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Getting started with nRF91

cmag

I am testing a nRF9160DK board. I am located in Italy, so LTE-M SIMs would not work.

I have received some NB-IOT SIMs from TIM/Olivetti; I found a compiled sample "at_client.hex" on your site and it seems to be working, even if the programmer app said "Device type unknown" after programming.

I assume that LTE green means that NB-IOT goto connected. The connection information looks fine too.

"Telecom Italia" is the former name of TIM.

I installed the whole toolchain following instructions in the Getting Started Assistant (I had to update some references in the requirements.txt files) and compiled the Asset Tracker application but it seems unable to connect.

I verified that:

/* Set network mode to Narrowband-IoT */
static const char network_mode[] = "AT%XSYSTEMMODE=0,1,0,0";

is active in lte_lc.c

I suspect something is not fine in my setup because I am unable to load the other  project for the "nrf_desktop" application choosing either nrf9160_pca10090 or the ns version.

Do you have a compiled hex of the asset_tracker application that is expected to run with NB-IOT so that I can understand if the problem is with the SIM or the toolchain.

I have installed arm_segger_embedded_studio_v420a_win_x64_nordic from the link in getting started; It offers to upgrade to SEGGER Embedded Studio for ARM version 4.22; should I perform the upgrade?

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  • 0

    Hi,

    Could you try adding CONFIG_LTE_NETWORK_MODE_NBIOT=y to the prj.conf file?

    That should set the asset tracked to utilise NB-IoT.

  • 0 in reply to MJD093

    I had already added:

    # Added for NBIOT as suggested by
    # devzone.nordicsemi.com/.../203734
    CONFIG_LTE_LEGACY_PCO_MODE=y
    CONFIG_LTE_NETWORK_MODE_NBIOT=y

    Which activated the line:

    static const char network_mode[] = "AT%XSYSTEMMODE=0,1,0,0";

  • 0 in reply to MJD093

    I have tried install everything on my Linux PC at home; I can rebuild and get some life out of the unit:

    Fullscreen ASSET_MANAGER_DUMP.txt Download

    I am sure I recompiled, because I modified the start string "ASSET-TRACKER Application started"

    Anyway I still fail to connect to the network after recompiling. Also the other sample application (/home/cmag/projects/ncs/nrf/applications/nrf_desktop/CMakeLists.txt) fails to load in the IDE:

    CMake Error at /home/cmag/projects/ncs/nrf/cmake/boilerplate.cmake:17 (message):

    board nrf9160_pca10090ns is not supported

    Call Stack (most recent call first):

    CMakeLists.txt:28 (include)

  • 0 in reply to cmag

    If the application fails to load in the IDE, try re-importing the project with a different build folder (or delete the one already present in the application folder)

    The former logs that you have shows the CEREG output to be registered to the network successfully, but the latest log gives this output:

    +CEREG: 2,0,"8901","07AA6E50",9OK

    This indicates that you are not connected to the network, as shown in the CEREG documentation:

    https://infocenter.nordicsemi.com/topic/ref_at_commands/REF/at_commands/nw_service/cereg_read.html?cp=2_1_6_8_1

    Where 0 is:

    0 – Not registered. User Equipment (UE) is not currently searching for an operator to register to.

     

    As mentioned; previous logs show that you have been successfully associated with the network.

     

    Kind regards,

    Håkon

  • 0 in reply to Håkon Alseth

    One problem solved: I ordered a Thingy:91; after updating the applications (install GO...), which was needed to load the certificates, it still fails to connect when using the iBasis SIM, but it connects and sends data to nrfCloud using a TIM/Olivetti SIM. Still the tracking application does not work on the nRF9160-DK.

  • 0 in reply to cmag

    Glad to hear that it worked on the thingy:91.

    Are you still having compiler issues when trying asset_tracker on the nRF9160-DK?

    If yes, can you please post the latest log?

     

    Kind regards,

    Håkon

  • 0 in reply to Håkon Alseth

    I have updated the certificates with the same certificates I used in the THINGY:91 (I had to change CONFIG_AT_CMD_RESPONSE_MAX_LEN  to 4096 in autoconf.h first).

    Now the nRF9160DK connects to the network (UART Modem UICC LTE and PDN turn green and network registration data look fine).

    Anyway only LED 3 keeps blinking (no LED 4 blink) and the device is not connectable in the WEB page.

    My device does not have a PIN and the network instructs to switch Switch 1 and Switch2 to pair.

Reply
  • 0 in reply to Håkon Alseth

    I have updated the certificates with the same certificates I used in the THINGY:91 (I had to change CONFIG_AT_CMD_RESPONSE_MAX_LEN  to 4096 in autoconf.h first).

    Now the nRF9160DK connects to the network (UART Modem UICC LTE and PDN turn green and network registration data look fine).

    Anyway only LED 3 keeps blinking (no LED 4 blink) and the device is not connectable in the WEB page.

    My device does not have a PIN and the network instructs to switch Switch 1 and Switch2 to pair.

Children
  • 0 in reply to cmag
    cmag said:
    I have updated the certificates with the same certificates I used in the THINGY:91

    The DK already has certificates, but since that has been done now, you have probably overwritten those. You should create your own certificates for the DK, similar to how you did this with the thingy:91. By following this guide, you should be able to generate new certificates (and a chosen pin) and add the device:

    https://devzone.nordicsemi.com/nordic/cellular-iot-guides/b/getting-started-cellular/posts/nrf-cloud-certificate-update

     

    Could you try to repeat this procedure for your DK, and see if it works with that one as well?

     

    Kind regards,

    Håkon

  • 0 in reply to Håkon Alseth

    I have loaded the certificates; nothing changes with my application.

    I have downloaded and installed nrf9160dk_asset_tracker_09-10-2019_c9c833b1.hex but LTE and PDN do not turn green in LTE Link monitor.

    So I suspect that the image only works with LTE-M which is not supported in Italy. Do you have an hex image supposed to work with NB-IOT?

    By the way, nRFConnect-Programmer always complains that the Device type is unknown; is this normal?

  • 0 in reply to cmag

    Hi,

     

    If you recompile the asset_tracker with this option set:

    https://github.com/NordicPlayground/fw-nrfconnect-nrf/blob/master/drivers/lte_link_control/Kconfig#L143

    ie: prj.conf includes CONFIG_LTE_NETWORK_MODE_NBIOT=y

    then you should have NB1 enabled instead of M1.

     

    nRF Programmer app has a limitation, where it sets the device as unknown until it has read the whole flash. Its a purely graphical thing, and should not have any impact on the programming procedure. This is notified back to the developers.

     

    Kind regards,

    Håkon

  • 0 in reply to Håkon Alseth

    I have already done that: it is in the posts above.

    I have ordered a second unit from DigiKey, to verify if the problem is with the unit I have: I must give an answer by the end of next week if we are able to start development on this platform.

    I would be wonderful to have a firmware image verified to work with NB-IOT to exclude problems in the build chain; if this is not possible, I will try with the image I have generated.

  • 0 in reply to cmag

    I have received the second unit; I guess it is old (pcb 400389/0069TORS).

    I have tried everything I could think of (see attachment), but by the end it is back to square 1.

    The THINGY:91 works, so TIM SIMs are fine

    Asset_tracker recompiled by me seems to work up to the LTE connection

    I wonder if t

    Fullscreen nRF9160 Experience.txt Download
    he problem is just with the nrfcloud link.

    Any suggestion?

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