LTE-M on nrf9160 custom PCB

RE: LTE-M on nrf9160 custom PCB

DunKCubik — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 12:32:47 GMT

Ok.

I managed to find the problem. Our custom PCB has the option for eSIM or regular SIM card and it was defaulting to eSIM!

Now i've selected the SIM card problem is solved and I can get an LTE-M connection.

Still not sure why I still have issues with NCS V2.4.0 or 2.4.1 though but I will try reinstalling etc.

thank you.

RE: LTE-M on nrf9160 custom PCB

DunKCubik — Thu, 17 Aug 2023 14:51:09 GMT

Hi there,

haven't managed to get a modem trace yet but have found the reason for the issue I think. It seems to only happen with nrf connect SDK v2.4.0 and 2.4.1.

After trying 2 SIMS and 2 dev kits with the same code and no good I tried rolling back to SDK 2.3.0 and it connects to LTE-M and MQTT on the nrf9160dk as I'd seen before.

Any idea why I would have issues with 2.4.0 and 2.4.1??

RE: LTE-M on nrf9160 custom PCB

DunKCubik — Thu, 17 Aug 2023 09:47:57 GMT

Thanks. I am in the Office Today so will try to give it a go later.

Cheers

Duncan

RE: LTE-M on nrf9160 custom PCB

Øyvind — Thu, 17 Aug 2023 08:02:12 GMT

Hi Duncan, yes, the modem trace can be collected using RTT. You need to configure

CONFIG_NRF_MODEM_LIB_TRACE_BACKEND_RTT to send modem traces over SEGGER RTT.

Kind regards,
Øyvind

RE: LTE-M on nrf9160 custom PCB

DunKCubik — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 08:11:55 GMT

Hi, sorry I have got sidetracked with other issues at the moment.

We have bought a new nr9160 devkit so I'll try that with the new ibasis SIM later on today if I can.

Regarding the modem trace...can this be done over RTT as I do not have a UART free on the custom PCB?

Cheers

Duncan

RE: LTE-M on nrf9160 custom PCB

Øyvind — Mon, 14 Aug 2023 08:05:17 GMT

Can you please provide a modem trace from the custom board? If you are seeing the same issue on the DK it would be good to have a modem trace from this as well.

RE: LTE-M on nrf9160 custom PCB

DunKCubik — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 13:18:54 GMT

The custom board has the same issue. It was talking to the LTE-M network as I showed in my 1st post (RCC connected -> RCC idle), but now same as dev kit.

RE: LTE-M on nrf9160 custom PCB

DunKCubik — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 13:17:26 GMT

Ok that makes sense, although it has been working fine up until Yesterday. I did update the modem firmware and loaded asset tracker into the dev board and it could have been after this that I noticed the issues.

I have plenty of data on the ibasis SIM but have just noticed it says not connected to a device.. could this be the issue?

RE: LTE-M on nrf9160 custom PCB

Øyvind — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 13:11:13 GMT

So far there seems to be an issue with the SIM.

The reason I wanted to you to test with the AT client was to get more information regarding the network status. How old is the iBasis SIM, have you verified that this has prepaid data? This SIM is delivered with 10Mb. You should be able to see status on nRF Cloud if you have registered it there.

Do you see the same on the custom board as well? Can you connect to your custom board?

RE: LTE-M on nrf9160 custom PCB

DunKCubik — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 12:50:04 GMT

Yes, but not always reproduceable.

RE: LTE-M on nrf9160 custom PCB

Øyvind — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 12:39:00 GMT

In your last comment, is that the output from the Serial Terminal?

RE: LTE-M on nrf9160 custom PCB

DunKCubik — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 10:41:31 GMT

Also got this sometimes when I select / deselect COM port

Closed port: COM11

11:36:24.935

Opened port with options: {"path":"COM11","baudRate":115200}

11:36:24.947

AT command AT+CFUN=1 failed: *** Booting Zephyr OS build v3.3.99-ncs1 *** The AT host sample started Ready ERROR

11:36:24.947

Device is in line mode.

11:36:25.150

AT command AT+CPIN? failed: +CME ERROR: 13

11:36:25.161

AT command AT+CIMI failed: +CME ERROR: 0

11:36:25.363

AT command AT%CONEVAL failed: +CME ERROR:

11:36:25.423

AT command AT%XICCID failed: +CME ERROR:

11:36:25.474

AT command AT+CPINR="SIM PIN" failed: +CME ERROR: 0

11:36:25.484

AT command AT+CPINR="SIM PIN2" failed: +CME ERROR: 0

11:36:25.494

AT command AT+CPINR="SIM PUK" failed: +CME ERROR: 0

11:36:25.504

AT command AT+CPINR="SIM PUK2" failed: +CME ERROR: 0

RE: LTE-M on nrf9160 custom PCB

DunKCubik — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 10:31:55 GMT

Still not getting anywhere.

When I open cellular monitor I get a message...

I click close..

then select device (devkit)..

when you say try to disconnect from port do you mean select "Terminal serial port" drop down and click "deselect", then change back to "COM11"??

I did that and then I click "start" and it runs with "Stop" available and "Refresh Dashboard" available.

If I click "Refresh Dashboard" then I get..

11:30:27.434

AT command AT+CPIN? failed: +CME ERROR: 13

11:30:27.438

AT command AT+CIMI failed: +CME ERROR:

11:30:27.556

AT command AT%XICCID failed: +CME ERROR:

Have I done this correctly??

RE: LTE-M on nrf9160 custom PCB

Øyvind — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 10:11:04 GMT

Can you please repeat the steps, then in Serial Terminal try to disconnect from port and reconnect again. When using the DK it should find correct serial port.

Afterwards, you should be able to click Refresh Dashboard again.

RE: LTE-M on nrf9160 custom PCB

DunKCubik — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 09:42:39 GMT

Hi Øyvind,

I confirmed that I have data on both SIMs and the simhero card does support LTE-M and NB-Iot as I've used it on the dev kit before.

I have programmed the devkit as you instructed but cannot get Cellular Monitor connected. Open serial terminal option is greyed out and not available. If I click Start then seems to start a trace but never stops. I can click Refresh dashboard however and get...

10:41:41.289

AT command AT+CPIN? failed: +CME ERROR: 1

10:41:41.293

AT command AT+CIMI failed: 3 +CME ERROR:

10:41:41.406

AT command AT%XICCID failed: +CME ERROR: 0

But not sure if this is valid??

RE: LTE-M on nrf9160 custom PCB

Øyvind — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 09:17:24 GMT

Hello,

[quote user=""]I have 2 sims (the included ibasic one and a "simhero" card) - both work fine on dev kit but neither on the custom PCB.[/quote]

Can you verify that both SIM card have data available? I'm not familiar with simhero, do they support LTE-M and NB-IoT?

[quote user="DunKCubic"]Can't see that I've changed anything at all, so very weird. [/quote]

With regards to your last comment, can you please download our pre-compiled firmware package from the nRF9160DK download page and program the AT Client (img_app_bl\nrf9160dk_at_client_2023-06-01_0677b099.hex)

Then open the Cellular Monitor in nRF Connect for Desktop. First connect to the nRF9160DK, and then click on open Serial Terminal. In the Terminal type AT and hit send to verify function. It should respond with OK. Next you need to click on Refresh Dashboard in the Cellular Monitor. This will issue several commands in the Serial Terminal. Copy the output and paste here, please.

Thanks.

Kind regards,
Øyvind

RE: LTE-M on nrf9160 custom PCB

DunKCubik — Wed, 09 Aug 2023 15:30:12 GMT

Not sure what I've done now but getting these errors on the dev kit now when I'm trying "cellfund_less4_exer1" the simple MQTT example!

00> [00:00:00.253,906] <inf> Lesson4_Exercise1: Connecting to LTE network
00> [00:00:00.253,906] <err> lte_lc: Failed to get system mode, error: -1
00> [00:00:00.253,936] <err> lte_lc: Could not get current system mode, error: -14
00> [00:00:00.253,936] <inf> Lesson4_Exercise1: Modem could not be configured, error: -14
00> [00:00:00.254,058] <err> Lesson4_Exercise1: getaddrinfo failed: -11

Can't see that I've changed anything at all, so very weird.

Any ideas?