What tariff to choose?".
That is why Apple and Samsung want to quickly remove SIM slots from their devices and replace them with SIM chips. Not to mention the best water resistance - but more on this in the next paragraph.
How we achieved “waterproofness” from our tracker
We had to sacrifice a lot of things: at the very least, the same slot for sim cards is the first problem element with which it is very difficult to achieve protection from moisture.
Secondly, we had to get rid of the buttons. Totally. We have developed such a logic of working with the gadget, so that you never had to use the buttons on the device. Many malfunctions are associated with the buttons, and if the device is on a dog, then pressing the buttons is simply inconvenient. What is important, water can get into the case through the buttons. So Mishiko simply does not have them.
Third, there is no charging connector in Mishiko. Totally. It is charged using a wireless Qi-charging station, which also plays into the hands of the waterproof tracker.
Finally, the bolts that fasten the body parts have special silicone pads that rarely do. The case itself also has a silicone ring, which gives maximum sealing. The rest of the holes and slots where water can get, we do not have.
The top cover of Mishiko - in the photo is visible silicone protection of the case against water.
Software part
What chips does the device have in terms of software? At a minimum, this:
1. Auto-update feature
We wrote a special part of the server host, which is responsible for the software version of the device. Thus, we can remotely select different versions and branches of “firmware” for different series of devices.
If it is simpler: the collar communicates with the server (most often during charging) and automatically updates the firmware.
2. Accelerometer with "dog software"
The accelerometer itself is a fairly simple device. But each dog has its own step. Therefore, we invited experts who calculated how dogs of different breeds walk and run so that the algorithm works as accurately as possible, regardless of your pet's breed. So, now the accelerometer rather accurately determines the activity for each of the hundreds of rocks that are “sewn up” into the Mishiko algorithm.
3. Calculate the activity rate for each dog.
After the data on the number of steps exactly your dog obtained (see the last paragraph), we use this data in our formula for calculating the activity. It will help you to understand whether your dog is active enough, considering both his weight and height at the withers, the breed and even the gender. We developed a formula together with veterinarians and, although we do not guarantee the medical level of accuracy, we see that the data is obtained by “workers”. And most importantly - with them you can maintain a sufficient "run" of your dog for the day :)
If you keep husky in the apartment, then she - for a moment - you need not 20 minutes of walks per day. An adult Husky needs to run 5-7 kilometers 4 times a week - and with Mishiko, you don’t have to keep these numbers in your head: you can just look at all the statistics in the app and adjust the length of the walk with the dog.
4. Emergency mode in case of low charge
When the device battery is running out (<10%), Mishiko's mode of operation changes dramatically. The device enters an energy-efficient mode, which “wakes up” only when it receives a request from the application.
At the moment before the battery is completely discharged, the device finds its GPS coordinates for the last time and sends the “latest” location data via SMS to the server. So that the owner of the dog could see the latest information about where his dog was at the time the device was discharged.
In the following publications we plan to tell more about each component of Mishiko. What do you have the most questions? The interaction of the processor and memory? Energy saving? The work of the SIM chip? Ask, and in the following texts we will answer everything in detail.
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