Overview

ShotPM is a Weapon Shot Counter (WSC). The first generation (Q1 2018) ShotPM firearm accessory is a small hardware module designed to be attached to any firearm with an M-Lok rail solution. It incorporates a compact accelerometer to count shots fired and a radio transceiver (using the 2.4 GHz unlicensed band for radio communications with IEEE 802.15.4 standards) to relay this information back to persistent data storage located on a PC server or in the cloud. Radio communications are silenced automatically once the ShotPM accessory is out of range of an active gateway unit and will not reactivate until the counter is back within the secure range of the mesh network using a secure token exchange.

The ShotPM solution is derived from V-Tag, a mesh network enabled active RFID tag that is manufactured by InfinID Technologies. With mesh networking, simply place a few fixed tags at strategic locations in the armory or gun range, and the shot tracker can relay messages through these fixed tags to a gateway unit for robust and reliable shot reporting solutions. The gateway unit is hooked up to Ethernet or Wi-Fi, usually a single gateway unit is sufficient for a 1/2km area assuming sufficient fixed location tags are within relay vicinities. In addition, the location of firearms is periodically reported using the fixed location proximity tag network. This reporting provides confidence that all firearms are accounted for and location history and custody records can be reviewed by any authorized users. The ShotPM dashboard will report many things, such as elapsed time since a ShotPM tag has been seen, ambient temperatures, battery levels, and if the ShotPM tag has been associated to a physical asset or not.

Shot data is integrated into a secure variation of the APB360.com (GunTRAC LLC) platform (an industry leading inventory and firearm training and tracking system) which provides real-time information regarding which rifles need maintenance, the maintenance history, chain of custody and optionally proximity tag or active location. Each ShotPM tag provides a license for asset management in APB360.com’s cloud based inventory management solution. Off-cloud database and software solutions are also available for CJIS, Fedramp, and Mil installations, and the ShotPM APB360 management system can be used in the Amazon Government Cloud as well, further saving operational costs for your organization’s needs.

Preventative Maintenance

ShotPM allows armory personnel to efficiently maintain firearms. Maintenance milestones can be easily created by any user and tracked not only by effective round count, but also by elapsed time in days since last milestone claim. Reports can be generated to identify weapons requiring maintenance. The streamlined maintenance record keeping process will reduce malfunctions and improve accountability across any organization implementing ShotPM.

In addition to keeping a count of shots fired, ShotPM keeps a separate count of “high energy events,” such as a rifle being dropped or bouncing in a vehicle during transport. This reporting can assist with maintenance operations planning. For example, weapons stowed vertically in vehicles which embark on poorly maintained roads or off-road conditions will be able to account for spring wear.

Communications

ShotPM is a mesh network tag.  With mesh networking, place a Fixed Tag at each strategic location in the armory or gun range, and the device can relay messages through these fixed tags to a gateway unit for a robust and reliable shot reporting solution. Utilizing this technology, each rifle will automatically report which location tag it is nearest as well as configurable hourly sensor reports. Sensor reports provide battery levels and temperatures, as well as a digest of shot count categories. The ShotPM solution associates a unique RFID identifier with each firearm that may be electronically queried in the armory or gun range. Hands free communication assists in periodic audits and the tracking of individual firearms, as well as periodic rotations and maintenance schedules. Once the ShotPM accessory is within range of the gateway (~10m) or a sufficient chain of fixed network tags (~10m to location/proximity tag or gateway, and ~100m range between location/proximity tags), the data may then be accessed to generate shots fired reports accessible on phones, tablets, laptops or desktop computers. The 2.4 GHz unlicensed band is used for radio communications, using IEEE 802.15.4 standards.

Many of the customers for ShotPM tags are military or law enforcement, and concerns are raised that ShotPM tags could be used by enemy forces to track the presence and location of weapons and personnel. To address these concerns the ShotPM operates in two modes, messaging mode and silent mode. When the ShotPM tag is on a military base or in a police armory, it operates in messaging mode, providing periodic status reports. When the ShotPM tag is in the field, it operates in silent mode, receiving messages but not transmitting. It transitions from silent mode to messaging mode upon detection of the fixed tag infrastructure of the military base or armory. The fixed tag infrastructure uses authentication and encryption in the tag activation messages. The authentication and encryption keys are set during the commissioning of the fixed tags and weapon tags for first use and may be changed periodically to meet the needs of the security policy of the customer.

Battery/Power Source

The ShotPM accessory is battery powered using the popular CR123A lithium battery. The batteries are field replaceable. Battery life is between one to two years depending on level of usage. Location or Proximity tags have a 6 year battery life.