Connect Icarus IoT to MQTT server through SIM card

[Dekel]

Hi,

I'm using Actinius Icarus IoT board, which is based on nRF9160, and trying to connect to a cellular carrier with no success.

I've inserted my nano SIM to the sim slot, and prior to that I made sure its cellular plan is active and that the sim has no pin code (it actually works with an Android phone).

I've also configured the board to use the external sim as instructed here.

I tried to run the MQTT simple sample with no success, the function lte_lc_init_and_connect() doesn't return.

so I turned to AT commands.

I tried this guide and also this one. The sim seems to respond, since I get its IMEI and other identifiers, but it doesn't offer, for example, cellular operators to connect to when using "AT%COPS=?".

I have the operator's APN, which I configured with "AT+CGDCONT" - still no success.

What is the right way to get my board connected to the internet with my SIM card? My final goal is publishing to an MQTT server.

My development environment is VS Code, I'm writing in C, using NCS V2.1.3 and I flash the board with J-Link (I'm able to run in debug mode).

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Dekel

[Achim Kraus]

> (it actually works with an Android phone).

Your SIM Card must support LTE-M and NB-IoT. If it works for a Android phone, that isn't the same. And the network provider must also support that as well. You may speed up answers, if you provide that information, SIM-Card provider and country, you want to use it.

[Dekel]

Hi Achim, thanks for your reply.

That's the provider I bought my SIM card from, I'll contact them to figure out if it supports LTE-M and NB-IoT..

I plan to use it in Israel.

[Achim Kraus]

In my experience, LTE-M/NB-IoT provider are offering something as 500MB for 10 years, not 3GB.

According https://www.gsma.com/iot/deployment-map/ you should have a chance in Isreal.

[Dekel]

Thank you for sharing that information.

Even before talking about network connection, when I send the AT command "CPIN?" I get "SIM failure" error.

I made sure to select the external SIM of the Icarus board (it's printed to terminal on program startup).

I also get an error for "AT%XSYSTEMMODE=1,1,0,1".

On the other hand, the AT command "AT+CRSM=176,12258,0,0,10" responds with the correct ICCID.

How come that's the case? what am I missing?

I'm having a hard time connecting this board to the network.

[Dekel]

Update: I still don't know what's going on with the AT commands, but the "mqtt_simple_sample" by Nordic managed to connect to an LTE network.

So, the problem is kind of solved.

Thank you for your willingness to help, Achim! truely appreciated.