Simulated LTE-M connection during development

[AdrianT]

Hi,

I would like to develop NRF91XX applications without relying on LTE-M coverage. This means the FW should just work as normal but do not need to attach to a network, we will only evaluate the logic of the FW (sensor data acquisition, flash writes/reads, etc.)

I thought of 3 approaches, and hoping if there are other alternatives or recommendations.

1. Wrap functions that uses network connectivity, meaning if any transmission is done, it may be redirected as log outputs instead.

2. Connect to a network via other means - USB RNDIS/WiFi. A lot more complicated.

3. Just bypass checking if network is connected, let FW proceed.

[Charlie]

Hi Adrian,

Based on your description, it seems you don’t need any communication with the external world. In that case, you can use the nRF91xx as a regular MCU without enabling the cellular connection.You can run many Zephyr samples, such as "Hello World," without issues since the cellular connection won’t be activated unless you explicitly initialize it in your firmware.

However, I find your mentioned approaches a bit confusing. It seems like you still require a network interface for data output. If that’s the case, you can simply print the data for now as your first approach mentioned and later replace the print statements with network send APIs when needed.

Best regards,
Charlie

[AdrianT]

I am developing a FW that needs Cellular connection, but I would like to have an option to run/debug the FW without requiring a cellular connection. 

[Charlie]

Ok, then I think the first approach is practical