Author Topic: Teardown: Car Insurance - Telematics Black Box  (Read 18982 times)

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Offline GarywooTopic starter

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Teardown: Car Insurance - Telematics Black Box
« on: November 25, 2015, 01:59:51 am »
Introduction:

My car insurance company (Admiral, in the UK) contacted me and asked if I wanted to receive a 'box' that would monitor my driving and possibly reduce my insurance premium. I agreed. It only had to be kept in the car for 3 months and then returned, and since I only used my car for commuting, I didn't mind them effectively tracking me. After all they already know where I live and work.

I received the unit pictured below:


Two main components, the power adapter, and the circular "puck". The latter came with an adhesive pad on the back, and the manual noted to mount either flat or at vertically at 90 degrees with the arrow imprint always pointing forward. I assumed it contained at least an accelerometer and gyro to record my driving behaviour, as well as a GSM radio to send the data back to their headquarters for processing.

Of course, being the inquisitive and aspiring electronics engineering nerd that I am, I had to take it apart! I waited until after the insurance company asked for me to send the unit back before taking it apart, in case disassembly produced some weird results and skewed my data, or there were some internal switches pressed against the case that could tell when the unit had been opened or tampered with (spoiler: there weren't any).
Now let me state here, I'm pretty much an electronics noob. I understand what most of the components are and do on the boards, but I have some questions that I'll post at the end if anyone feels like teaching me something.

I'm really posting this because when I originally got the unit, I did a quick search online to see if there was any info about this particular unit and what exactly was in it, but failed to find anything. Hopefully this post will be found by someone else like me in the future, who wants to know what's inside this box before they stick it in their car for 3 months.
I know this is also the same box used by Bell Insurance, and presumably also Elephant, Diamond and Gladiator Insurance, as they are all within the same group, although I don't know if they offer a telematics scheme.

Teardown: (Click images for full size versions)

Puck PCB Top


Puck PCB Bottom


12v Power Adapter


Notes:
  • Identifying marks hidden in photos.
  • Contains GPS and GSM units (datasheets linked below), and presumably an accelerometer/gyroscope and magnetometer (I'm unsure where these components are).
  • Large shielding can under the angular antenna, unfortunately i didn't want to risk trying to pop it off without damaging the unit. Would have loved to see under it.
  • Unit was powered up while taking these photos. Notice the green LED on the puck.
  • There is a quite a significant amount of bodging done on the power adapter PCB. Mostly diodes and a couple bodgewires!
  • Power adapter has a completely blank PCB backside
  • Power adapter has 2x AAA rechargeable batteries under the PCB connected to the white JST connector on the top side. the device is always powered until they die. There is no off switch.
  • The power adapter has a switch on the centre pin of the 12v socket plug, allowing it to recognise when it is physically unplugged from the car.
  • Power adapter also has a USB socket for charging external devices, and a secondary 12v connector (black plastic plug on the bottom edge, under the USB socket) for an included optional 12v automotive socket on a short wire
  • Interestingly, the patent explains how the unit 'profiles' the car's electrical system (presumably electrical signal noise from the alternator) and recognises if it's being used in a different car.
  • The patent proprietor is listed as the insurance company, so I assume they actually invented this particular model.

My questions are:
  • Where is the processor? Under the can?
  • Where is the accelerometer, gyro and magnetometer?
  • Since the unit has a GSM radio, does it also need a SIM card? Where is the SIM?
  • What do you think the 3 pin jumpers are for, on the top of the puck?

Links:

Patent:
GB2498793

Datasheets:
« Last Edit: November 25, 2015, 02:22:52 am by Garywoo »
 

Offline Macbeth

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Re: Teardown: Car Insurance - Telematics Black Box
« Reply #1 on: November 25, 2015, 02:38:47 am »
I've never understood these devices as every quote I've had from other insurers has been cheaper than the few with these godawful spy devices.

What's more - that 12V cig lighter connection looks even more dodgy and intermittent than the usual won hung lo stuff. I assumed they were professionally hard wired in to your car? This is a joke. Surely when you are a young driver (who i guess these things are foisted upon) then when you want to go tear arsing around at night you just unplug it?

...and before anyone says "Ah but then your insurance is null and void", no, statutory insurance is there for third parties and the insurer has to cover by law and can't wriggle out of a claim because of this crap not working / unplugged at the time of an incident.
 

Offline dadler

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Re: Teardown: Car Insurance - Telematics Black Box
« Reply #2 on: November 25, 2015, 02:52:37 am »
I assumed they were professionally hard wired in to your car? This is a joke. Surely when you are a young driver (who i guess these things are foisted upon) then when you want to go tear arsing around at night you just unplug it?

Me thinks you did not thoroughly read the post...
 

Offline Macbeth

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Re: Teardown: Car Insurance - Telematics Black Box
« Reply #3 on: November 25, 2015, 03:05:05 am »
I assumed they were professionally hard wired in to your car? This is a joke. Surely when you are a young driver (who i guess these things are foisted upon) then when you want to go tear arsing around at night you just unplug it?

Me thinks you did not thoroughly read the post...
You mean it has its own rechargable battery? So what - remove it from the car and leave it behind... Besides the batteries would drain in no time when the cig lighter is not connected either by car design (some cars the cig is permanently on, others its only on when the key is turned) or its very poor design of requiring the crappy very poor cig connection anyway.

Too many points of failure.
 

Online SeanB

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Re: Teardown: Car Insurance - Telematics Black Box
« Reply #4 on: November 25, 2015, 04:31:24 am »
SIM would be an integrated part of the GSM module, not a separate card, as you can put this functionality in the GSM CPU in any case, that it is a card is just a convenience from wanting to have an identity that is transportable from phone to phone. In this use there is no need for that for a fixed unit which would not actually have an associated phone number, just an identifier for the network and a GPRS data connection. Mems accelerometer is the tiny IC U19.

The 2 AA cells will power the unit for a long time, it will stop transmitting at power off ( finish the current packet and disconnect then power off the GSM module) and turn the GPS into micropower mode ( not moving but keeping a record of current time and the constellation so it can relock fast on next power up) and simply poll the MEMS to see when it starts moving again, or the engine starts, probably from AC noise on the supply and the module power supply switch actuating if plugged in.
 

Offline GarywooTopic starter

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Re: Teardown: Car Insurance - Telematics Black Box
« Reply #5 on: November 25, 2015, 09:12:06 am »
Thanks for the info Sean,
I wasn't aware you could bake an ID into a GSM chip.
 

Online tggzzz

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Re: Teardown: Car Insurance - Telematics Black Box
« Reply #6 on: November 25, 2015, 09:49:49 am »
I woudl love to take one of these for a ride in a glider, to see what they made of: 0-50mph in 4s, up to 150mph, pulling 3g in corners going round in a circle many times and more :)

More seriously, these devices are for the insurance company's financial benefit, not yours. Over time these devices will be used to increase premiums, by these standard tricks:
  • if you don't have one (by "choice" of course), your premiums will be higher
  • "cherry-picking" the good risks, leaving the poor risks to scrabble around elsewhere
  • denying liability if you are, for example, travelling above the speed limit when an accident occurs
  • denying liability if you travel more than you stated in your policy application
  • ditto driving less

Even though I've never been bitten I never trust an insurance company.

Once I was rear-ended in a queue of traffic, which is more-or-less the prime example of a no-fault claim. The company's sebt around a loss adjuster and, before looking at the damage he checked the tyres. Why? Because if they had been faulty he would not have bothered to look at the damage - the claim would have been rejected as the car would have been "not roadworthy". Faulty tyres could not have caused the accident but that would have been irrelevant.
There are lies, damned lies, statistics - and ADC/DAC specs.
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Online tautech

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Re: Teardown: Car Insurance - Telematics Black Box
« Reply #7 on: November 25, 2015, 10:11:48 am »
I woudl love to take one of these for a ride in a glider, to see what they made of: 0-50mph in 4s, up to 150mph, pulling 3g in corners going round in a circle many times and more :)
Or a top fuel dragster.  :-DD
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Online mikerj

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Re: Teardown: Car Insurance - Telematics Black Box
« Reply #8 on: November 25, 2015, 07:56:52 pm »
Even though I've never been bitten I never trust an insurance company.

A very wise policy if you'll excuse the pun.  It's almost as though they strive to give the lowest possible levels of customer service, and I particularly despise the universal practice of jacking up renewal premiums on the off-chance you won't look elsewhere.
 

Offline Jeroen3

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Re: Teardown: Car Insurance - Telematics Black Box
« Reply #9 on: November 25, 2015, 08:10:24 pm »
Assuming you use it in the intended car the first time, it is easy to detect physical removal using the accelerometer and gyroscope since it will suddenly have large high frequency movements instead of the sluggish movement of the car to which it is taped.

On those batteries it will last multiple days. If not close to two weeks.
 

Offline Macbeth

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Re: Teardown: Car Insurance - Telematics Black Box
« Reply #10 on: November 25, 2015, 09:15:22 pm »
Assuming you use it in the intended car the first time, it is easy to detect physical removal using the accelerometer and gyroscope since it will suddenly have large high frequency movements instead of the sluggish movement of the car to which it is taped.

On those batteries it will last multiple days. If not close to two weeks.
Thankfully the law on mandatory insurance in the UK, as stated in the Road Traffic Acts, compels the insurer to provide a minimum cover of third party which is really all anyone should concern themselves with. Once a policy is written the insurer has to pay out and all this techno bullshit (and other bullshit they have used like telephone based "lie detectors" on claims lines) are just that.
 

Offline Whales

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Re: Teardown: Car Insurance - Telematics Black Box
« Reply #11 on: November 25, 2015, 09:57:19 pm »
telephone based "lie detectors" on claims line

 :o

Offline mikeselectricstuff

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Re: Teardown: Car Insurance - Telematics Black Box
« Reply #12 on: November 25, 2015, 10:11:15 pm »
Not sure how necessary an accelerometer, let alone a gyro would be, as it ought to be possible to get most of the info from the GPS data, especially if you could get more than one fix per second.
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Offline helius

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Re: Teardown: Car Insurance - Telematics Black Box
« Reply #13 on: November 25, 2015, 10:33:26 pm »
The accelerometer could reveal the time and position of collisions, along with things like going over bumps at high speeds. It's not entirely useless: insurance often covers damage from causes besides other drivers, and there are some drivers who don't carry insurance (illegally) or who leave the scene.
 

Offline FireFlower

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Re: Teardown: Car Insurance - Telematics Black Box
« Reply #14 on: November 26, 2015, 02:21:59 am »
  • Where is the processor? Under the can?
  • Where is the accelerometer, gyro and magnetometer?
  • Since the unit has a GSM radio, does it also need a SIM card? Where is the SIM?
  • What do you think the 3 pin jumpers are for, on the top of the puck?

1. Processor (MCU) seems to be under can according to test points
2. Can't say for sure, can't see part numbers. Either U6, U18 or U19. My bet would be U6
3. U4 contains GSM chip, reprogrammed E-SIM (there are programmable sim chips)
4. Programming or serial connection for or both.
 

Offline Jeroen3

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Re: Teardown: Car Insurance - Telematics Black Box
« Reply #15 on: November 26, 2015, 06:52:52 pm »
Not sure how necessary an accelerometer, let alone a gyro would be, as it ought to be possible to get most of the info from the GPS data, especially if you could get more than one fix per second.
The accelerometer analyses the aggressiveness of your driving. You can use the throttle and brake as binary switches, and some people do.
GPS has a low update interval and high inaccuracy to get this data.
 

Offline m98

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Re: Teardown: Car Insurance - Telematics Black Box
« Reply #16 on: November 26, 2015, 10:26:51 pm »
I woudl love to take one of these for a ride in a glider, to see what they made of: 0-50mph in 4s, up to 150mph, pulling 3g in corners going round in a circle many times and more :)
Maybe you'd get a letter from CAA?  ;D
 

Online tggzzz

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Re: Teardown: Car Insurance - Telematics Black Box
« Reply #17 on: November 26, 2015, 11:21:51 pm »
I woudl love to take one of these for a ride in a glider, to see what they made of: 0-50mph in 4s, up to 150mph, pulling 3g in corners going round in a circle many times and more :)
Maybe you'd get a letter from CAA?  ;D

Saying what? That's all part of everyday  flights, so the CAA are perfectly aware of it. 14yo adults do it on their own. And "departing from controlled flight" is a normal way of losing excess height. See another glider circling upwards - go and join them; in a strong thermal you are banking at 70degrees and ensuring separation by looking upwards at the top of their head.

None of this air traffic control  nonsense, just fun and freedom.
There are lies, damned lies, statistics - and ADC/DAC specs.
Glider pilot's aphorism: "there is no substitute for span". Retort: "There is a substitute: skill+imagination. But you can buy span".
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Offline T3sl4co1l

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Re: Teardown: Car Insurance - Telematics Black Box
« Reply #18 on: November 27, 2015, 10:20:51 am »
My questions are:
  • Where is the processor? Under the can?

Everywhere.  Each module has one or more CPUs inside.  They might not be accessible for programming, though it seems likely the GSM does have one.

Among Wifi/BT chipsets, it's common to have dual cores, one for user programming, one for handling the modem (high level communications protocol, networking stack).

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Online Zero999

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Re: Teardown: Car Insurance - Telematics Black Box
« Reply #19 on: November 27, 2015, 11:32:25 am »
  • denying liability if you are, for example, travelling above the speed limit when an accident occurs
  • denying liability if you travel more than you stated in your policy application
  • ditto driving less
They cannot do that. Even if you're speeding and driving like a lunatic, they still have to pay out if you cause an accident.

However, they can refuse to renew the insurance policy or increase the premium to a silly price if the spy device detects reckless driving.

Quote
Once I was rear-ended in a queue of traffic, which is more-or-less the prime example of a no-fault claim. The company's sebt around a loss adjuster and, before looking at the damage he checked the tyres. Why? Because if they had been faulty he would not have bothered to look at the damage - the claim would have been rejected as the car would have been "not roadworthy". Faulty tyres could not have caused the accident but that would have been irrelevant.
I know what you mean. A friend of mine had an accident on their motorcycle that wasn't their fault. A van pulled out in front of them on a roundabout and hit them. The problem was, their motorcycle's front tyre was worn past the legal limit, so to avoid problems with the insurance company, they salvaged the bike themselves, took it to a garage and got a new front tyre fitted. When the loss adjuster look at the bike, it was written off and went to the scrapyard with a brand new front tyre. Fortunately, after a lot of trouble, they managed to claim on the van driver's policy.

I don't know whether they broke the law or not by replacing the tyre after the accident but I don't blame them for it.
 

Offline m98

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Re: Teardown: Car Insurance - Telematics Black Box
« Reply #20 on: November 27, 2015, 11:36:58 am »
Saying what? That's all part of everyday  flights, so the CAA are perfectly aware of it. 14yo adults do it on their own. And "departing from controlled flight" is a normal way of losing excess height. See another glider circling upwards - go and join them; in a strong thermal you are banking at 70degrees and ensuring separation by looking upwards at the top of their head.
I was joking. Just imagine someone at the insurance thinking that your car does those things and reporting the "flying car" to the aviation authority.
Btw, I'm also a glider pilot, so you won't have to tell me how fun it is.
 

Online tggzzz

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Re: Teardown: Car Insurance - Telematics Black Box
« Reply #21 on: November 27, 2015, 03:17:57 pm »
Saying what? That's all part of everyday  flights, so the CAA are perfectly aware of it. 14yo adults do it on their own. And "departing from controlled flight" is a normal way of losing excess height. See another glider circling upwards - go and join them; in a strong thermal you are banking at 70degrees and ensuring separation by looking upwards at the top of their head.
I was joking. Just imagine someone at the insurance thinking that your car does those things and reporting the "flying car" to the aviation authority.
Btw, I'm also a glider pilot, so you won't have to tell me how fun it is.

I doubt the insurance company would have that much imagination! All they are interested in is increasing insurance premiums.

Glad you enjoy gliding - let's hope a few other people realise that it is done by "ordinary people" rather than by "rich gods" :)
There are lies, damned lies, statistics - and ADC/DAC specs.
Glider pilot's aphorism: "there is no substitute for span". Retort: "There is a substitute: skill+imagination. But you can buy span".
Having fun doing more, with less
 

Offline Cubdriver

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Re: Teardown: Car Insurance - Telematics Black Box
« Reply #22 on: November 27, 2015, 09:40:02 pm »
Some one of these years I'd like to get back to it and finish getting my sailplane ticket.  Soaring is very relaxing while at the same time being challenging.  It seems I can have the time, or the money, but both never seem to coincide.  (Granted eBuy and test equipment are doing the money side no favors this point either!)

-Pat
If it jams, force it.  If it breaks, you needed a new one anyway...
 

Offline Richard Crowley

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Re: Teardown: Car Insurance - Telematics Black Box
« Reply #23 on: November 27, 2015, 10:04:25 pm »
I had a similar unit from "Progressive" insurance here in the US.
It was a much smaller "dongle" that plugged into the OBDII socket under the dashboard.
I assumed it was getting data like RPM, speed, accellerator angle, brake pressure from the vehicle.
But maybe it was just getting power from the OBDII and self contained for speed, accelleration, time, etc?
It looked very much like this....

 

Online tggzzz

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Re: Teardown: Car Insurance - Telematics Black Box
« Reply #24 on: November 28, 2015, 12:09:11 am »
Soaring is very relaxing while at the same time being challenging.
Intense relaxed concentration. You go home knackered but relaxed.
There are lies, damned lies, statistics - and ADC/DAC specs.
Glider pilot's aphorism: "there is no substitute for span". Retort: "There is a substitute: skill+imagination. But you can buy span".
Having fun doing more, with less
 


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