FreightWatch Security Net has developed a pair of new sensor peripheral devices for monitoring conditions within facilities and shipping containers. The products were designed for the company's Geo F2 "Pill Bottle" Tracker, which reports on changes in environmental conditions such as temperature, light and humidity. The GPS-based GeoF2 incorporates a module based on Qualcomm's QSC6055 chipset. It can be hidden in a pill bottle or equally small enclosure, allowing for covert tracking and monitoring. When used with the optional ZigBee radio receiver, the device becomes a remote, battery-powered platform for sensor data collection and transmission, capable of relaying environmental data in real time. Among the new sensor products from FreightWatch is the F2 Temperature Probe, which attaches to the Geo F2's external 18-pin connection, and monitors the internal temperature of sensitive cargo. The other new FreightWatch product is the Digi International XBee Sensor, an off-the-shelf wireless device which reports ambient temperature, light and humidity data via short-range ZigBee-compliant radio-frequency communications. Multiple XBee sensors can be placed throughout the cargo so that all environmental conditions are reported in real time through a single Geo F2 tracking unit, which is also packed in the load.
