User's Guide

Welcome
The OVMS (Open Vehicle Monitoring System) team is a group of enthusiasts who are
developing a means to remotely communicate with our cars, and are having fun while doing it.
The OVMS module is a low-cost hardware device that you install in your car simply by installing
a SIM card, connecting the module to your car’s Diagnostic port connector, and optionally
positioning a cellular antenna. Once connected, the OVMS module enables remote control and
monitoring of your car.
This user guide is for the version v3 of OVMS module.
There are four ways for you to communicate with the OVMS module:
1. If you have the cellular option, and a cellular plan that supports SMS messages, you can
send text messages from a cell phone to the OVMS module’s phone number. The
module will respond back via text messaging. If you want, the OVMS module can also
send text messages to you when the car reaches certain states, such as if charging is
interrupted.
2. Using either a cellular data connection, or WiFi, you can use a smartphone App. Both
the OVMS module and the App communicate with an OVMS server via TCP/IP over the
Internet. The smartphone Apps provide a richer experience and more functionality than
SMS, but they do require a data plan on the SIM card you purchase and install in the
OVMS module.
3. Use a laptop/workstation with a USB port to communicate using a serial terminal.
4. Use WiFi and a web browser / telnet / ssh console client.
This Guide will help you setup and configure your OVMS module. Initial configuration of the
OVMS v3 module is usually done over WiFi using a Web Browser, telnet or ssh. Once
configured, you can use SMS, cell phone Apps, laptops, or WiFi to communicate with the OVMS
module.
OVMS v3 User Guide Page 7 / 86