Overview
The Location connector receives Automatic Number Identification (ANI) and Automatic Location Identification (ALI) data from your CAD or ALI system and delivers it to the GovWorx Assist overlay in real time. It supports four transport methods — serial port, TCP, file watching, and packet capture — so it works with virtually any dispatch environment.
Prerequisites
GovWorx DataAgent installed and running on your dispatch workstation(s)
ANI/ALI feed available via one of the supported transports (see below)
Agency IT contact to confirm transport type and connection details
Step 1 — Choose a Transport Type
The Transport Type determines how the connector receives ANI/ALI data. Select the option that matches your dispatch environment.
Serial Port
Used when your ALI controller connects to the workstation via a COM port (RS-232). (Typically DB-9 connector)
Field | Description | Default |
Transport Type |
| — |
Serial Port | COM port name (e.g., | — |
Baud Rate | Match your ALI controller's setting |
|
Supported baud rates: 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600, 115200
TCP
Used when your ALI system transmits data over the network or Digibox.
Field | Description | Default |
Transport Type |
| — |
TCP Host | IP address or hostname of the ALI server | — |
TCP Port | Port number the ALI server listens on |
|
File Watcher
Used when your ALI system writes data to a shared folder on the workstation.
Field | Description | Default |
Transport Type |
| — |
Watch Directory | Full path to the folder (e.g., | — |
File Pattern | File extension filter |
|
The connector processes any files already present in the folder when it starts, then watches for new files going forward.
Packet Capture
Used for passively capturing ALI traffic from the network without needing a direct connection. Typically used in complex environments or for troubleshooting.
Field | Description | Default |
Transport Type |
| — |
Network Interface | The network adapter to listen on | — |
Filter IP Address | (Optional) Only capture traffic from this IP | — |
Filter TCP Port | (Optional) Only capture traffic on this port |
|
Packet capture runs in promiscuous mode. Your network adapter and OS may require elevated permissions.
Step 2 — Choose a Parser Type
The Parser Type tells the connector how to interpret the incoming ANI/ALI data stream. Select the format your ALI system outputs.
Option | When to Use |
| Standard NENA CPN Display format (most common) |
| MC Beta 55 format (older ALI controllers) |
| Custom fixed-width format (requires field mapping configuration) |
If your system uses a non-standard fixed-width format, select fixed-width and provide the Field Mappings as a JSON definition. Contact GovWorx support to help configure this if you are unsure of your field layout.
Step 3 — Choose a Framing Strategy
The Framing Strategy defines how the connector identifies the boundaries of individual ANI/ALI records in the data stream.
Option | Description |
| Records are wrapped in STX (start) and ETX (end) control characters (default) |
| Each line is treated as a separate record |
| A record ends after a configurable period of inactivity |
| Records are terminated by an ESN field |
| No framing — entire payload treated as a single record |
If you select Idle Timeout, set the Idle Timeout (ms) field to the number of milliseconds the connector should wait before considering a record complete. The default is 1000 ms (1 second).
Consult your ALI controller documentation or GovWorx support if you are unsure which framing strategy to use.
Step 4 — SIPY Session Correlation (Optional)
SIPY correlation links incoming ANI/ALI records to active calls being processed by your SIPY connector. This is only needed when GovWorx Assist is receiving live SIP audio.
Field | Description | Default |
Enable SIPY Correlation | Turn on call matching | Off |
SIPY Connectors | Which SIPY connector(s) to correlate with | — |
Enable Agent Fast Match | Skip the time window check when matching | On |
Correlation Window (ms) | How long to wait for a matching SIPY call (when fast match is off) |
|
Enable ESRN Correlation Fallback | Fall back to ESRN matching if ANI doesn't find a match | Off |
When should I enable ESRN fallback? Enable this if your PSAP routes calls where the ANI may not match the SIP session but the ESRN will (common in some tandem/gateway configurations).
Troubleshooting
No ANI/ALI data appearing in Assist
Confirm the transport type and connection details are correct.
For serial: verify the COM port is not in use by another application.
For TCP: confirm the ALI server is reachable and the port is open in your firewall.
For file watcher: confirm the DataAgent process has read permissions on the watch directory.
Calls showing without location data
Check that the parser type matches your ALI controller's output format.
Verify the framing strategy matches the record delimiter your system uses.
SIPY correlation not matching records to calls
If fast match is disabled, try increasing the correlation window.
Confirm the SIPY connector selected in the correlation settings is the active one.
Enable ESRN fallback if your environment routes calls through a tandem gateway.
Need Help?
Contact GovWorx support at [email protected] or submit a ticket through the customer portal.