New requirements for installing GLONASS on vehicles in 2021


The ERA-GLONASS system is your rescue assistant in the event of an accident or emergency, but at the same time it is also an “invisible spy” who constantly knows where you are and where you are going... How to live with it if you are a beginner paranoid or even a true guru persecution mania and conspiracy theories?

"Under the hood" by the phone

Many people remember an episode from the unforgettable road movie “Boomer”, in which the bandits “went to the bottom”, leaving the city, turning off their phones and taking out their batteries. I must say that the film turned out to be partly prophetic. It was released on screens a decade and a half ago, in the era of primitive push-button mobile phones, but the total use of cellular communications for surveillance of the population has only fully developed in recent years... And this is not only about crime - even completely law-abiding citizens can unexpectedly encounter this . Let's say you were not hired for a position in the civil service. Perhaps the reason is banal and professional, or perhaps somewhere in closed databases you are listed as... a regular at protest rallies, for example.

Madness? Not at all. Law enforcement agencies constantly request logs from cellular companies for certain geographic coordinates, date and time. These logs automatically record which mobile phone numbers were located at the nth time in the nth place. And most of the numbers are linked to the passport data of the owners... Maybe you really were at a dubious (from the point of view of the authorities) street event, or maybe it just happened by chance, but you’re on some list of “dubious” or “unreliable” just in case the case was brought in. For the ways and thoughts of the “relevant services” are inscrutable...

Actually, what is all this for? And besides, if paranoia gets worse, you can turn off your phone for a while if necessary. But what about the “spy” that, willy-nilly, every owner of a new car of recent years of production carries with him? The name of this “spy” block is “ERA-GLONASS”.

How it works?

The ERA-GLONASS block includes two main elements - a GPS/GLONASS receiver, which determines the coordinates of the car, and a GSM transceiver, in other words, a simplified cell phone without a keyboard and display, designed for transmitting coordinates and voice communication with a rescue operator. A cell phone in “Era” does not have a SIM card slot and is not tied to any operator - the operator in it is “virtual”, uniting all Russian mobile networks into one, and when the system is activated, the call to rescuers is simply automatically carried out through the network with the strongest signal.

In a conversation about paranoia and escaping from under the eye of Big Brother, a reasonable question arises: if a person can be tracked by his phone, whose number is linked in the cellular operator’s databases with the owner’s passport data, then how can one track a car owner whose car has an “ERA-” unit? GLONASS without a SIM card?

Very simple! The fact is that, despite the lack of a telephone number on the Era unit, the device, like any mobile phone, has a so-called IMEI identifier - a unique personal code. This code is automatically transmitted to cellular base stations when registering in the network during switching on, as well as when moving - moving from the range of one base station to the radius of the next. In other words, both a mobile phone without a SIM card and the Era module constantly and automatically mark their location and path with an IMEI number. This data is accumulated and stored by mobile operators and can be called upon if necessary.

For mobile phones, the IMEI number is always written on the packaging box, and it is also easy to find out by typing the code *#06# on the keyboard

And the ERA-GLONASS module has an IMEI code written directly on it:

Now let's imagine...

Any automaker has data on the configuration of each car that comes off the production line. And, of course, its databases contain serial numbers and IMEI identifiers of all ERA-GLONASS units that were installed on cars. And if someone vested with authority becomes interested in the movements of Ivan Ivanovich Ivanov in his personal car, then he will receive information in three simple steps. First, he will make a request to the traffic police database, finding out the make, model and VIN number of the vehicle registered to Ivan Ivanovich, then he will make a request to the manufacturing plant in order to find out the IMEI number of the ERA-GLONASS unit installed in the car with a specific VIN. After which it will request from cellular operators the logs of the movements of this IMEI - where and when it was... And if you dismissively wave your hand, “Well, who would bother like that!”, then you will be wrong. They will, and easily.

Moreover, it is not even necessary to receive data from the GPS/GLONASS receiver installed in the “Era” (although, probably, you can start requesting them without the knowledge of the car owner). To monitor, the normal daily operation of the GSM module, which is constantly “marked” on the network, is sufficient. This is how the principle of the simplest coarse direction finding works - the LBS method of tracking location by base stations. The same algorithm is used when working with the simplest Chinese trackers, which are deprived of a GPS chip for the sake of economy.

Where are the limits of paranoia?

Hardly anyone “shepherds” us, ordinary citizens, always and everywhere. In any case, I wouldn’t like to believe in this... However, for example, the fact that phones spontaneously listen to our conversations and send keywords to cloud storage for subsequent delivery of personalized contextual advertising is well known. Why, say, can’t Era do something similar for any purpose? For example, in the future, insurers want to use ERA-GLONASS to automatically receive data about an accident (VIN, location, time, speed), and also control our driving style in order to determine the cost of the policy using this data. Not everyone will like this. In the future - the integration of "Era" with "Plato", and potentially with other similar vile ideas of Big Brother. Someday speed fines will be able to come through this system, because technically this is not difficult to implement. You can’t joke here anymore - “the car, they say, won’t fine itself!” He will be fined, and how...

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Yes, the opportunity to save the life of a driver who is lying unconscious in a car that has flown into a ditch on a deserted road is priceless. But in light of the above, even the obviously beneficial properties of the rescue system do not allow some citizens to overcome prejudice and anarchic sentiments towards it. And it is not surprising that some rebels are itching to neutralize the “spy.” In the forum of almost any online car club you can find a topic like “How to disable ERA-GLONASS?”

How to disable "spy"?

The ERA-GLONASS unit on most cars is an independent module, a “black box”. Its location is quite individual, depending on the car model, but on thematic car forums this issue is usually already discussed. If we talk about budget cars, then access to the Era is most often simple. For example, in our editorial VW Polo it lies openly under the front passenger seat, in the Hyundai Solaris it is located inside the dashboard under the radio, in the Lada Vesta it is secured under the glove box housing.

Typically, a multi-wire connector is suitable for the unit, connecting it to power, speaker, microphone, CAN bus and a number of other points in the car’s electrical system. The banal removal of this connector from the block completely neutralizes the “spy”, but can cause an error symbol to appear on the instrument panel, turn off the microphone in the standard hands-free (it goes through the Era block in some places) or give rise to some other electronic conflicts. Removing a fuse from the circuit powering the Era can also cause glitches. In addition, other important car functions that are in no way connected with “espionage”, but simply hanging on the same fuse, will be disabled.

So how to neutralize ERA-GLONASS without causing problems? To begin with, we submit this request to the repair area of ​​one of the largest VW dealership centers in Moscow.

“This is not the first time we have heard such a request, but we cannot do it,” says the dealer’s master diagnostician.

Well, well... If the dealer doesn’t want to help even for money, let’s try it ourselves!

In addition to the multi-pin connector, two high-frequency antenna sockets are also installed on the body of the Era unit. Two coaxial cables are inserted into them - leading to the GPS/GLONASS antenna and to the GSM antenna, usually located in the “fin” on the roof. Maybe it is enough to remove the cable going to the GSM antenna from the connector? Logically, in this case, the cellular module of the ERA-GLONASS block will no longer see cellular networks, and Era will lose the ability to leave “digital traces”.

We disconnect both antenna cables at once - both GSM and GPS/GLONASS, since their connectors are a single unit. We check by pressing the “SOS” button, and... we hear first beeps, and then a voice: “Operator of the ERA-GLONASS system - what happened to you?”

Damn, the system works without an antenna! Why? Let's try to figure it out and open the case.

Inside we see the main board with an inexpensive Qualcomm MDM6200 telematics chipset and a battery unit based on a 2.6 watt-hour Tadiran TLI-1550A lithium battery with a charging module. And - what a surprise - we find a built-in GSM antenna on the board, almost the same as in most mobile phones!

Why do you need a backup antenna inside if you have the most efficient remote antenna on the roof? In fact, everything is simple, explains the electrician-diagnostician of the dealership.

– The main task of the ERA-GLONASS system and its progenitor, the European E-Call, is to save the lives of drivers and passengers in situations in which they are not able to help themselves. And major accidents with serious injuries often involve the vehicle flipping over and landing on its roof. In this case, the external antenna will most likely be deformed or destroyed, and so that the rescue system does not lose its functionality, the built-in backup antenna will come into play.

Well, since we’ve already started being paranoid, we’re going to be completely paranoid! Disable the built-in antenna by removing it completely:

We return the unit to the car and connect the large comb connector. The antenna on the roof is turned off, the built-in antenna is dismantled - now the system must clearly “blind”. But after pressing the “SOS” button, we again hear: “Operator of the ERA-GLONASS system - what happened to you?” Damn, the “spy” works without antennas at all! How so?

  • The thing is that the current level of density of cellular network base stations in cities and their environs has already reached almost the maximum value, comments an engineer-planner of GSM networks. “The signal strength in the network is so high that GSM modules in phones and telematics devices, which Era is, are able to work using a short copper contact path on the board as an antenna, left after removing the full antenna!”

As a result, we were able to completely silence the stubborn “spy” only by wrapping the unit without antennas entirely in foil and grounding it... Yes, in this sense it was definitely easier for the bandits from “Boomer”.

At this stage, we abandoned attempts to disable ERA-GLONASS using simple methods. Next, apparently, you need to look for the block diagram and the wiring of the central connector in order to neutralize the device correctly, without the appearance of error indications or other “glitches”. It may still be possible to deactivate the system through the service diagnostic program. In general, you need to find out in each specific case individually.

True, there is another option, but it will require a certain civic organization. Owners of identical car models can, by agreement... exchange ERA-GLONASS blocks! In this case, the unit's IMEI and vehicle's VIN will no longer be associated with each other, and potential tracking will become impossible. Fans of paranoia can find like-minded people within online car clubs dedicated to their model and organize an exchange. Well, or buy yourself an “Era” block at a disassembly site, as an option. The method is, in principle, workable. We tested it on two editorial VW Polos, swapping the “spies”: no errors or glitches arose, which means there was no code linking the unit to the car.

Numbers and thoughts

If the “fight against the system” has captured you, as they say, in full, and you still decide to get rid of the “spy in the car” once and for all, you need to think hard and decide what is more important to you - your paranoia, real or imaginary, or Is it still possible to get help while unconscious after an accident? After all, according to the ERA-GLONASS operator, at the end of November 2021, more than 2,907,000 cars were already registered in the system and 2,088,350 emergency calls were received. Although 99% of the calls turned out to be false (erroneous, for verification, entertainment, etc.), but 22,766 signals actually required the response of emergency services, and 12,700 of them were received automatically. That is, without human intervention, after an accident with significant damage to the car.

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The automobile market had just begun to come to its senses and gradually get used to stagnation, when it was again twisted into a ram's horn and all manufacturers were obliged to equip the ERA-GLONASS system. Thus, from January 1, 2021, automakers are required to equip all cars entering the Russian market with the ERA-GLONASS system. The first tester of this system was LADA Vesta, and then all serial LADA XRAY. It would seem that automobile companies, together with the government, are implementing such a large-scale, expensive and complex project to save the lives of people involved in road accidents. And from a security point of view, this is the right step and a good deed in itself. But why did the media and the automotive community get so wildly excited, discussing and touching only on the negative aspects of this innovation? Is this panic out of nowhere? We'll figure out.

What is ERA-GLONASS?

Enough time has passed since the introduction of this system into operation, but not all car owners yet understand the principles of operation, purpose and prospects.

Let's take the abbreviation ERA verbatim - this is Emergency Response to Accidents. GLONASS is a Russian satellite navigation system. Initially, the system had a military purpose. Analogous to American GPS.

ERA-GLONASS is an emergency response system in case of accidents. In the event of an emergency, it instantly reads the location of the car and promptly transmits data about the incident to emergency services. In addition to coordinates, the system transmits data such as the time of the accident, the severity of the consequences and the VIN number of the vehicle. Also data on the number of seat belts worn in order to determine the number of victims.

In the event of an incident, the driver can independently contact the emergency operator. The first such case was recorded in February, when a tree fell on a motorist in the Moscow region and his mobile phone did not work.

The emergency call button with the inscription SOS is located in the block near the interior rearview mirror. Other elements of the system are placed so that in the event of a serious accident it continues to work uninterruptedly, therefore they are placed in the safest places. In some models, the devices are even duplicated. For example, under the driver's seat of the Nissan Murano you can find an additional speaker.

If you look at GOST R 54620 -2011, you can see the following list of requirements. The system must recognize several types of impacts: frontal impact, rear side impact and rollover. Cars (accommodating up to 9 people) must have an automatic notification function about an accident, and commercial vehicles only need to have a button to communicate with the emergency operator. The emergency call must be located so that it cannot be activated by accidental pressing.

There are high hopes for this system. ERA-GLONASS began to be implemented en masse and quickly in order to significantly reduce the number of victims involved in major accidents. In complex emergency situations, when it comes to saving a human life, every minute counts. Sad statistics show that the number of victims is increasing due to the fact that ambulances arrive at the scene of an accident late, and all they have to do is record the fact of death. And if there was an opportunity to provide first medical treatment a little earlier. help and save victims from blood loss and painful shock...

NIS GLONASS (a system integrator of the largest projects for the implementation of GLONASS technologies in Russia) states that thanks to ERA-GLONASS, the waiting time for help in accidents is significantly reduced by at least 30%, which allows saving more than four thousand people annually.

In May, ERA-GLONASS operators recorded their thousandth anniversary call. In this case, we are talking about real requests that required a prompt response. Experts noted that the number of false calls is gradually decreasing: so, if in 2021 calls that actually required help accounted for only 0.3% of the total number, then since the beginning of 2021 - 0.85%.

MYTH 1 Not everywhere there is cellular communication, so the system is flawed

A large territory of Russia is not provided with cellular communications. No mobile communications - no help. And the introduction of the ERA-GLONASS system is supposedly another rash action of the authorities. First, you need to provide mobile communications, and then gradually switch to an emergency response system.

According to the latest research by Roskomnadzor, more than half of Russia’s territory is covered by cellular networks. For data transmission, cellular communication channels of the “Big Three” operators are used. The number of subscribers of cellular companies has long exceeded the number of citizens of the Russian Federation. In addition, the percentage of accidents in densely populated areas is much higher than, for example, in the taiga or tundra. And often the worst accidents occur at night and in bad weather conditions. And here we are talking about seconds, during which you can save someone’s life.

MYTH 2 Without infrastructure, the implementation of the ERA-GLONASS system is impossible

First responders leave much to be desired. Complete lack of resources. It is impossible to implement this product without expanding resources. If there is no infrastructure, then there is no point in implementing this project. Era-Glonass is already working and helping to reduce deaths on the roads. The number of emergency calls received in the ERA-GLONASS system is growing in proportion to the number of registered vehicles. System 112 unites five emergency response services: ambulance service, emergency response service, fire service, police service, and traffic police service.

So you can spend decades improving communications, infrastructure and taking master classes from Western colleagues, but still not implement anything. It is precisely such large-scale products that need to be implemented quickly. Our country has its own development path. We must be able to exist autonomously and not depend on anyone.

MYTH 3 Total surveillance

Today, the ERA-GLONASS system is at the first stage of its development, but every day it is increasingly acquiring new fantasies and inventions. For example, under the guise of transmitting information about accidents to special centers, the government is introducing total surveillance.

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If you open the requirements of GOST 54620-2011. It says that the device works the moment you press the SOS button or during a serious accident. Working in tracker mode (continuous surveillance) is not provided for by the project specifications. The ERA-GLONASS terminal only receives a navigation signal, calculates coordinates and sends it to the data processing center. So, the responsibilities of the “big brother” do not include surveillance. But those who are truly interesting are still being watched, but only with the help of the same mobile phones.

MYTH 4. The authorities promote the domestic auto industry and block access to foreign automobile companies. (About poor producers and rising car prices).

From now on, it is impossible to obtain OTTS (vehicle type approval) for a car without installing the ERA-GLONASS system. Thus, all new models on the Russian market must be supplied with this system. Manufacturers claim that these are high costs. Therefore, they are forced to increase the prices of cars. Automakers complain that the equipment itself is inexpensive, but to obtain a certificate it is necessary to conduct two crash tests for frontal and side impacts. In the future, a rollover test must also be carried out. This leaves the manufacturer with two cars and the cost of conducting the tests themselves. It turns out that the mass segment will rise in price by 10,000 rubles - 30,000 rubles. But compared to the massive rise in price of all cars over the course of several years, this is a very modest price to pay for saving human lives.

In addition, no one has canceled the system of financial support for the automobile industry. The Russian government constantly supports automakers. For example, the amount of funding for 2021 was increased to 62.3 billion rubles. Still, some worried car companies find it too costly to spend €200,000 to certify a car.

Some representative offices angrily stated that certification was costly for them, and they were forced to refuse to supply models to Russia. Audi announced that it will stop supplying 6 models due to ERA-GLONASS: A3 and A5 convertibles, A1 hatchback, TT and R8 coupes, and A8. And BMW will not bring convertibles to Russia. But other premium segments support the implementation of the ERA-GLONASS system. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars said that all models from 2021 will be equipped with this system. Infiniti, Cadillac, Nissan, Kia, Renault, Hyundai and other manufacturers confirmed their readiness to connect. We think we can somehow cope with the absence of several premium convertibles and coupes. Real prospects for ERA-GLONASS

Metadata from the ERA-GLONASS system will be able to be aggregated and examined in the future. Real recommendations and actions on a) problematic emergency sections of roads in the Russian Federation (lack of traffic lights in the right place, incorrect markings, poor coverage). Statistics are collected, and from the data obtained it becomes clear that adjustments need to be made and the speed limit in the area needs to be reduced. b) problematic vehicles (A new model entered the Russian market with the ERA-GLONASS system, the first 1000 cars were sold. And information appears that 20 accidents were associated with the same technical malfunction of the vehicle. Then this data is sent to the manufacturer for study). c) problematic vehicles drivers...

From this data it will be possible to collect useful statistics and use them to improve the situation on the roads. In addition, with this system we will gain complete independence from GPS navigators and satellite systems of other countries.

In the near future, ERA-GLONASS will be installed on all cars without exception. This will reduce road deaths and improve safety.

GLONASS tracking – monitoring the location of a vehicle via a computer or phone. The company offers inexpensive multifunctional systems that are easy to install and maintain.

Why do you need GLONASS equipment and how does it work?

To improve operational efficiency, logistics and transport companies need to use GLONASS and GPS tracking technologies. This technology will help reduce the cost of maintaining a vehicle fleet, optimize the consumption of fuel, lubricants, spare parts, and track the location of each vehicle in real time. For its operation, an on-board navigation satellite tracker is installed on the vehicle. It receives signals from satellites, is processed and transmitted to the server via GSM communications. The software installed on the server processes the data and provides access to it in an understandable form.

Let's play paranoid: how ERA-GLONASS can monitor car owners

"Under the hood" by the phone

Many people remember an episode from the unforgettable road movie “Boomer”, in which the bandits “went to the bottom”, leaving the city, turning off their phones and removing their batteries.
I must say that the film turned out to be partly prophetic. It was released on screens a decade and a half ago, in the era of primitive push-button mobile phones, but the total use of cellular communications for surveillance of the population has only fully developed in recent years... And this is not only about crime - even completely law-abiding citizens can unexpectedly encounter this . Let's say you were not hired for a position in the civil service. Perhaps the reason is banal and professional, or perhaps somewhere in closed databases you are listed as... a regular at protest rallies, for example. Articles / Interviews First-hand: we answer all questions about the ERA-GLONASS system How does the ERA-GLONASS system work? Will she call for help if there is no cellular network? How does the module for installation in a car work? What are the prospects for the development of the system? For questions from Kolesa.Ru... 23015 31 10 02/28/2017

Madness? Not at all. Law enforcement agencies constantly request logs from cellular companies for certain geographic coordinates, date and time. These logs automatically record which mobile phone numbers were located at the nth time in the nth place. And most of the numbers are linked to the passport data of the owners... Maybe you really were at a dubious (from the point of view of the authorities) street event, or maybe it just happened by chance, but you’re on some list of “dubious” or “unreliable” just in case the case was brought in. For the ways and thoughts of the “relevant services” are inscrutable...

Actually, what is all this for? And besides, if paranoia gets worse, you can turn off your phone for a while if necessary. But what about the “spy” that, willy-nilly, every owner of a new car of recent years of production carries with him? The name of this “spy” block is “ERA-GLONASS”.

How it works?

The ERA-GLONASS block includes two main elements - a GPS/GLONASS receiver, which determines the coordinates of the car, and a GSM transceiver, in other words, a simplified cell phone without a keyboard and display, designed for transmitting coordinates and voice communication with a rescue operator. A cell phone in “Era” does not have a SIM card slot and is not tied to any operator - the operator in it is “virtual”, uniting all Russian mobile networks into one, and when the system is activated, the call to rescuers is simply automatically carried out through the network with the strongest signal.

In a conversation about paranoia and escaping from under the eye of Big Brother, a reasonable question arises: if a person can be tracked by his phone, whose number is linked in the cellular operator’s databases with the owner’s passport data, then how can one track a car owner whose car has an “ERA-” unit? GLONASS without a SIM card?

Very simple! The fact is that, despite the lack of a telephone number on the Era unit, the device, like any mobile phone, has a so-called IMEI identifier - a unique personal code. This code is automatically transmitted to cellular base stations when registering in the network during switching on, as well as when moving - moving from the range of one base station to the radius of the next. In other words, both a mobile phone without a SIM card and the Era module constantly and automatically mark their location and path with an IMEI number. This data is accumulated and stored by mobile operators and can be called upon if necessary.

For mobile phones, the IMEI number is always written on the packaging box, and it is also easy to find out by typing the code *#06# on the keyboard

And the ERA-GLONASS module has an IMEI code written directly on it:

Now let's imagine...

Any automaker has data on the configuration of each car that comes off the production line. And, of course, its databases contain serial numbers and IMEI identifiers of all ERA-GLONASS units that were installed on cars. And if someone vested with authority becomes interested in the movements of Ivan Ivanovich Ivanov in his personal car, then he will receive information in three simple steps. First, he will make a request to the traffic police database, finding out the make, model and VIN number of the vehicle registered to Ivan Ivanovich, then he will make a request to the manufacturing plant in order to find out the IMEI number of the ERA-GLONASS unit installed in the car with a specific VIN. After which it will request from cellular operators the logs of the movements of this IMEI - where and when it was... And if you dismissively wave your hand, “Well, who would bother like that!”, then you will be wrong. They will, and easily.

Moreover, it is not even necessary to receive data from the GPS/GLONASS receiver installed in the “Era” (although, probably, you can start requesting them without the knowledge of the car owner). To monitor, the normal daily operation of the GSM module, which is constantly “marked” on the network, is sufficient. This is how the principle of the simplest coarse direction finding works - the LBS method of tracking location by base stations. The same algorithm is used when working with the simplest Chinese trackers, which are deprived of a GPS chip for the sake of economy.

Where are the limits of paranoia?

Articles / Practice Cheap monitoring in action: looking for a car tracker for 600 rubles In the first part of the article, we tried to find out whether Chinese “mongrel” GPS trackers for 600-700 rubles can be used as an alternative to specialized anti-theft beacons, “bookmarks”... 55830 4 11 03.12.2015

Hardly anyone “shepherds” us, ordinary citizens, always and everywhere. In any case, I wouldn’t like to believe in this... However, for example, the fact that phones spontaneously listen to our conversations and send keywords to cloud storage for subsequent delivery of personalized contextual advertising is well known. Why, say, can’t Era do something similar for any purpose? For example, in the future, insurers want to use ERA-GLONASS to automatically receive data about an accident (VIN, location, time, speed), and also control our driving style in order to determine the cost of the policy using this data. Not everyone will like this. In the future - the integration of "Era" with "Plato", and potentially with other similar vile ideas of Big Brother. Someday speed fines will be able to come through this system, because technically this is not difficult to implement. You can’t joke here anymore - “the car, they say, won’t fine itself!” He will be fined, and how...

Yes, the opportunity to save the life of a driver who is lying unconscious in a car that has flown into a ditch on a deserted road is priceless. But in light of the above, even the obviously beneficial properties of the rescue system do not allow some citizens to overcome prejudice and anarchic sentiments towards it. And it is not surprising that some rebels are itching to neutralize the “spy.” In the forum of almost any online car club you can find a topic like “How to disable ERA-GLONASS?”

How to disable "spy"?

The ERA-GLONASS unit on most cars is an independent module, a “black box”. Its location is quite individual, depending on the car model, but on thematic car forums this issue is usually already discussed. If we talk about budget cars, then access to the Era is most often simple. For example, in our editorial VW Polo it lies openly under the front passenger seat, in the Hyundai Solaris it is located inside the dashboard under the radio, in the Lada Vesta it is secured under the glove box housing.

Typically, a multi-wire connector is suitable for the unit, connecting it to power, speaker, microphone, CAN bus and a number of other points in the car’s electrical system. The banal removal of this connector from the block completely neutralizes the “spy”, but can cause an error symbol to appear on the instrument panel, turn off the microphone in the standard hands-free (it goes through the Era block in some places) or give rise to some other electronic conflicts. Removing a fuse from the circuit powering the Era can also cause glitches. In addition, other important car functions that are in no way connected with “espionage”, but simply hanging on the same fuse, will be disabled.

So how to neutralize ERA-GLONASS without causing problems? To begin with, we submit this request to the repair area of ​​one of the largest VW dealership centers in Moscow.

“This is not the first time we have heard such a request, but we cannot do it,” says the dealer’s master diagnostician.

Well, well... If the dealer doesn’t want to help even for money, let’s try it ourselves!

In addition to the multi-pin connector, two high-frequency antenna sockets are also installed on the body of the Era unit. Two coaxial cables are inserted into them - leading to the GPS/GLONASS antenna and to the GSM antenna, usually located in the “fin” on the roof. Maybe it is enough to remove the cable going to the GSM antenna from the connector? Logically, in this case, the cellular module of the ERA-GLONASS block will no longer see cellular networks, and Era will lose the ability to leave “digital traces”.

We disconnect both antenna cables at once - both GSM and GPS/GLONASS, since their connectors are a single unit. We check by pressing the “SOS” button, and... we hear first beeps, and then a voice: “Operator of the ERA-GLONASS system - what happened to you?”

Damn, the system works without an antenna! Why? Let's try to figure it out and open the case.

Inside we see the main board with an inexpensive Qualcomm MDM6200 telematics chipset and a battery unit based on a 2.6 watt-hour Tadiran TLI-1550A lithium battery with a charging module. And - what a surprise - we find a built-in GSM antenna on the board, almost the same as in most mobile phones!

Why do you need a backup antenna inside if you have the most efficient remote antenna on the roof? In fact, everything is simple, explains the electrician-diagnostician of the dealership.

– The main task of the ERA-GLONASS system and its progenitor, the European E-Call, is to save the lives of drivers and passengers in situations in which they are not able to help themselves. And major accidents with serious injuries often involve the vehicle flipping over and landing on its roof. In this case, the external antenna will most likely be deformed or destroyed, and so that the rescue system does not lose its functionality, the built-in backup antenna will come into play.

Well, since we’ve already started being paranoid, we’re going to be completely paranoid! Disable the built-in antenna by removing it completely:

We return the unit to the car and connect the large comb connector. The antenna on the roof is turned off, the built-in antenna is dismantled - now the system must clearly “blind”. But after pressing the “SOS” button, we again hear: “Operator of the ERA-GLONASS system - what happened to you?” Damn, the “spy” works without antennas at all! How so?

Articles / ERA-GLONASS technologies: how will the satellite rescue service on cars work? Is it really Russia, and after it all the countries - yes, precisely after it! – is there really a new transport era, or more precisely, an ERA? Emergency response systems like ERA-GLONASS, speed... 11705 5 12 10.30.2015

  • The thing is that the current level of density of cellular network base stations in cities and their environs has already reached almost the maximum value, comments an engineer-planner of GSM networks. “The signal strength in the network is so high that GSM modules in phones and telematics devices, which Era is, are able to work using a short copper contact path on the board as an antenna, left after removing the full antenna!”

As a result, we were able to completely silence the stubborn “spy” only by wrapping the unit without antennas entirely in foil and grounding it... Yes, in this sense it was definitely easier for the bandits from “Boomer”.

At this stage, we abandoned attempts to disable ERA-GLONASS using simple methods. Next, apparently, you need to look for the block diagram and the wiring of the central connector in order to neutralize the device correctly, without the appearance of error indications or other “glitches”. It may still be possible to deactivate the system through the service diagnostic program. In general, you need to find out in each specific case individually.

True, there is another option, but it will require a certain civic organization. Owners of identical car models can, by agreement... exchange ERA-GLONASS blocks! In this case, the unit's IMEI and vehicle's VIN will no longer be associated with each other, and potential tracking will become impossible. Fans of paranoia can find like-minded people within online car clubs dedicated to their model and organize an exchange. Well, or buy yourself an “Era” block from disassembly, as an option... The method, in principle, is workable. We tested it on two editorial VW Polos, swapping the “spies”: no errors or glitches arose, which means there was no code linking the unit to the car.

Numbers and thoughts

If the “fight against the system” has captured you, as they say, in full, and you still decide to get rid of the “spy in the car” once and for all, you need to think hard and decide what is more important to you - your paranoia, real or imaginary, or Is it still possible to get help while unconscious after an accident? After all, according to the ERA-GLONASS operator, at the end of November 2021, more than 2,907,000 cars were already registered in the system and 2,088,350 emergency calls were received. Although 99% of the calls turned out to be false (erroneous, for verification, entertainment, etc.), but 22,766 signals actually required the response of emergency services, and 12,700 of them were received automatically. That is, without human intervention, after an accident with significant damage to the car...

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How to track a car using GLONASS through a computer?

After installing the equipment, Sirius Navigator software is installed on the dispatcher’s computer. It displays movements, fuel consumption, data on the operation of the actuators of all machines in real time. Even if your vehicles move through areas with poor GSM network coverage, the information will be saved in the terminal’s memory and sent to the server when the signal is restored.

We offer a system that monitors transport. Monitoring of vehicles involves the use of GLONASS and GPS terminals. With their help, the location of the vehicle and its route are tracked.

Remote vehicle monitoring

This is a whole complex of systems that not only tracks movement, but also allows you to:

  • control some mechanisms in the vehicle;
  • control the time the machine is used;
  • learn about the driver’s actions (not through video surveillance and wiretapping, but using a tachograph);
  • set geofences beyond which it is impossible to travel, otherwise a message will be sent to the control room.

Remote monitoring is very expensive, since it involves installing a number of sensors and the need to purchase special software.

Advantages and benefits of equipping a car with GLONASS

Depending on the type of tracking system installed, the user receives information such as:

  • current location, viewing vehicle movement for a certain period;
  • current fuel level in the tank, consumption, refills, drains, their place, time and volume;
  • number, duration and places of parking;
  • number of engine hours worked;
  • compliance with the route, speed limit, control of driving style;
  • information about the condition of the cargo;
  • how long the mechanism worked, how far the vehicle traveled with the mechanism turned on, how much fuel the vehicle with the mechanism turned on consumed;
  • identification of the driver, recording of his work shift;
  • group reports for all vehicles;
  • hierarchy of access to objects;
  • Instant user notifications about events related to vehicle operation.

The tracking function helps prevent theft, eliminates “wrong” flights, helps reduce mileage and fuel consumption, and reduce downtime. If the driver deviates from the route, information is instantly sent to the dispatcher. Considering the advantages that GLONASS provides, it is recommended to install it on commercial and private vehicles.

Our company offers multifunctional vehicle tracking systems that are easy to install and maintain with round-the-clock technical support 24/7.

Scope of application

System used:

  1. When monitoring transport. It is possible not only to track the car using ERA-GLONASS, but also to monitor the fuel level, compliance with the driver’s work and rest schedule (whether the employee is returning or decided to deviate from the route), and speed.
  2. In systems that prevent theft. The trackers will send a signal to the owner if the coordinates of the vehicle begin to change. Some sensors react not only to movement, but even to starting the engine.
  3. In cars without pilots. GLONASS is used for navigation in such vehicles along with various sensors that assess the situation around the vehicle.
  4. In the on-board computers of ships and aircraft. Satellites help ships navigate difficult weather conditions without deviating from their course.
  5. In geodesy. The information is used to update information in the cadastre.
  6. In construction. Beacons are placed on expensive equipment in order to find out about its movement.

The scope of GLONASS is very wide, and only some of the most popular areas are listed above.

Vehicle control

Machine monitoring allows you to:

  1. Determine the location of equipment in space.
  2. Monitor the car and its trajectory online.
  3. Monitor the route and find out about deviations from it by creating geopoints on the map.

You can also find out about the fuel level and obtain information from other sensors (tachograph, tire pressure, etc.).

Driver control

Monitoring includes:

  • control over the driver’s movements;
  • monitoring speed limits using a car tracker;
  • ensuring the safety of cargo and the driver through a panic button;
  • availability of direct two-way communication with the dispatcher;
  • control over the use of fuel cards.

Integration with other systems

"1C:Enterprise" allows you to install personal or automotive GLONASS monitoring. Features include:

  • movement tracking;
  • notification of pre-configured events;
  • control of actual mileage;
  • compiling reports both for an individual employee and for all full-time employees of the fleet;
  • preventing deviations from the constructed route;
  • receiving a signal from the SOS button;
  • generating a report on gasoline consumption.

Along with trackers, various sensors are installed on cars:

  • fuel;
  • availability of passengers;
  • opening the door;
  • work of special mechanisms;
  • starting the engine;
  • temperature (especially useful for refrigerators to control the increase in parameter).

“1C”, together with satellite monitoring, helps you keep your finger on the pulse and quickly respond to all changes.

In addition to 1C, ERA-GLONASS plans to merge with Platon. But for now the plan is being developed. In this way, the state wants to take full control of the cargo transportation sector and track the movement of each driver, incl. monitor the disposal of solid household waste.

Our tariffs

Economy

Terminal:
from 3,000 rub.

Subscriber pay:

250 rub./month*

In a year:

3,000 rub. *subject to prepayment for 1 year

Subscriber fee includes:

  • 24/7 TP (telephone consultations)
  • Server storage
  • Software Update

Standard

Terminal:
from 8,000 rub.

Subscriber pay:

320 rub./month.

In a year:

RUB 3,850

Benefit:

950 rub.

Subscriber fee includes:

  • 24/7 TP (telephone consultations)
  • Server storage
  • Software Update
  • Free warranty visits

Myths about use

Drivers are wary of monitoring, thinking that it means the end of their “private life.” But the system only controls movement. Yes, you won’t be able to turn off the route, but GLONASS does not transmit information about what is happening inside the cabin. Trackers are not equipped with a microphone and speakers, they do not record conversations, and do not conduct video surveillance.

For your information. Beacons help drivers, because thanks to them it is possible to use a panic button and emergency communication with the control room.

Driver tracking. Free GPS car tracking:

Fifteen drivers were connected, a very convenient monitoring system. You can always see where our cars are driving and who is in their home region and who went to Moscow on order.

Evgeny Kulikov, taxi "Raduga", Sergiev Posad.

We installed a program for both drivers and couriers. It is very convenient to see who is where and what they are doing. Thank you, WHO-WHERE.INFO!

We have 3 couriers and 2 drivers. Now we are watching everyone, they are moving much faster!

Six months ago we connected our 5 cars; the drivers’ programs do not have a navigator or messenger. What needs to be done to upgrade? ()

Vladimir, you should remove the old version from the drivers’ phones, download and install the new one. All motion tracks accumulated in the program will be saved.

Is it possible to cheat

Many drivers, knowing that the operation of the satellite is influenced by various factors (weather, magnetic storms, etc.), try to create interference on their own and thereby disable the monitoring. To deceive GLONASS, it is often used:

  1. Power off. The easiest way to bypass the operation of the device, however, information about loss of signal is immediately transmitted to the control room.
  2. Removing the SIM card. The information will not be sent, but it will be saved in the tracker's internal memory. As soon as the SIM is returned to its place, the information will immediately be sent to the control room.
  3. Use of special “jammers”. Many modern monitoring systems are equipped with anti-lock devices. They will immediately detect an attempt to deceive and send the data to the company.
  4. Mechanical failure of the tracker. The company's engineers will subsequently be able to identify the cause of the malfunction, and the deception will be revealed.
  5. Reconfiguring the device. Not everyone can do this; in addition, there is a high probability that the beacon will stop working.

Transport monitoring services using GLONASS are gaining popularity. They are used by fleet owners, businessmen involved in cargo transportation, and taxi drivers. Integration into other systems is possible to expand functionality.

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