Shipped From

Hermes User Manual

Handheld Iridium/GPS/NMEA Asset Tracker
Contact Us
Email support@xeostech.com
Phone (902) 444-7650
Fax (902) 444-7651
Website www.xeostech.com

Version History
Version No. Date Description
1.0 August 2019 Base document
1.0.1 October 2019 Minor edits
1.1 January 2020 Changes to screen display

Regular checks for the latest manual are suggested. Be sure to check Xeos Technologies’ manuals
page to compare versions and download the latest version.

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Hermes Manual 1.1
Version 1.1
January 2020

Table of Contents Appendix A: Cable Drawings ......................................................................................................... 18

Appendix B: Specifications ............................................................................................................ 19
Shipped From .................................................................................................................................. 2
Appendix C: Installing the RS-422 Driver ...................................................................................... 19
Contact Us ....................................................................................................................................... 2
Warranty, Support and Limited Liability ....................................................................................... 20
Version History................................................................................................................................ 2
General Description ........................................................................................................................ 5
Theory of Operation........................................................................................................................ 5
Preliminary Setup............................................................................................................................ 6
Outside Diagram......................................................................................................................... 6
Setting up your Iridium Account ................................................................................................ 6
Understanding Position Information ......................................................................................... 7
Iridium Doppler position........................................................................................................ 7
Global Positioning System ..................................................................................................... 8
Integrating Beacons with the Hermes ............................................................................................ 9
XeosOnline ................................................................................................................................. 9
Hermes Forwarder Setup ........................................................................................................... 9
Creating a Forwarder ............................................................................................................. 9
Deployment of the Hermes .......................................................................................................... 10
Testing the Installation ............................................................................................................. 10
Hermes Power-On......................................................................................................................... 11
Hermes Display and Buttons ......................................................................................................... 11
Iridium ...................................................................................................................................... 12
Internal GPS .............................................................................................................................. 12
NMEA Output ........................................................................................................................... 12
Received Messages from Beacons ........................................................................................... 12
Battery Indicator ...................................................................................................................... 14
Messages from the Hermes .......................................................................................................... 14
Settings Summary Message ..................................................................................................... 14
Version (Type V) ....................................................................................................................... 14
Position ..................................................................................................................................... 15
Testing the Hermes .................................................................................................................. 16
Shutdown ...................................................................................................................................... 16
Pinout Diagram – Chogori NMEA/Charge Connector ................................................................... 17

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General Description Preliminary Setup
The Hermes is a handheld asset tracking beacon which continuously monitors for asset location Outside Diagram
and reports and receives location via the Iridium satellite network. Hermes makes use of the bi-
directional, global, real time Iridium Satellite Short Burst Data (SBD) network in combination with Shown below are key sections of the Hermes:
GPS position location.
1 Iridium antenna for receiving positions from
Inside the Hermes is a 9603 Iridium satellite Short Burst Data core radio transceiver, a specialized
remote devices
low-power Xeos digital controller with GPS, Iridium & GPS antennas, and rechargeable Lithium
2 Internal GPS antenna allows for bearing and
battery.
distance to remote devices
While the Hermes is intended for recovery of remote deployments, Xeos Technologies Inc. (Xeos) 3 Daylight-readable LCD screen to display positions
manufactures other products for fixed location monitoring and remote tracking and surveillance. and other information
See www.xeostech.com for details or call (902)-444-7650. 4 Chogori connector to output NMEA sentences to
chart-plotter as well as charging internal battery
Theory of Operation 5 Menu navigation buttons to take actions and
move between devices
The Hermes is intended for the recovery of other Xeos products on deployment. Utilizing 6 The Hermes’ Iridium IMEI as well as production
XeosOnline’s message forwarding system, up to 10 devices can be set to forward location serial number are displayed on the front
information to the Hermes.
The internal GPS of the Hermes determines its own location, and derives the bearing and distance
between the Hermes and forwarded deployed assets. The most recent position of each deployed
asset is stored and can be cycled through on the display of the Hermes. The position of the
Hermes is also updated regularly to make bearing and distance as accurate as possible.
When coupled with a chart plotter and appropriate cable, the Hermes can output position data
Setting up your Iridium Account
of its own position or those of the tracked assets as a standard NMEA-0183 TLL message for Hermes makes use of the Iridium satellite system’s (www.iridium.com) Short Burst Data (SBD)
added tracking ability. service for the 9603 transceiver. This service is a global, two-way, real-time, email-based data
delivery service that has a maximum outbound (from Hermes) message size of 340 bytes and a
maximum inbound (to Hermes) message size of 270 bytes.
Hermes end users must set up an approved data delivery account with their preferred service
provider. Xeos is an Iridium VAR and can provide Iridium service if you wish.
Setting up service requires the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number. Each
9603 has a unique IMEI number that must be registered with a preferred service provider. Xeos
will make these numbers available when the product is delivered.
Each IMEI number is capable of being associated with up to five (5) unique email addresses. This
may vary between service providers. When registering your IMEI number, please provide the
service provider with the temporary Xeos testing account email address. You may contact Xeos
for this email. Setting up this email address allows for better technical support during the initial
learning period for the product.
MESSAGE SENDING ORDER OF OPERATION

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Understanding Position Information and will always have their code name (ex. Transfer OK) next to
this number.
There are two types of position information which will be sent via the Iridium Gateway. Message Size (bytes) The size of the actual message sent by the Iridium device,
Iridium Doppler position which is in the attachment in the email.
*Unit Location The Doppler position of the device as estimated by Iridium’s
The Iridium Gateway calculates the Iridium transceivers’ position on earth when it receives a network. It is NOT the GPS position measured by the device.
transmission, using Doppler technology. As a result, it is often very inaccurate. This location is *CEPradius = 2 The numerical value of how accurate the above position is;
only visible to users getting emails directly from the device, as opposed to emails forwarded by with a value of 2, This means that using the Lat/Long that the
XeosOnline. An example of a “raw” Iridium message via email is below and will always have the body has supplied, Iridium is 80% confident (always 80%) that
IMEI of the device in the subject line, regardless of its name on XeosOnline. the device sending the message is within a circle, 2 kilometers
in radius, with the Lat/Long given as the center of that circle.
The higher the CEPradius value, the larger the circle and
therefore the less accurate that position.
*These items can be enabled/disabled by your Iridium provider if desired.

Global Positioning System

Location information generated by the device itself is embedded in the SBD attachment sent via
the Iridium Gateway and can only be seen through the XeosOnline system or situations where
the position information is sent in a plain-text format (XeosOnline message forwarder or using
the $msgenable command). This position information is accurate to within several feet of the
true position.

sbdservice@sbd.iridium.com All messages from Iridium devices come from this address.
MOMSN: 5866 Mobile Originating Message Serial Number; each individual
message has its own incrementing serial number. A mobile
originating message is one that comes from the Iridium
device.
MTMSN: 0 Mobile Terminating Message Serial Number; like the MOMSN,
messages to Iridium devices (like commands) also have an
incrementing serial number. Since the message in the
example is from an Iridium device, the MT number is zero.
Time of Session (UTC) The time the message arrived at the Iridium Gateway
Session Status Each message will have a code determined by how well the
message was received; codes 00, 01 and 02 are acceptable

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Integrating Beacons with the Hermes Adding Devices and Targets to Forwarders
Once a Forwarder has been created, devices and targets can be added.
The Hermes is designed to receive messages from Xeos beacons through the use of XeosOnline’s
forwarder system. Therefore, all beacons intended to be used with the Hermes must be activated 1. Select a Forwarder from the list
on the Iridium network and set to send messages to XeosOnline by the Iridium provider. The
Hermes must also be activated on the Iridium network to receive messages. 2. Click and the Source Devices tab will appear. Select the devices you wish to forward

XeosOnline
The connection between devices is entirely controlled on XeosOnline. A maximum of ten devices
can be set via the forwarder system to send position messages to the Hermes at one time.
Forwarders can be created via the Admin tab on the top-right of the page on XeosOnline.

Hermes Forwarder Setup

Creating a Forwarder
1. To create a forwarder, click on 3. Click again, the target to receive messages is available. The Hermes IMEI is entered
2. The Forwarder dialog will appear here.

4. Click and you will be prompted to save the additions to your forwarder.
Additionally, the Test Forwarder button will send a test message to the Hermes to be received
by the device, confirming its Iridium connectivity.

Deployment of the Hermes

The Hermes contains GPS and Iridium antennas, as well as a rechargeable lithium battery. No
external equipment is required for use, but is recommended for longer deployments and
searches:
3. Forwarder Type will present several options from a drop-down menu.
a. Choose Hermes Forwarder  A combination NMEA/Charge cable for output and recharging via wall outlet
4. Name: Give the Forwarder a meaningful name  A device to receive NMEA messages from the Hermes for chart-plotting
5. Description: Record any additional details about the Forwarder (optional)  An RS-422 converter if sending NMEA strings to a computer
6. Limit: Leave at no limit (default) To deploy the Hermes, ensure that the top of the device, which is where the antennas are
7. Click Save located, has a clear view of the sky. Outside on the deck of a boat would be sufficient.

Testing the Installation

Test the installation by checking the destinations to which the Iridium account is sending
notifications. XeosOnline will display the last known position of the Hermes as well as the
timestamp of the GPS position. As beacon positions are sent, Hermes will receive and display
those positions, and overwrite previous positions as they are received.
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Hermes Power-On Iridium

The Hermes is powered on by holding in the farthest right interaction button for several seconds. Iridium is a critical feature of the Hermes; without a connection to the Iridium network, the
While this button is depressed, the screen will prompt the user to hold that position until the Hermes’ position data cannot be transmitted out, and positions of other beacons cannot be
device is on. This screen displays the Hermes’ firmware and hardware revisions as well. received.
The Hermes’ Iridium modem is always in an active state. The LCD displays the Iridium signal
Hermes Display and Buttons strength on the top of the screen. If there is an exclamation point, the Iridium modem is not
The Hermes uses a daylight-readable LCD screen for display of beacon location, the Hermes’ own connected to the Iridium network.
location and status and navigation of the interface.

Pictured: Iridium Strength Bars; no signal, not registered, low signal, full signal

Internal GPS
While the Hermes will function with its own GPS inoperable, the internal GPS can be used to
acquire a bearing and distance between the Hermes and the device currently displayed on the
LCD.
The display will show the Lat/Long in decimal degrees of the Hermes on the “My Location” page.
When the GPS has a position for this screen, GPS will be displayed at the top of the screen.
The Hermes’ internal GPS updates every 30 seconds, and transmit its most recent position over
Iridium every 30 minutes. If the Hermes has not acquired an updated fix after 15 minutes, the
GPS logo will appear as a strikeout.

Pictured: Hermes GPS has not been updated, Hermes GPS has a current position

NMEA Output
The Hermes has the ability to output NMEA-0183 TLL (Target Latitude and Longitude) signals
from its bottom Chogori connector to a connected chart-plotter.
1 Field to show if a new position on any device is available
2 Show status of the Hermes’ internal GPS If the Hermes is not connected to the chart-plotter when a new position arrives, pressing the
3 Show Hermes’ Iridium connection status and strength NMEA button while viewing the position on-screen will output the appropriate string of that
4 Important information for a page is displayed in the main section position from the port. At that time, an N will momentarily appear on the screen between the
5 Action that will be taken if button 1 is pressed Iridium and battery symbols on the display.
6 Battery status/health indicator If a new position from a beacon arrives while connected to the chart-plotter, the position is
7 Displays if NMEA is being output from the connector immediately pushed from the NMEA port.
8 Action that will be taken if button 3 is pressed
Received Messages from Beacons
As messages are received from remote devices, the Hermes will update the NMEA index for that
particular device to display the time and location of the most recent position. If a new position

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arrives, an asterisk (*) will appear in the top-left corner of the screen until the new position is Battery Indicator
viewed.
The Hermes will display the overall level of charge in its internal battery when in use, descending
New positions are marked *NEW* in the display when viewed. Consequently, positions from as the device discharges.
devices that are older than 10 minutes are marked *Stale* in the same location.
Additionally, the Hermes will display in the same location if the battery is receiving power
externally for charging.
If at any point the battery charging enters into a fault state, the battery icon displays an
appropriate indicator.

Pictured: Hermes battery before charge reading, partial charge, when charging, when a charging fault has occurred.

Messages from the Hermes

There are several messages sent from the Hermes to XeosOnline, depending on setup and
conditions. Below are examples of the most common Mobile Originating messages.

Settings Summary Message

On startup, the Hermes will send a summary of timers and a short list of GPS and Iridium settings.
These settings do not need to be manipulated in most use-cases.
Remote Position Readout
64723984757662 The 15-digit number of the remote device being tracked
My Name The first 10 digits of the name given to the device on XeosOnline. If the
name on XeosOnline is its IMEI, the last 10 digits are displayed Version (Type V)
LAT The latitude of the position of the remote device in decimal degrees The $ver command will return a summary of both firmware and hardware versions:
LON The longitude of the position of the remote device in decimal degrees
01/08/19 Day/Month/Year, Hour/Minute/Second of position received
10:29:59 Version Readout
HDG Heading between the Hermes and remote device in degrees in relation 08010000 Timestamp in UTC (Month/Day/Hour)
to True North V Type of message (Version)
RNG Range; distance between Hermes position and remote device in Firmware Version Product; Major, minor, build of firmware
meters/km Hardware Revision Hardware revision, set during assembly
NEW/Stale These messages appear if a position is being seen for the first time (NEW) Serial The unit’s serial number
or if the position is older than 10 minutes (Stale) GPS Version Firmware version of GPS chip
NMEA Index Each device is assigned an NMEA index which stays with the device as Iridium Version Firmware version of Iridium modem
new positions arrive Reset Count The number of resets since firmware was uploaded
1/1 Shows what page is being displayed out of all devices Current Cause of last power off
Previous Cause of previous power off, not used in Hermes

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Position Testing the Hermes

Typical position messages are sent in compressed binary format (Message Type 10) to save on 1. Once the Hermes firmware has been updated, please test its ability to transmit.
data usage and are parsed in XeosOnline, placing its full contents in the Message and Location 2. Make sure the Hermes has an active Iridium account. Xeos can setup an account for you
Logs. if you do not currently have one. Ensure you have access to one of the email addresses
to which messages are sent.
Message Log Readout 3. Place the Hermes outside in a location where it has a clear view of the sky and connect
Timestamp Date and time in UTC of the latest position reading it to an external power source.
BatteryV: 11.91 Loaded voltage of the power supply; minimum battery voltage 4. Check the email account to see if a transmission has been received. If no message is
observed during the previous Iridium transmission received within 20 minutes, please check operating manual to ensure it is setup as
44.714272 Latitude of fix, decimal degrees required.
-63.604870 Longitude of fix, decimal degrees 5. If no message is received, please contact Xeos for assistance in troubleshooting.
Voltage Unloaded: 12.06 Unloaded voltage of power supply; battery voltage data from 6. DO NOT redeploy the Hermes until you have confirmed Iridium transmission.
measurement taken just prior to the turning on of the Iridium
modem
Shutdown
The last page of the Hermes screen will prompt the user to shut down the device. If this is not
Location Log Readout desired, the NEXT button will cycle back to the first page.
Timestamp Date and time in UTC of this specific position reading If the Hermes is to be shut off, the OFF option will be used. A second confirmation page will be
44.714400 Latitude of fix, decimal degrees displayed to ensure the choice to turn off is intentional, with YES being on the opposite button.
-63.604902 Longitude of fix, decimal degrees
Alarm: False Indicates if the device has determined if it is in an alarm state
Bearing Direction of movement determined by device
Speed (km/h) Speed measurement in kilometers per hour
Speed (knots) Speed measurement in knots
Altitude Not used
SNR SNR (Signal-to-noise ratio) of GPS Fix, higher is better (>37 is good)

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Pinout Diagram – Chogori NMEA/Charge Connector
Pin Purpose
1 Ground (-)
2 Tx -
3 Tx +
4 No Connection
5 External Positive (Charge)
6 No Connection
Appendix A: Cable Drawings
A-05-082: Hermes Charge/NMEA

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Appendix B: Specifications Warranty, Support and Limited Liability

Mechanical Xeos Technologies Inc. warranties the Hermes to be free of defects in material or manufacturing
Connector Chogori for a period of one year following delivery. Liability is limited to repair or replacement of the
IP Rating IP-67 defective part and will be done free of charge.
Power Supply Internal Lithium Ion 18650 battery
LIMITED WARRANTY: Xeos Technologies Inc. warrants that the product will perform substantially
GPS Hardware Xeos Technologies 48 channel GPS (SiRFStarIV)
in accordance with the accompanying written materials for a period of one year from the date of
GPS Antenna Integrated
receipt.
Iridium Hardware 9603 Iridium modem
Iridium Antenna Maxtena Helicore Iridium antenna CUSTOMER REMEDIES: Xeos Technologies Inc. entire liability and your exclusive remedy shall be
Dimensions (Length, Width, Height) 3.2" x 1.2" x 4.6" at Xeos Technologies Inc. option, either (a) return of the price paid or (b) repair or replacement
Weight 270g of the product that does not meet Xeos Technologies Inc. Limited Warranty and that is returned
Operating Frequency 1616 – 1626.5 MHz to Xeos Technologies Inc. with a copy of your receipt. This Limited Warranty is void if failure of
Operating Temperature -20° C to 40° C the product has resulted from accident, abuse, or misapplication. Any replacement product will
be warranted for the remainder of the original warranty period or ninety (90) days, whichever is
Electrical longer.
Supply Input 3.6V nominal, at max charge 4.2V
Battery Capacity 3Ah NO OTHER WARRANTIES: Xeos Technologies Inc. disclaims all other warranties, either express or
Charging Current (12V) 200 - 250mA implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a
particular purpose, with respect to the product or the accompanying written materials. This
limited warranty gives you specific legal rights. You may have others, which vary from state to
The Hermes uses ChibiOS Real-Time Operating System (RTOS). For more information, state.
visit www.chibios.org
NO LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES: In no event shall Xeos Technologies Inc. or its
suppliers be liable for any damages whatsoever (including, without limitation, damages for loss
of equipment, for loss of business profits, business interruption, loss of business information, or
Appendix C: Installing the RS-422 Driver other pecuniary loss) arising out of the use of or inability to use this Xeos Technologies Inc.
1. Navigate to the following link for the Virtual COM Port Drivers for the FTDI Chip product, even if Xeos Technologies Inc. has been advised of the possibility of such damages.
2. Choose the appropriate version of the driver for the operating system used
3. After installing, plug in the RS-422 cable
4. Enter the computer’s device manager or equivalent and confirm the cable is registered
as connected.

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