Digital tachograph

The sender unit produces electronic pulses as the gearbox output shaft turns.

As well as automatically receiving speed data, the tachograph records the driver's activity selected from a choice of modes.

In Europe, drivers are legally required to accurately record their activities, retain the records and produce them on demand to transport authorities who are charged with enforcing regulations governing drivers' working hours.

The retrieved data should be stored as described in European Regulation 1360/2002 in file that can be imported into tachograph analysis software.

The digital data stored by the tachograph system can be analysed by computer and infringements automatically identified.

Digital data is encrypted and cannot be altered or deleted by the driver once stored on the card or in the head.

When an analogue chart is visually analysed, a margin of error is present, dependent on the quality of the recording and the skill level of the analyst.

Without a digital card reader, computer and analysis software, the data can be more difficult to interpret as it is not visually represented as the analogue chart is, and requires mathematical calculations to decipher the information from its presented format.