Insert, save, done: New VDO download terminal for DTCO data
With a practical reader for the break room and fleet headquarters, VDO has made reading out the data from driver cards and download keys easier than ever before, simplifying the handling of tachograph data.
IAA Commercial Vehicles, Hanover, 21 September 2010. Since the digital tachograph was introduced, regular downloads of vehicle and driver data for archiving purposes have long become routine for almost everyone involved. Market leader VDO has developed a range of innovative solutions for the transfer of data from tachographs to the fleet computer. Along with the universal download key and remote downloads via WLAN or the cellular telephone network, the company also offers the VDO DLT II download terminal, which has now been comprehensively updated. With this intelligent reader, fleet managers can maintain an overview of the situation even in companies with many drivers. They can be certain they are fulfilling their legal obligations to archive data and have a simple, practical tool to support them with their data handling activities.
Easier than a cash machine
The second generation of the VDO download terminal is barely larger than a landline telephone and is easier to use than a cash machine or bank statement printer. It can be installed on a table or wall-mounted, e.g. in a break room or in the reception area of a transportation company, and drivers only have to insert their card once every 28 days for all of their data to be read out and archived extremely quickly. If desired, the data can also be viewed directly on the DLT II download terminal. The data is available immediately to the fleet manager via a USB or cable connection - and soon also via a WLAN interface - for further analysis using the familiar TIS programs installed on the company's computer network. The data stored on the download key from mass storage devices and the driver card can also be downloaded in this way.
While the first device generation had a comparatively small matrix display, VDO has now equipped the DLT II download terminal not just with faster interfaces, but also with a larger monitor. The TFT screen guides the driver through the menu with colored icons and is large enough to display an initial evaluation of the data. Furthermore, the download process is now significantly quicker and a successful download is now acknowledged by a signal tone. This ensures faster and more reliable downloading even during the hectic rush of peak times such as lunch or at the end of the day.
The DLT II download terminal from VDO also offers clear benefits to fleet managers. Although the device can still be used as a standalone solution, it is now even easier to transfer the data on to in-house networks for analysis with, for example, TIS-Office. Shortly after the market launch, the tachograph specialist VDO will be introducing a wireless transfer solution for this purpose, which is able to perform online transfer of all data from the memory of the download terminal. In addition, the company has built up a professional service network. Software updates for the terminal can be downloaded easily from the Internet, regional sales partners carry out installation and servicing and a straightforward exchange system is being prepared for existing customers.
With the DLT II download terminal, market leader VDO has once again proven that its expertise also extends to the peripherals and infrastructure for digital tachographs. With practical and straightforward solutions such as this card reader, remote downloads via WLAN or the cellular telephone network and the download key, the tachograph specialists VDO are closing the gap between the tachograph and the fleet headquarters where all of the data is collected. Customized software solutions such as TIS-Web and TIS-Office round off the system and help fleet managers save time and money.
