1nce ICCID on web portal different from modem ICCID

SciWax

Hello everyone,

I cannot attach my GPy to the LTE-M network via 1nce in Germany, which should be possible now. I'm using a GPy purchased after December 2019 with the firmware LR5.1.1.0-47510, which cannot be downloaded at the moment unfortunately.

I've tried to attach to the network for half a hour, but it doesn't work. If I'm printing Information about the connection quality, I'm only getting: +CSQ: 99,99.

The one thing I've noticed is, that my GPy recognizes the SIM-Card, because it shows me the ICCID of the 1nce card, but there is an additional number at the end compared to the ICCID, which is shown one the 1nce web portal. Can anybody confirm this behaviour, who is also using a 1nce sim card with a GPy?

Basically the ICCID on the web portal only consists of 19 numbers, while the one shown through an AT command shows 20 numbers. I could also see, that another user had 20 numbers for his ICCID. I guess he also uses 1nce, because the first 10 numbers of his ICCID are identical to mine: Read ICCID Not Working

I've also asked the 1nce support about the difference of the ICCID. They didn't answer yet. Can other 1nce users tell me, if their ICCID on the 1nce portal match the ICCID shown by the modem, when lte.iccid() is used?

My code and my output:

from network import LTE
import time
import socket
#import machine
#import sqnsupgrade
#sqnsupgrade.info()

lte = LTE()

try:
    lte.init()
except:
    print("LTE init failed")    

print(lte.send_at_cmd("AT"))
#lte.send_at_cmd('AT!="RRC:setDbgPerm full"')
#print(lte.send_at_cmd("AT+CFUN?"))
#print(lte.send_at_cmd('AT!="RRC:showcaps"')
#lte.send_at_cmd('AT^RESET')

lte.attach(band=8, apn="iot.1nce.net")

while not lte.isattached():
    time.sleep(1)

    print('.', end='')
    print(lte.send_at_cmd('AT!="fsm"'))
    #lte.send_at_cmd("AT+CFUN=1")
    print(lte.send_at_cmd("AT+CSQ"))
print("Modem attached!")

#lte.conect()

SYSTEM FSM
==========
    +--------------------------+--------------------+
    |            FSM           |        STATE       |
    +--------------------------+--------------------+
    | RRC TOP FSM              |SCANNING            |
    | RRC SEARCH FSM           |WAIT_RSSI           |
    | RRC ACTIVE FSM           |NULL                |
    | PMM PLMN FSM             |ANY_WAITCELL        |
    | EMM MAIN FSM             |NULL                |
    | EMM AUTH FSM             |NULL                |
    | EMM CONN FSM             |NULL                |
    | EMM TAU FSM              |NULL                |
    | EMM TEST FSM             |NULL                |
    | ESM BEARER FSM           |BEARER_NULL         |
    | SMS MT FSM               |IDLE                |
    | SMS MO FSM               |IDLE                |
    | HP MAIN FSM              |IDLE                |
    | HP USIM FSM              |READY               |
    | HP SMS MO FSM            |IDLE                |
    | HP SMS MT FSM            |IDLE                |
    | HP CAT FSM               |IDLE                |
    +--------------------------+--------------------+

OK


+CSQ: 99,99

OK

SYSTEM FSM
==========
    +--------------------------+--------------------+
    |            FSM           |        STATE       |
    +--------------------------+--------------------+
    | RRC TOP FSM              |INITIAL             |
    | RRC SEARCH FSM           |INITIAL             |
    | RRC ACTIVE FSM           |NULL                |
    | PMM PLMN FSM             |PARKING             |
    | EMM MAIN FSM             |NULL                |
    | EMM AUTH FSM             |NULL                |
    | EMM CONN FSM             |NULL                |
    | EMM TAU FSM              |NULL                |
    | EMM TEST FSM             |NULL                |
    | ESM BEARER FSM           |BEARER_NULL         |
    | SMS MT FSM               |IDLE                |
    | SMS MO FSM               |IDLE                |
    | HP MAIN FSM              |IDLE                |
    | HP USIM FSM              |READY               |
    | HP SMS MO FSM            |IDLE                |
    | HP SMS MT FSM            |IDLE                |
    | HP CAT FSM               |IDLE                |
    +--------------------------+--------------------+

OK


+CSQ: 99,99

OK

Thanks for any help!

SciWax

I also get an instant connectivity from the location now, where I've tried it initially. It seems like the first connection takes ages. I've tried to connect to the Cat-M1-network for 3 hours yesterday using a 1nce-SIM. On the next day, more than 15 hours later, it just worked instantely after trying it again. Case solved, I guess. Thanks again for the inputs @robert-hh @jcaron !

SciWax

I have to report, that it worked now from my home, which is weird, because the map @robert-hh posted showed CAT-M1-Connectivity at my old location too!

The only thing I've changed this morning was, that I've used lte.attach() instead of lte.attach(apn="iot.1nce.net"), but it also worked with lte.attach(apn="iot.1nce.net") afterwards. I will try to get a connection at the old place, where it didn't work yesterday.

SYSTEM FSM
==========
    +--------------------------+--------------------+
    |            FSM           |        STATE       |
    +--------------------------+--------------------+
    | RRC TOP FSM              |CAMPED              |
    | RRC SEARCH FSM           |CAMPED              |
    | RRC ACTIVE FSM           |IDLE                |
    | PMM PLMN FSM             |NORM_CAMPED         |
    | EMM MAIN FSM             |REGISTERED          |
    | EMM AUTH FSM             |KASME_DEFINED       |
    | EMM CONN FSM             |EMM_IDLE            |
    | EMM TAU FSM              |NULL                |
    | EMM TEST FSM             |NULL                |
    | ESM BEARER FSM           |BEARER_ACTIVE       |
    | SMS MT FSM               |IDLE                |
    | SMS MO FSM               |IDLE                |
    | HP MAIN FSM              |IDLE                |
    | HP USIM FSM              |READY               |
    | HP SMS MO FSM            |IDLE                |
    | HP SMS MT FSM            |IDLE                |
    | HP CAT FSM               |IDLE                |
    +--------------------------+--------------------+

OK

print(lte.send_at_cmd("AT+CSQ"))

+CSQ: 10,99

OK

SciWax

Well, no success either after 20 minutes of attaching without mentioning a band. :(

Well, the next step will be downgrading the firmware. I have really no idea, what else I could try.

SciWax

Thanks for your input @jcaron

You are right! This could be the issue. According to this article under Connection establishment IoT/M2M on the official 1nce homepage, it uses LTE Band 8 of the Telekom for NB-IoT communication.

I just read LTE Band 8 in this article earlier and my brain immediately jumped to LTE-M, without parsing the rest of the sentence.

I will try lte.attach(apn="iot.1nce.net") then.

jcaron

@SciWax Is there a reason you specify band=8? They seem to be using bands 3, 7 and 20. I believe the best option is not to specify any band, and it should just scan all of them.

SciWax

At the moment, I'm considering downgrading my firmware for the GPy, because it works for the guys from the hiveeyes.org forum with the FiPy and the older Firmware 41065: Thread in the hiveeyes forum [German]

SciWax

@robert-hh
Thank you for the map. Yeah, my region should have connectivity. I just put my address into the map.

You can always ask the 1nce support, if it should work. ;)

robert-hh

@SciWax I was considering whether the CAT-M1 coverage could be worse than that of NB-IoT, but looking at the map it seems very similar: https://t-map.telekom.de/tmap2/mobileiot?lang=de
But still there are white spots, but CAT-M1 looks far better than NBIoT.

SciWax

I've removed the jumpers from my GPy just for testing purposes, because the following is mentioned for the FiPy:

When using the expansion board and the FiPy together, the RTS/CTS jumpers MUST be removed as those pins are being used by the LTE radio. Keeping those jumpers in place will lead to erratic operation and higher current consumption specially while in deepsleep.

It looks like, it doesn't help either though. Before the question get's asked:

I'm using the official LTE-Antenna provided by Pycom and it's connected next to the LED.

robert-hh

@SciWax Thanks. I could try then. I made some tests using NB_IoT, which worked fine. The 1nce web site does not mention Cat-M1 yet.

SciWax

@robert-hh

1nce supports CAT-M1 in Germany, because they are partnered with the Telekom, who just finished building the infrastructure for it in Germany last month. I have different sources, who told me that 1nce-cards should work with CAT-M1 now. For instance some people over at the hiveeyes.org forum send data via the FiPy using an 1nce Sim-card via Cat-M1, albeit using an older firmware (Firmware 41065).

I just went outside with my setup trying to get a connection for 10 minutes, but it didn't work either.

robert-hh

@SciWax As far as I know, 1NCE supports NB-ioT only. The firmware you mention seems to be for CAT-M1. But I'm not sure. Maybe Pycom can shed some light on the protocol which the LR5.1.1.0-47510 firmware supports.

SciWax

Ok, the 1nce support answered me. They said, that a modem can add a checking number at the end of the ICCID. So that's probably the case. They said, it doesn't affect the connectivity either... I'm inside a building but close to a big window front. I do not know, if being in a building affects the connectivity so much. I will check it right now.

Explore Pybytes | Official Documentation | Report a Firmware Bug/Issue | GitHub

1nce ICCID on web portal different from modem ICCID

Pycom on Twitter