Remote Tacho Download

Trucks over 3500 kg are required to have a Tachograph on board that records data about the vehicle and the driver. The government uses this data to check for any violations, such as excessive driving hours or insufficient breaks. With a recording (analog) Tachograph, the registration cards need to be kept. With a Digital Tachograph, the data must be downloaded at least once every 28 days, and the driver card must be downloaded and securely stored at least once every 90 days.

By inserting the company card into the digital tachograph, information can be downloaded.

By connecting a SOLID device to the tachograph, the downloading process can be automated. By setting the SOLID to “Tacho Pass Through” mode, the modem connected to the SOLID can take over full communication with the modem. Once the entire authentication procedure is completed, the modem can read the data from the tachograph.

These devices are equipped with Remote Tacho Download (RTD) firmware to communicate with the Tachograph. The Telematic Service Provider (TSP) or the Tacho Download Master (TDM) from Squarell takes the initiative and manages the entire authentication and download process. The tachograph releases its information, which is then stored on a server.

This program can be configured by the fleet manager to start the download at specific times. At the specified time, the TDM initiates the authorization procedure and starts downloading the data. To do this, it first establishes a connection with the company card, which is securely stored with other company cards in a “card hotel.”

The TDM verifies if the selected vehicle and the Tachograph correspond to the company card, and they exchange encrypted messages for verification. Upon approval, the Tachograph releases encrypted data blocks to the REMOTE or BE, which can include vehicle data as well as driver data. These data blocks are sent to the Tacho Download Master server, where they are checked and compiled into a single DDD file for the vehicle or driver.

The compiled files can be sent by the Tacho Download Master to a location specified in the configuration.