Synapse PDM Telemetry: Connected, Monitored and Secure
Synapse PDM has always been designed to do more than replace a box of fuses and relays. With individual channel current monitoring, GPS, an IMU, CAN, onboard data logging and a 4G modem, it has access to a lot of information about the vehicle.
The new Synapse PDM telemetry service brings that information online.
The PDM uses its built-in cellular modem to send selected vehicle data to the Mann Electronics telemetry service. You can then monitor that data remotely.
That means you can see what’s happening with your vehicle without connecting directly to the PDM. You also don’t need a separate tracker or telemetry box.
A PDM that knows where your vehicle is
GPS is already built into Synapse PDM, and telemetry makes use of it.
The PDM can report its position over the cellular connection. This provides a remote indication of where the vehicle is, which can be particularly useful from a security perspective.
The telemetry system also supports geofencing. You can define a geographic area for the vehicle and have the system detect when it moves outside that area.
For an expensive project car, competition car or other vehicle that spends periods unattended, this provides an additional layer of security.
Because the GPS forms part of the PDM itself, there is no separate tracker to install, power or hide somewhere in the vehicle.
More than a tracker
GPS is only one part of the information available.
Synapse PDM already monitors the electrical system in much more detail than a conventional fuse or relay box. Depending on the configuration, telemetry can make information such as the following available remotely:
- Battery voltage
- Individual channel currents
- PDM temperature
- Digital and analogue inputs
- Output states
- GPS data
- IMU data
- Other PDM status information
This can be particularly useful when diagnosing a problem, monitoring a vehicle during testing or simply checking that everything is behaving as expected.
The PDM’s local SD card logging remains available for high-frequency data capture. Telemetry provides a convenient way to access selected information when you’re not physically with the vehicle.
Designed around security
Security has been an important consideration throughout the development of the telemetry system.
The PDM uses TLS encryption when it communicates with the telemetry service. This protects data while it travels over the cellular network.
The system also uses X.509 certificates during device provisioning. This securely associates each PDM with its telemetry service without relying on a shared password or requiring you to enter credentials manually.
The provisioning process handles this automatically. When you configure a PDM for telemetry, the system provisions the necessary credentials to the device as part of the normal setup process.
A connected vehicle needs more than a working internet connection. The telemetry service needs to identify the device, while the device needs to establish that it is communicating with the intended service.
Security therefore forms part of the telemetry architecture from the start, rather than something added afterwards.
Configured through Cortex
Another important part of the system is that you configure telemetry through Cortex, the same application you use to configure the Synapse PDM.
A dedicated provisioning backend handles the setup behind the scenes. I developed this service specifically for the Synapse ecosystem so that the complicated parts of telemetry setup don’t become the customer’s problem.
You don’t need to configure an MQTT client, create certificates manually or understand how the telemetry infrastructure works.
Instead, Cortex provides the relevant settings in the same place as the rest of the PDM configuration. You can select which PDM attributes to publish and choose the desired publish interval.
Cortex then communicates with the provisioning backend, which handles the necessary configuration and credentials automatically.
Once configured, the PDM handles the cellular connection and transmission of the selected data. From the user’s perspective, telemetry becomes another part of configuring the PDM rather than a separate system to set up.
One module instead of several
This is where the telemetry capability really fits with the original idea behind Synapse PDM.
A typical vehicle might otherwise need separate hardware for:
- Power distribution
- Current monitoring
- GPS tracking
- Vehicle data logging
- Cellular connectivity
- Remote monitoring
Synapse PDM brings many of those functions together in one module.
The same hardware that controls the vehicle’s electrical loads can also monitor them, record them locally, determine its position, measure motion with its IMU and communicate that information remotely.
That makes telemetry more than an additional feature bolted onto the PDM. It takes advantage of hardware that is already there.
Why telemetry is useful
There are plenty of situations where this can be valuable.
For a competition or track car, telemetry provides a convenient way to monitor the vehicle without keeping a laptop connected to it.
For a development vehicle, it provides remote visibility while testing electrical systems and other equipment.
For a project or classic car, GPS and geofencing provide an additional security measure. Remote electrical information can also help confirm that the vehicle and PDM are behaving as expected.
Any vehicle that regularly spends time unattended can benefit from a cellular-connected device that knows where it is and can report what is happening.
A different kind of PDM
The telemetry service is one of the features that really differentiates Synapse PDM from a conventional power distribution module.
It isn’t just about switching loads electronically. The PDM can monitor those loads, record information locally, determine the vehicle’s position, measure vehicle motion and communicate selected information remotely.
The communications hardware, GPS and monitoring electronics all sit inside the PDM. There is therefore no need to build a collection of separate devices around it.
The result is a power distribution module that can also act as a connected vehicle monitoring and security device. It also provides a platform that can adapt to specialist and commercial vehicle applications.
Bespoke and white-label applications
Although Synapse PDM is available as a Mann Electronics product, I can also adapt the underlying hardware and software platform for bespoke applications.
For vehicle manufacturers, specialist installers, tuners and other businesses, I can develop variations of the PDM to suit particular vehicles or applications. This could include hardware changes, additional inputs or outputs, different connectors, custom firmware or integration with other vehicle systems.
The telemetry platform can also support white-label applications.
For example, a vehicle manufacturer could give its customers access to a branded telemetry portal rather than a Mann Electronics service. The underlying technology can remain the same while the customer-facing experience is tailored to the business and the vehicle.
This makes Synapse PDM suitable not only as an off-the-shelf product, but also as a platform for businesses developing their own connected vehicle products.
If you have a vehicle application that needs integrated power distribution, monitoring and connectivity, get in touch to discuss a bespoke solution.
