New LTE Firmware release v1.18.1.r3 & CAT-M1 firmware & modem updater

[danielm]

@xykon
Is v1.18.1.r3 supposed to work with NB1-38729?
I am testing on FiPy and calling network.LTE() throws OSError: the requested operation failed - not immediately but after some timeout.

Pycom MicroPython 1.18.1.r3 [v1.8.6-849-3aac0f3] on 2018-11-08; FiPy with ESP32
Type "help()" for more information.
>>> import sqnsupgrade
>>> sqnsupgrade.info()
<<< Welcome to the SQN3330 firmware updater [1.2.0] >>>
>>> FiPy with firmware version 1.18.1.r3
Your modem is in application mode. Here is the current version:
UE6.0.0.0
LR6.0.0.0-38729
>>> import network
>>> lte = network.LTE()
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
OSError: the requested operation failed

[Xykon]

@danielm said in New LTE Firmware release v1.18.1.r3 & CAT-M1 firmware & modem updater:

Is v1.18.1.r3 supposed to work with NB1-38729?
I am testing on FiPy and calling network.LTE() throws OSError: the requested operation failed - not immediately but after some timeout.

The sqnsupgrade scripts use the UART class to connect directly to the modem from MicroPython and sometimes it doesn't release the peripheral, which causes LTE.init() to hang (it's trying to send several commands to the modem but never gets a response). You can try to run del sqnsupgrade to force unload it otherwise a hard reset should fix it too.

If this happens even without loading sqnsupgrade, I'm currently testing NB1-40343 which fixes the DNS issue and a few other things. I'm expecting to release this within the next 24 hours and so far have not observed any issues during LTE.init() that are not related to sqnsupgrade.

[Xykon]

@danielm I'm not quite sure why but it also makes a difference how you initialise the LTE class.

Could you please try this instead:

from network import LTE
lte = LTE()

[danielm]

@xykon
With v1.18.1.r3 suggested way to initialize LTE from REPL worked:

from network import LTE
lte = LTE()

However it did not work in our application.
Then I noticed v1.18.1.r4 pushed to the GitHub. I built it and tested LTE initialization which works both ways without any issues and in our application as well.

The problem is that any socket communication is almost impossible. Maybe there are some timing issues on the UART interface of Sequans modem? Could it behave differently with NB1-40343?

Edit: lte.isattached returns True even without calling lte.attach(). Snychro state of the modem is OFF.

Pycom MicroPython 1.18.1.r4 [dfa1176] on 2018-11-12; FiPy with ESP32
Type "help()" for more information.
>>> from network import LTE
>>> lte = LTE()
>>> lte.isattached()
True
>>> lte.send_at_cmd('AT!="showphy"', delay = 100)
'\r\nDL SYNCHRO STATISTICS\r\n=====================\r\n    Synchro state                         : OFF\r\n    PPU SIB1 ACQ watchdog                 : 0\r\n    Frequency Hypothesis RF  (Hz)         : 0\r\n    RSRP (dBm)                            : 0.00\r\n    RSRQ  (dB)                            : 0.00\r\n    Channel estimation state (Cell-spec.) : LOW CINR\r\n    Channel estimation state (UE-spec.)   : LOW CINR\r\n    Channel estimation state (MBSFN)      : LOW CINR\r\n    Channel estimation CINR               : 0.00\r\n    Channel length                        : SHORT\r\n  AGC\r\n    AGC RX gain (dB)                      : 0.00\r\n    RX PSD BO (dBFs)                      : 0.00\r\n    RX PSD (dBm)                          : 0.00\r\n    Noise level RS (dBm)                  : 0.00\r\n    Digital gain (dB)                     : 0.00\r\n    CINR RS (dB)                          : 0.00\r\n  NARROWBANDS\r\n    Last DL NB                            : 0\r\n    Last UL NB                            : 0\r\n  AFC\r\n    Frequency offset RF  (Hz)             : 0\r\n    Frequency offset BB  (Hz)             : 0\r\n  PBCH\r\n    MIB received quantity                 : 0\r\n    MIB timeout quantity                  : 0\r\n\r\nOK\r\n'

Synchro state remains to be OFF even after calling lte.attach()

[panda]

I am seeing different behavior when connecting to CAT M1 with 1.18.1.r3 and 39529.

Previously the following would work fine:

lte = LTE(carrier='verizon')
lte.attach()

...

lte.connect(cid=3)

With the latest firmwares I get the following error:

lte.connect(cid=3)
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
OSError: the requested operation failed

I tried with other carrier and cid values and same result.

If I remove the carrier on init and cid parameter I can connect successfully. Are there new rules about how to connect to various carriers?

[panda]

@danielm said in New LTE Firmware release v1.18.1.r3 & CAT-M1 firmware & modem updater:

@xykon I see the same thing with 1.18.1.r3. I can init the LTE class form the REPL, but not in a py script. The init just hangs.

I traced it to activity before the init. For example the following works:

def initLTE():
    lte = LTE()

And the following hangs on the init

import logger
def initLTE():
   logger.info("bla bla bla bla")
   lte = LTE()

I don't think the issue is specific to the logger class, but something in the logger causes the issue.

Again, No issues with 1.18.1.r1

[Xykon]

@danielm @panda

As mentioned a fix for the init issue is already on GitHub and I will release this shortly. I'm also preparing the new NB-IoT firmware release for today.

lte.isattached returns True even without calling lte.attach().

Does this still happen with v1.18.1.r4? If it does, could you please check the two commands:

print(lte.send_at_cmd('AT+CGATT?'))
print(lte.send_at_cmd('AT+CEREG?'))

According to Sequans, AT+CGATT? should be enough to detect if the modem is attached, however I found this is not always the case so I kept a mix of the "old" CEREG? and "new" CGATT method as the CEREG method doesn't always work correctly either.

The problem is that any socket communication is almost impossible. Maybe there are some timing issues on the UART interface of Sequans modem? Could it behave differently with NB1-40343?

Please check with the new firmware and let us know.

I am seeing different behavior when connecting to CAT M1 with 1.18.1.r3 and 39529.

I tested this with our Amarisoft LTE-M emulator but did not observe this issue so far.

[panda]

@xykon sorry I missed the r4 post. I find this forum hard to follow. Can't put my finger on it, but the reverse order of posts is one thing non-intuitive for me.

I'll try r4 in the AM. Thanks.

[Xykon]

@panda said in New LTE Firmware release v1.18.1.r3 & CAT-M1 firmware & modem updater:

the reverse order of posts is one thing non-intuitive for me

You can change the "Sort by" at the bottom of the screen and the forum should remember that as long as you are logged in.

[wghirakawa]

@xykon I used Filezilla to upload the 33080-to-395289 diff file to /flash. Then i executed the import sqnsupgrade and .run. It says attempting AT Wakeup... then session opened: version 1 max transfer 8192 bytes. sending 1211459 bytes: then it just pauses. Not sure whats going on. I have the v1.18.1.r4 firmware on my device but never upgrade the Sqns firmware before.

[rskoniec]

@wghirakawa My last post from this thread could be helpful https://forum.pycom.io/topic/3995/fipy-firmware-upgrade-failed-cat-m1/26

[kjm]

Everytime Filezilla tries to upload upgdiff_33080-to-39529.dup to the gpy it crashes once the file size gets to 786,432 The cert, lib & sys folders are all empty so I can't figure out why we're hitting a wall? New modem firmware is scary enough without trying the sd card route, I was really hoping to do it from the onboard flash.

[kjm]

@kjm Status:
Does this give anyone a clue as to why it always stops after 786432 bytes?

Starting upload of C:\Users\Kris McLean\Google Drive (1)\My Documents\Pycom\CATM1-39529\upgdiff_33080-to-39529.dup
Status: Retrieving directory listing of "/flash"...
Command: TYPE I
Response: 200
Command: PASV
Response: 227 (192,168,4,1,7,232)
Command: LIST
Response: 150
Response: 226
Command: PASV
Response: 227 (192,168,4,1,7,232)
Command: APPE upgdiff_33080-to-39529.dup
Response: 502
Error: Critical file transfer error

[kjm]

More than 1 way to skin a cat! Renamed upgdiff_33080-to-39529.dup to upgdiff_33080-to-39529.py, uploaded it via the upload button in atom, used Filezilla to change the extension back to .dup in the gpy flash then upgraded the modem.

Your modem has been successfully updated.
Here is the current firmware version:

UE5.0.0.0d
LR5.1.1.0-39529

[philwilkinson]

I have just attempted to upgrade a new module to the modem firmware.
But I get the error statement, I have no idea what it refers to.
any ideas?

Resetting..................
Your modem has been successfully updated.
Here is the current firmware version:

ERROR
UE5.0.0.0d
LR5.1.1.0-39529
>>> 

[Xykon]

@philwilkinson said in New LTE Firmware release v1.18.1.r3 & CAT-M1 firmware & modem updater:

I have just attempted to upgrade a new module to the modem firmware.
But I get the error statement, I have no idea what it refers to.
any ideas?

Do you know the firmware version of the modem when you started the upgrade? Which MicroPython firmware did you use? And which firmware upgrade file / method did you use to upgrade the modem?