Cannot connect to Nordic Cloud using custom PCB

[kerimkilic]

Dear community,
Dear Nordic engineers,

For some reason I cannot connect my custom board to the nordic cloud. Previously I have followed the described procedures with the nRF91-DK and I successfully connected to the Nordic cloud with the asset tracker example software. I am now using my custom PCB which seems to register to the LTE network here in the Netherlands (see picture below):

However it does not seem to connect to the Nordic cloud see the log from the terminal below:

[00:00:12.906,311] [0m<inf> asset_tracker: Connected to LTE network.[0m

[00:00:12.913,085] [0m<inf> asset_tracker: Network registration status: Connected - home network[0m

[00:00:13.076,202] [0m<inf> asset_tracker: DATE_TIME_OBTAINED_NTP[0m

[00:00:13.082,611] [0m<inf> asset_tracker: Connecting to cloud, attempt 1 of 8[0m

[00:00:13.090,087] [0m<inf> asset_tracker: Cloud connection request sent.[0m

[00:00:13.097,106] [0m<inf> asset_tracker: Connection response timeout is set to 30 seconds.[0m

[00:00:13.105,895] [0m<inf> asset_tracker: CLOUD_EVT_CONNECTING[0m

[00:00:13.168,090] [0m<dbg> nrf_cloud_transport.nct_connect: IPv4 address: 3.221.63.246[0m

[00:00:13.176,330] [0m<dbg> nrf_cloud_transport.nct_mqtt_connect: MQTT clean session flag: 1[0m

[00:00:17.752,685] [0m<inf> nrf_cloud_transport: Using socket send timeout of 60 seconds[0m

[00:00:17.761,047] [0m<dbg> nrf_cloud.nrf_cloud_run: Cloud connection request sent.[0m

[00:00:17.939,239] [0m<dbg> nrf_cloud_transport.nct_mqtt_evt_handler: MQTT_EVT_DISCONNECT: result = -128[0m

[00:00:17.949,035] [0m<dbg> nrf_cloud_fsm.drop_event_handler: Dropping FSM transition 9, current state 1[0m

[00:00:18.459,014] [0m<dbg> nrf_cloud.nrf_cloud_run: Socket error: POLLNVAL[0m

[00:00:18.466,278] [0m<dbg> nrf_cloud.nrf_cloud_run: The cloud socket was unexpectedly closed.[0m

[00:00:18.475,219] [0m<inf> asset_tracker: CLOUD_EVT_DISCONNECTED: 2[0m

[00:00:18.481,872] [0m<inf> asset_tracker: Cloud connection closed.[0m

[00:00:18.488,372] [0m<inf> asset_tracker: This can occur during initial nRF Cloud provisioning.[0m

[00:00:18.497,436] [0m<inf> asset_tracker: Attempting reconnect in 10 seconds...[0m

[00:00:18.505,096] [0m<dbg> nrf_cloud_transport.nct_disconnect: nct_disconnect[0m

[00:00:28.505,157] [0m<inf> asset_tracker: Connecting to cloud, attempt 2 of 8[0m

[00:00:28.512,664] [0m<inf> asset_tracker: Cloud connection request sent.[0m

[00:00:28.519,683] [0m<inf> asset_tracker: Connection response timeout is set to 30 seconds.[0m

[00:00:28.528,411] [0m<inf> asset_tracker: CLOUD_EVT_CONNECTING[0m

[00:00:28.535,247] [0m<dbg> nrf_cloud_transport.nct_connect: IPv4 address: 3.221.63.246[0m

[00:00:32.698,303] [0m<inf> nrf_cloud_transport: Using socket send timeout of 60 seconds[0m

[00:00:32.706,726] [0m<dbg> nrf_cloud.nrf_cloud_run: Cloud connection request sent.[0m

[00:00:32.877,655] [0m<dbg> nrf_cloud_transport.nct_mqtt_evt_handler: MQTT_EVT_DISCONNECT: result = -128[0m

[00:00:32.887,512] [0m<dbg> nrf_cloud_fsm.drop_event_handler: Dropping FSM transition 9, current state 1[0m

[00:00:33.397,460] [0m<dbg> nrf_cloud.nrf_cloud_run: Socket error: POLLNVAL[0m

[00:00:33.404,663] [0m<dbg> nrf_cloud.nrf_cloud_run: The cloud socket was unexpectedly closed.[0m

[00:00:33.413,513] [0m<inf> asset_tracker: CLOUD_EVT_DISCONNECTED: 2[0m

[00:00:33.420,135] [0m<inf> asset_tracker: Cloud connection closed.[0m

[00:00:33.426,605] [0m<inf> asset_tracker: This can occur if the device has the wrong nRF Cloud certificates.[0m

[00:00:33.436,798] [0m<inf> asset_tracker: Attempting reconnect in 480 seconds...[0m

[00:00:33.444,549] [0m<dbg> nrf_cloud_transport.nct_disconnect: nct_disconnect[0m

It looks like it connects to the LTE network and then tries to connect to the Nordic cloud but fails, and keeps on trying but continuously fails connecting to the Nordic Cloud.

I hope you can help me with this problem.

[Didrik Rokhaug]

Hi,

What certificates have you provided to the device?

What device ID did you use?

What device ID does the device use?

Best regards,

Didrik

[kerimkilic]

Hi Didrik,

I have generated a new certificate on the nordic cloud with device ID kerim-nowi-node and I set a pin for it. As far as I understand we cannot use nrf- prefix on the device ID because this is reserved for Nordic DK and Nordic Thingy. After generating the certificate I proceeded to upload it on the module using the LTE-Link Monitor. If that is what you mean by Device ID.

Kind regards,
Kerim

[Didrik Rokhaug]

You need to make sure that the device uses the same device ID.

Currently, the device is probably using nrf-<IMEI> as it's device ID, which doesn't match the certificates it uses.

It will therefore not be allowed to connect to the MQTT broker.

[kerimkilic]

How and where can I change the device ID? Do I need to do this in the code of the asset tracker?

Kind regards,

[Didrik Rokhaug]

The easiest way is to set CONFIG_NRF_CLOUD_CLIENT_ID_PREFIX to something else than "nrf-" in the prj.conf file, but you would then have to get new certificates with device ID <prefix><IMEI>.

If not, you must #define NRF_CLOUD_CLIENT_ID as the device ID above line 37 in nrf/subsys/net/lib/nrf_cloud/src/nrf_transport.c

[kerimkilic]

I'm currently looking at the prj.conf file but it does not seem to have that line you describe there ncs\v1.4.1\nrf\applications\asset_tracker\prj.conf

Should I add that line there myself? or am I looking at the wrong file to begin with?

[Didrik Rokhaug]

Yes, you will have to add that line yourself.

E.g.

CONFIG_NRF_CLOUD_CLIENT_ID_PREFIX="abc-"

Remember that if you use that solution, you must get new certificates to the device, with a matching device ID.

With the prefix above, the device ID would be "abc-<IMEI>", where <IMEI> is the IMEI of the device.

[kerimkilic]

It is working now, thanks very much for your help Didrik! I can receive the simulated sensor data from the asset tracker on the dashboard.