AGPS startup via NB-IoT on nrf9160-DK

[paul_tanner]

I took the APGS example and switched in to NB-IoT as I can't easily test with LTE/M at the moment

2021-03-15T16:25:39.226Z DEBUG modem << I: A-GPS sample has started
2021-03-15T16:25:39.246Z DEBUG modem << I: Connecting to LTE network. This may take minutes.
2021-03-15T16:25:39.249Z DEBUG modem << I: PSM mode requested
2021-03-15T16:25:42.194Z DEBUG modem << +CEREG: 2,"1BE8","00334D15",9,0,0,"11100000","11100000"
2021-03-15T16:25:42.900Z DEBUG modem << +CSCON: 1
2021-03-15T16:25:45.571Z DEBUG modem << +CEREG: 5,"1BE8","00334D15",9,,,"00000010","00011111"
2021-03-15T16:25:45.605Z DEBUG modem << I: Connected to LTE network
2021-03-15T16:25:45.606Z DEBUG modem << D: MAGPIO set: AT%XMAGPIO=1,0,0,1,1,1565,1586
2021-03-15T16:25:45.607Z DEBUG modem << D: COEX0 set: AT%XCOEX0=1,1,1565,1586
2021-03-15T16:25:45.610Z DEBUG modem << D: GPS socket created, fd: 1232491587
2021-03-15T16:25:45.611Z DEBUG modem << I: CLOUD_EVT_CONNECTING
2021-03-15T16:25:46.400Z DEBUG modem << I: CLOUD_EVT_CONNECTING

I tried this a few times and waiting several minutes in each case.  No more output seen.
Are there other things I need to change? apart from:

#CONFIG_LTE_NETWORK_MODE_LTE_M_GPS=y
CONFIG_LTE_NETWORK_MODE_NBIOT_GPS=y

Suggestions welcome.  Thx.

[Øyvind]

Hello, 

Sorry for the delayed answer. I will have a look at your case and get back to you before end of the day.

Kind regards,
Øyvind

[paul_tanner]

?

[Øyvind]

My sincere apologies. I've had trouble with my setup here as well. I will need some more time.

Kind regards,
Øyvind

[paul_tanner]

OK. I can wait.

[Øyvind]

Hello, 

My apologies for the late reply. I have had some issues with my board. 

Can you please provide full log output from when you are trying to connect? How long do you let it run? This may be an issue with the NB-IoT connection, but will need to confirm.

This is what I get when running the AGPS sample:

2021-03-23T10:58:45.747Z DEBUG modem << *** Booting Zephyr OS build v2.4.99-ncs1  ***
2021-03-23T10:58:45.750Z DEBUG modem << I: A-GPS sample has started
2021-03-23T10:58:45.752Z DEBUG modem << I: Connecting to LTE network. This may take minutes.
2021-03-23T10:58:45.753Z DEBUG modem << I: PSM mode requested
2021-03-23T10:58:46.715Z DEBUG modem << +CEREG: 2,"7AA9","01172803",7,0,0,"11100000","11100000"
2021-03-23T10:58:47.198Z DEBUG modem << +CSCON: 1
2021-03-23T10:58:48.569Z DEBUG modem << +CEREG: 1,"7AA9","01172803",7,,,"00000010","00011111"
2021-03-23T10:58:49.030Z DEBUG modem << I: Connected to LTE network
2021-03-23T10:58:49.032Z DEBUG modem << D: MAGPIO set: AT%XMAGPIO=1,0,0,1,1,1565,1586
2021-03-23T10:58:49.034Z DEBUG modem << D: COEX0 set: AT%XCOEX0=1,1,1565,1586
2021-03-23T10:58:49.035Z DEBUG modem << D: GPS socket created, fd: 1232491587
2021-03-23T10:58:49.036Z DEBUG modem << I: CLOUD_EVT_CONNECTING
2021-03-23T10:58:53.213Z DEBUG modem << I: CLOUD_EVT_CONNECTED
2021-03-23T10:58:53.888Z DEBUG modem << I: CLOUD_EVT_DATA_RECEIVED
2021-03-23T10:58:54.438Z DEBUG modem << I: CLOUD_EVT_PAIR_DONE
2021-03-23T10:58:54.935Z DEBUG modem << E: Failed to save session state: -2
2021-03-23T10:58:54.937Z DEBUG modem << I: CLOUD_EVT_READY
2021-03-23T10:58:54.938Z DEBUG modem << I: Service info sent to cloud
2021-03-23T10:58:54.938Z DEBUG modem << D: GPS mode is enabled
2021-03-23T10:58:54.939Z DEBUG modem << D: GPS operational
2021-03-23T10:58:54.940Z DEBUG modem << I: Periodic GPS search started with interval 240 s, timeout 120 s
2021-03-23T10:58:54.942Z DEBUG modem << I: GPS_EVT_SEARCH_STARTED
2021-03-23T10:58:54.943Z DEBUG modem << D: A-GPS data update needed
2021-03-23T10:58:54.943Z DEBUG modem << I: GPS_EVT_AGPS_DATA_NEEDED
2021-03-23T10:58:54.944Z DEBUG modem << D: Created A-GPS request: {"appId":"AGPS","messageType":"DATA","data":{"mcc":242,"mnc":1,"tac":31401,"eci":18294787,"phycid":0,"types":[1,2,3,4,7,8,9]}}
2021-03-23T10:58:54.944Z DEBUG modem << D: A-GPS request sent
2021-03-23T10:58:55.733Z DEBUG modem << D: Waiting for time window to operate
2021-03-23T10:58:55.736Z DEBUG modem << I: GPS_EVT_OPERATION_BLOCKED
2021-03-23T10:58:57.135Z DEBUG modem << I: CLOUD_EVT_DATA_RECEIVED
2021-03-23T10:58:57.580Z DEBUG modem << D: Receievd AGPS data. Schema version: 1, length: 1037
2021-03-23T10:58:57.582Z DEBUG modem << D: Parsed_len: 35
2021-03-23T10:58:57.584Z DEBUG modem << D: A-GPS type: NRF_CLOUD_AGPS_ALMANAC
2021-03-23T10:58:57.585Z DEBUG modem << D: Sent A-GPS data to modem, type: 3
2021-03-23T10:58:57.586Z DEBUG modem << D: Parsed_len: 66
2021-03-23T10:58:57.587Z DEBUG modem << D: A-GPS type: NRF_CLOUD_AGPS_ALMANAC
2021-03-23T10:58:57.587Z DEBUG modem << D: Sent A-GPS data to modem, type: 3

Kind regards,
Øyvind

[paul_tanner]

Thx Øyvind.

That was the whole log.  I never got the CLOUD_EVT_CONNECTED event.  I will try again and leave it for a really long time.  That will take a couple of days as I do not have NB-IoT coverage here.

[Øyvind]

paul_tanner said:

That will take a couple of days as I do not have NB-IoT coverage here.

 Then how are you supposed to connect to cloud if there is no coverage? Do you have LTE-M connection?

[paul_tanner]

I mean a couple of days to find time to get near a cell tower that supports it.  Both NB-IoT and LTE/M have patchy coverage in the UK.  Our hope is that when development is complete coverage will be better.

Then i found I had some time today.  I did 2 successful tests with another app that uses NB-IoT.  In between I did 2 tests with the AGPS sample.  The results were the same and I waited at least 10 minutes in each case

2021-03-23T15:43:16.323Z DEBUG modem << I: A-GPS sample has started
2021-03-23T15:43:16.352Z DEBUG modem << I: Connecting to LTE network. This may take minutes.
2021-03-23T15:43:16.355Z DEBUG modem << I: PSM mode requested
2021-03-23T15:43:18.491Z DEBUG modem << +CEREG: 2,"1BE8","00334D15",9,0,0,"11100000","11100000"
2021-03-23T15:43:18.881Z DEBUG modem << +CSCON: 1
2021-03-23T15:43:20.102Z DEBUG modem << +CEREG: 5,"1BE8","00334D15",9,,,"00000010","00011111"
2021-03-23T15:43:20.114Z DEBUG modem << I: Connected to LTE network
2021-03-23T15:43:20.134Z DEBUG modem << D: MAGPIO set: AT%XMAGPIO=1,0,0,1,1,1565,1586
2021-03-23T15:43:20.137Z DEBUG modem << D: COEX0 set: AT%XCOEX0=1,1,1565,1586
2021-03-23T15:43:20.138Z DEBUG modem << D: GPS socket created, fd: 1232491587
2021-03-23T15:43:20.139Z DEBUG modem << I: CLOUD_EVT_CONNECTING
2021-03-23T15:43:20.386Z DEBUG modem << I: CLOUD_EVT_CONNECTING
2021-03-23T15:43:25.478Z DEBUG modem << +CSCON: 0

So the only changes from the supplied sample were:

#CONFIG_LTE_NETWORK_MODE_LTE_M_GPS=y
CONFIG_LTE_NETWORK_MODE_NBIOT_GPS=y

I wonder if there are other things needed when NB-IoT is used.  If there was a connection problem I would expect some kind of timeout message.  Instead it seems to be just hanging.