AT%NCELLMEAS=x,y gives an error message when x > 2

[Burt]

Hello,

I am trying to issue the command like AT%NCELLMEAS=3,3 on my console when running asset_tracker_v2 and using Serial Terminal, which is a superb terminal for issuing AT commands. But the command produces an ugly log error message. I tracked down what is going on, and I hope you can fix this. So, in lte_lc.c, the handler is at_handler_ncellmeas(). But that handler needs  knowledge of ncellmeas_params.search_type to do the proper handling. And that handler only has the information if lte_lc_neighbor_cell_measurement() was called first.

This is very ugly and also confusing, suggesting to me that I have no clue what is going on. I absolutely need every help possible from AT commands to figure out whether we should be using a different PLMN at some weak signal locations we have in the field. I don't want to have my colleagues write a more complicated CLI than they already have--I want to take advantage of built in code and also AT commands. Can this be fixed? Thanks.

Regards,

Burt Silveman

[Kenneth]

I think we would need modem log for these AT%NCELLMEAS=5,X related questions/issues to see what's really going on. CME error 530 doesn’t seem to be in the error code lists we can find so would be nice to see what modem actually does here and is there some encoding problem in the app side. So modem log and corresponding output from application side would be nice for futher investigation here.

If you want to see what networks are available when a device cannot seem to find network. AT%NCELLMEAS=4,15, should do the trick. You could also do a PLMN search with AT+COPS=?.

Hope that helps,
Kenneth

[Burt]

I may set things up to do a modem log, but before I do, I was surprised that you did not find CME error 530 on your error code lists: it is one of two errors shown in the nrf9160 AT Commands Reference Guide under section 5.37 %NCELLMEAS. It simply means Measurement Ongoing. With that in mind, do you still need a modem trace?

Thank you for reminding me about AT+COPS=? Interestingly, it shows 4 PLMNs
> AT+COPS=?
+COPS: (2,"","","311480",7),(1,"","","310410",7),(1,"","","313100",7),(1,"","","310260",7)

where 313100 (FirstNet) I had never seen before. And if I execute AT%NCELLMEAS=4,x where x>3, I still see no cells. If I use 4,3 then I see all but 313100. Do you think there is any relationship between the problem I am experiencing with NCELLMEAS and the 313100 network--is it possible that that network has a weak signal, causing it to appear with AT+COPS=? but not with NCELLMEAS?

Let me know if I should do a modem trace, given this additional information. Thanks.

Burt

[Kenneth]

Hello again,

Let me relay your input and check if they need further information.

You are right about the error code, we can find the error code in the latest release under section 5.37 as you write: 
https://infocenter.nordicsemi.com/pdf/nrf9160_at_commands_v2.4.pdf 

Kenneth

[Burt]

Thanks, Kenneth. Meanwhile, I will upgrade from mfw_1.3.5 to 1.3.6 to see if it helps.

Burt

[Burt]

No change in behavior after the upgrade to 1.3.6!