Concept renderAsset tracker
LTE-M asset and equipment tracker
Bolted to a pallet, trailer, generator or rental tool. Motion wake-up, a sealed enclosure and a battery sized in years when it reports a few times a day.
Products · Trackers
Off-the-shelf trackers lock you into their shape, their firmware and their server.
We build custom LTE-M and Cat-1bis trackers for assets, fleets and pets, and Bluetooth tags for Apple Find My. You own the firmware, location data goes straight to your cloud, and the device is shaped for what you track.
Concept renderForm factors
What a custom tracker can look like
Three common starting points, and three more we see often. The radio, battery and enclosure change with each one.
Concept render
Concept renderPet tracker
Collar tracker for dogs and cats
LTE-M and GNSS for live tracking on a walk, a BLE home beacon so it can sleep while the pet is at home, and a housing that survives water, mud and chewing.
Concept renderFind My tag
Bluetooth tag for Apple Find My
Coin-cell or rechargeable BLE tag that uses Apple’s Find My network to locate items. Your company enrolls with Apple; we design to the specification.
Fleet
Hardwired or OBD vehicle unit
Vehicle power with load-dump protection, ignition sense, CAN or OBD-II reads, and a backup cell for tamper alerts when power is cut.
Cold chain
Temperature logger with LTE
Probe or internal temperature and humidity sensor, local logging while out of coverage, and upload with timestamps when the network returns.
Personal safety
Safety tracker for adults
Badge or clip for lone workers and older adults: SOS button, fall or no-motion alert, optional voice call. Adults only; we do not build children’s products.
When custom makes sense
If you only need a standard tracker, buy one
Generic 4G trackers are a commodity, and large makers already sell FCC-certified models in North America. We are a fit when your product needs one or more of these.
Who this is for: cold-chain and logistics platforms, equipment rental, fleet and field-operations startups, pet brands, lone-worker safety and older-adult safety services.
- A form factor or mount that standard trackers do not offer
- Firmware source in your repository, so your engineers change the logic
- Data sent straight to your backend, with no vendor tracking server
- A module origin your procurement team can defend
- Sensors such as temperature, shock, tilt, door or fuel, with event detection on the device
- Batches of 10–1,000 units, where off-the-shelf makers will not customize
System
From the satellite fix to your map
A tracker is five layers that must agree on timing, power and what happens out of coverage. We build the first four and test against the fifth.
- 01
Sense
GNSS fix, Wi-Fi or cell-ID fallback indoors, motion and environmental sensors, BLE beacons.
- 02
Device
Firmware state machine for moving, parked and stored. Power budget measured per state. Signed OTA.
- 03
Network
LTE-M or Cat-1bis on US carriers with your SIM, or a crowd-sourced Bluetooth network for Find My tags.
- 04
Delivery
MQTT, LwM2M, CoAP or HTTPS to your endpoint. Store-and-forward when coverage drops. Device certificates you hold.
- 05 · YOURS
Your platform
Your maps, alerts, billing and customer app. We test against your endpoint and hand over the protocol docs.
Reference architecture
Inside a typical cellular tracker
The cellular module sets the certification path and much of the battery budget. We pick it first, then design around it.
| Block | For example | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Cellular | Nordic nRF9151 (LTE-M with integrated GNSS); u-blox LEXI-R10 (Cat-1bis); Telit Cinterion ME310G1 or Semtech HL7812 (LTE-M); Quectel or Fibocom when lowest cost matters most | LTE-M for low power and deep coverage; Cat-1bis for higher data rates and voice |
| GNSS | Integrated GNSS on the nRF91, or u-blox M10 for faster fixes and lower power | Wi-Fi and cell-ID positioning as a fallback indoors |
| Application processor | The module itself, or a separate Nordic nRF54 or STM32U5 when you need BLE or heavy sensor logic | Keeps your application code portable if the cellular module changes |
| Sensors | Bosch BMA400 or ST LIS2DH12 accelerometer; Sensirion SHT4x temperature and humidity; BLE for tags and beacons | Motion wake-up saves most of the battery in asset trackers |
| Power | Rechargeable Li-ion for wearables, collars and returnable assets; Li-SOCl2 primary cells for multi-year deployments; vehicle input with load-dump protection for fleet | PSM and eDRX settings are tuned per carrier and measured on the bench |
| SIM | MFF2 eSIM or iSIM with the carrier or MVNO you contract | You own the connectivity contract; we test with your SIMs |
| Find My tag (BLE only) | A Bluetooth LE SoC, such as the Nordic nRF52 or nRF54L series, a speaker or buzzer, and a coin cell or small Li-Po | No cellular module, no SIM and no carrier approval; the network program and Bluetooth qualification set the path |
Part names are examples only. Final selection happens at Gate 0 against your coverage, battery, cost and module-origin requirements.
Apple Find My
Find My tags: your enrollment, our hardware
A Find My tag has no SIM. It sends Bluetooth signals that nearby Apple devices pick up and relay, end to end encrypted, to the owner’s Find My app. Apple runs this as part of its MFi Program, and the program is for companies.
- Your company enrolls. The MFi Program gives licensees the technical specifications, which are Apple Confidential, plus certification tools and badge artwork. Third-party products must follow all the privacy protections of the Find My network (Apple).
- Your company submits. You submit a product plan, then production-ready samples and packaging for Apple’s review. Approved products can carry the “Works with Apple Find My” badge.
- An authorized factory builds. MFi finished goods must come from an MFi authorized manufacturer (Apple MFi). We plan the production route at Gate 0.
- We do the engineering. Hardware and firmware to the specification your team shares with us, test units for your submission, and fixes from review.
Unwanted-tracking protections
Anti-stalking behavior is part of the design
In May 2024 Apple and Google released the cross-platform Detecting Unwanted Location Trackers specification. iOS 17.5 and Android 6.0 or later alert a person when an unknown tracker that supports it is seen moving with them (Apple). The IETF DULT working group is turning this into a standard protocol.
We treat these behaviors as requirements from Gate 1: the separated-state advertising, a working sound maker, and an identification mode a finder can use.
Google Find Hub
The Android equivalent has its own path
For Google’s Find Hub network you submit a device proposal for Google’s approval, pass self-tests, then certify at a designated third-party lab (Google). Its accessory specification requires the DULT behaviors and a sound maker that supports ringing. Google provides no SDK for this, so firmware comes from the SoC vendor’s stack and our team.
Pet trackers
A collar is a hard place for electronics
Pet trackers fail on battery life, on the collar mount and on water. These are the parts we test first, on the real collar and in the real enclosure.
Pet trackers often pair with a phone app. We deliver the device protocol and SDK by default, or build the app and backend in your own cloud account. App, cloud and AI.
- Radio mix. LTE-M and GNSS for live tracking away from home. A BLE link to a home beacon or the owner’s phone, so the cellular radio and GNSS can sleep while the pet is in range.
- Battery. A measured current profile for resting, walking and live-tracking modes, and an honest runtime estimate per mode before you pick a cell size.
- Mount and drops. A clip or loop that fits the collar widths you sell, survives being shaken, scratched and dropped, and does not let the device spin under the neck.
- Water and dirt. A sealed housing and charging contacts that survive rain, swimming and mud. We set the ingress target with you at Gate 0 and test it on EVT units.
- Antennas. GNSS and LTE antennas tuned with the device on a collar, where fur, the animal’s body and the buckle all shift performance.
Module origin
A BOM your procurement team can defend
US rules on Chinese telecom components tightened through 2025 and 2026. As of October 2026:
- The FCC will not authorize new devices that contain modules from companies on its Covered List (FCC 25-71, effective December 26, 2025).
- FCC 26-50 extends the ban to certain logic-bearing components made by Covered List entities, for new devices from October 13, 2026.
- Under NDAA FY2024 Section 805, the Department of Defense has not bought directly from entities on the 1260H list since June 30, 2026. Quectel is on that list and is challenging the listing in court. The extension to contractor equipment takes effect June 30, 2027.
Quectel and Fibocom are not on the Covered List today. That can change, and some of your customers may already ask about it.
Available at Gate 0
Two priced BOMs, side by side
- Option A: lowest-cost module, any origin
- Option B: non-Chinese module, for example Nordic, u-blox, Telit Cinterion or Semtech
- Unit cost difference, lead time and certification impact for each
- Module-origin record and SBOM for whichever you choose
We do not take government, defense or FirstNet projects. The non-Chinese option is for commercial customers whose buyers ask the question.
Certification path
FCC, PTCRB, carriers and finding networks, planned from Gate 0
Cellular trackers carry the heaviest certification path we manage. As planning figures, FCC, PTCRB and one carrier cost roughly $30,000 to $100,000 per product and take about two to four months, run in parallel with the pilot build. We confirm both with lab quotes at Gate 0. A Bluetooth-only tag has a much lighter path.
| Requirement | When it applies | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| FCC Parts 22, 24 and 27 | Every LTE device, for the licensed bands it uses (B5 in Part 22, B2 in Part 24, B4/12/13/66/71 in Part 27) | A pre-certified module reduces the radiated testing. It does not remove the host device obligations. |
| FCC Part 15 Subpart B and C | Subpart B for all digital circuitry; Subpart C for BLE or Wi-Fi, including every Find My tag | Tested on the final device with production antennas. |
| FCC Covered List and component rules | All new authorizations | Devices with modules from Covered List entities cannot be authorized (FCC 25-71, effective December 26, 2025). FCC 26-50 extends this to certain logic-bearing components from October 13, 2026. |
| PTCRB and IoT Network Certified | Cellular devices on carriers that require it, such as AT&T | IoT devices are certified through CTIA’s IoT Network Certified program, which reuses the module’s PTCRB results. The finished tracker still goes through it. |
| Carrier approval | Each carrier you launch on | AT&T runs its own Network Ready review after PTCRB, which is simpler with a module from its approved catalog. Verizon runs its own device certification. Each carrier adds time and lab fees. |
| RF exposure (47 CFR §2.1093) | Worn or carried within 20 cm of the body | Personal and badge trackers usually need SAR testing. For a pet collar the lab confirms the evaluation at Gate 0. Vehicle and pallet trackers usually do not need it. |
| Bluetooth SIG qualification | Every product that uses Bluetooth, including tags and BLE-equipped trackers | Completed under your company’s Bluetooth SIG membership before you sell. A qualification fee applies to the first submission of a design. |
| Apple Find My or Google Find Hub | Tags that join either finding network | Each program has its own enrollment, specification and certification, run in your company’s name. See Find My tags above. |
| UN38.3 + 49 CFR §173.185 | Any lithium cell, including primary Li-SOCl2 and coin cells shipped in a device | Test summary from the cell or pack supplier, checked against your shipping method. |
Rules as of October 2026. Primary sources: 47 CFR Part 22, Part 24, Part 27, §2.1093, PTCRB, AT&T IoT devices FAQ, Bluetooth SIG qualification, 49 CFR §173.185. We run formal certification testing at FCC-recognized labs outside mainland China, such as Taiwan, Hong Kong or the US. Lab, PTCRB, carrier and program fees are paid by you; we manage the process. How we plan FCC work.
Import duty. Classification moves the tariff. In ruling N315940, CBP placed LTE and GPS tracking modules from China under HTS 8526.91.0040, because GPS performs the principal function, which brought a 25% Section 301 duty. Products classified under 8517.62 fall on a lower Section 301 list. Other duty layers have changed since, so we price the current rates into a landed DDP quote and can help you request a binding ruling.
Small batches and scale
From 3–5 prototypes to a field pilot
Small batches run 10–1,000 units; Gate 4 production is 1,000+ units. The early gates are small on purpose, so you test coverage and battery life in the field before you buy tooling.
- Gate 1, works-like (3–5 units, 3–6 weeks). Module evaluation board on a custom carrier, first firmware reporting to your endpoint. You drive it, walk it or ship it, and check the data.
- Gate 2, EVT (10–30 units, 6–10 weeks). Custom PCB, antennas tuned in the real enclosure, measured current in PSM and eDRX on each target carrier.
- Gate 3, pilot (10–1,000 units, 8–16 weeks). Field pilot with real customers while FCC, PTCRB, carrier and network-program testing run.
Every unit gets a production test we write with you:
- GNSS sensitivity against a GNSS simulator, with carrier-to-noise and time to first fix logged against limits set from EVT data
- Conducted RF check at a test point: LTE transmit power and receive sensitivity, plus BLE output power
- SIM or eSIM provisioning, then an LTE attach and data session to your endpoint with RSRP logged
- Sleep current check, so a single bad part does not drain a battery in the field
- Speaker and button check on tags, since both finding networks rely on the sound maker
- IMEI, ICCID, serial and device certificate written to a manifest you keep
Data sovereignty
Location data goes to your server, in your format
Many trackers report to the maker’s platform first. Ours report only where you tell them to.
- Firmware talks directly to your MQTT broker, LwM2M server or HTTPS API. You define the payload.
- No Duobay server, no white-label tracking platform and no China-hosted service in the path.
- Device certificates and OTA signing keys are generated and held by you.
- Firmware source, build instructions and an SBOM are delivered at every gate.
- We design for privacy laws that cover location data, such as state consumer privacy and anti-stalking rules, with clear owner controls and consent settings in firmware.
Start from proven work
Reference design and reading
Internal reference design
LTE & GNSS tracker
A starting point for cellular trackers: module, GNSS, power and firmware already brought up.
[Module · bands · battery life · FCC ID — to fill]
View design →Further reading
Can I use a pre-certified LTE module and skip FCC certification for my tracker?
What a modular grant covers, and what the finished device still has to pass.
Trackers: common questions
Can you beat the price of an off-the-shelf tracker?
No, and we do not try. A standard 4G vehicle tracker costs far less than any custom build. Choose us when you need a form factor, sensor set, firmware ownership or module origin that an off-the-shelf unit cannot give you.
Why LTE-M or Cat-1bis only? What about 2G, 3G or NB-IoT?
The three major US carriers have shut down 2G and 3G, and AT&T has stopped certifying new NB-IoT devices (as of October 2026). LTE-M and Cat-1bis run on all three networks. For nationwide coverage we design for bands B2, B4, B5, B12, B13, B66 and B71.
Can you put our tag on Apple Find My?
We can design the hardware and firmware to Apple’s Find My specification and build test units. Your company enrolls in Apple’s MFi Program, receives the specification, submits the product and owns the result. Production has to run at an MFi authorized manufacturer, which we plan at Gate 0.
Can we use a Quectel or Fibocom module?
Yes. As of October 2026 neither company is on the FCC Covered List, and their modules often cost less. Some customers ask for a non-Chinese option because of NDAA Section 805 and the 1260H list. We price both BOMs at Gate 0 so you can decide.
Does a pre-certified module mean we skip certification?
No. It reduces the work. The finished tracker still needs FCC Part 15B, usually its own FCC ID, PTCRB or IoT Network Certified testing and carrier approval. Read the full answer.
Who provides the SIM and data plan?
You do, through a carrier or an IoT MVNO of your choice. We test with your SIMs and help you choose eSIM or iSIM if you need to switch carriers later without opening the device.
Next step. Tell us what you track, where it travels, how long the battery must last, and whether it needs cellular, a finding network or both. A Duobay engineer replies within 2 business days.