How to get acknowledgement when sending message?

[josua]

Hi,

I have registered my SiPy in backedn.sigfox.com and tried to send some messages using REPL and this code:

from network import Sigfox
import socket
sigfox = Sigfox(mode=Sigfox.SIGFOX, rcz=Sigfox.RCZ1)
s = socket.socket(socket.AF_SIGFOX, socket.SOCK_RAW)
s.setblocking(True)
s.setsockopt(socket.SOL_SIGFOX, socket.SO_RX, False)
s.send(bytes([1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12]))

REPL response was 12 and I see no messages in my backend. So how can I ensure that message is successfully sended? Something like ACK.

Thanks in advance.

[bucknall]

Hi @josua,

Sigfox does not send an ACK message by default as messages are primarily uplink only.

You can, however, request a downlink message which can be used as a method to check if your message was received.

To enable a downlink message to be sent to your device you could use the following snippet of code:

from network import Sigfox
import socket

sigfox = Sigfox(mode=Sigfox.SIGFOX, rcz=Sigfox.RCZ1)

s = socket.socket(socket.AF_SIGFOX, socket.SOCK_RAW)

s.setblocking(True)

# the True argument is what sets the SiPy to expect a downlink message
s.setsockopt(socket.SOL_SIGFOX, socket.SO_RX, True)

s.send("hello")

s.recv(32)

[josua]

Hi @bucknall,

thank you for your response.
I tried to execute your snippet but the error occurs:

s.send("hello")
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
OSError: [Errno 100] ENETDOWN

What do You think it could be?
P.S. I don't see something like "code block button" in the message editor, how you do it? :)

[josua]

ok it means: pc/network software – operational errors Network is down.

but what can be the reason? Bad covering of the sigfox network? Or something else...

[bucknall]

@josua No worries! If you press "spacebar" 4 times from the margin, you'll start a code block :)

Hmm I've just tried it with two of my devices... one of them works, the other is generating the same error that you are seeing.

I will follow this up and work out the cause.

Thanks!

[josua]

@bucknall Looking forward to your response.
By the way, where I could find the sources of the API? Tried to find sources for sigfox and socket classes, but unsuccessfuly.

Thanks!

[bucknall]

@josua What do you mean by sources? This is the link to the Sigfox Class if that helps? https://docs.pycom.io/pycom_esp32/library/network.Sigfox.html?highlight=sigfox

Also, I tried it with two of my SiPys... oddly one of them worked and the other failed so I'm trying to pinpoint what is going on!

Should have an answer for you this afternoon!

[josua]

@bucknall By sources I mean source code. For example source code of the socket or sigfox classes. Maybe I don't have the clear understanding of how it all works. But I think there are somewhere definition of those classes with their methods? Am I right?

Looking forward to hear the results of your investigation.
Thank you!

[bucknall]

@josua we're currently working to push all of our source code up to GitHub and this includes the Sigfox classes. This should be coming in the next couple of weeks. Daniel will make an announcement when this takes places!

I'm just testing it now!

[bucknall]

Hi @josua I think I know what your problem might be! What country are you trying to use your device in and also which version of the SiPy do you have? The 14dBm or the 22dBm?

[josua]

@bucknall I am in Czech Republic and the model is Sipy 1.0 (14) which I think is 14dBm.

[bucknall]

@josua Hmm ok possibly not what I thought! Do you know that you definitely have Sigfox Coverage where you are located?

[josua]

@bucknall According to the sigfox coverage map there are 3 base stations and more.

[bucknall]

@josua Ok! Quick question, I know it sounds a little bit silly but which connector do you have the antenna plugged into?

[josua]

@bucknall
Yes, it works now.
I just tried to use it (to send msg) out of the building and it works.. Fill my self silly as I didn't try to do it earlier..
I really appreciate your help. Your team is great! Thank you!

[bucknall]

No problem @josua! I'm glad you got it up and running! :) I had an interesting discovery about using the 22 dBm SiPy in RCZ1 along the way so we all learnt something today!

Best of luck with your project! :)

[dmnk]

similar problem.

this:

sigfox = Sigfox(mode=Sigfox.SIGFOX, rcz=Sigfox.RCZ1)
s = socket.socket(socket.AF_SIGFOX, socket.SOCK_RAW)
s.setblocking(True)
s.setsockopt(socket.SOL_SIGFOX, socket.SO_RX, True)
s.send(bytes([0x00, scale(lux.light()[0]), 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 0xAA, 0xFF]))
retval = s.recv(32)
print ("received " + retval)

gives me:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 164, in <module>
OSError: [Errno 100] ENETDOWN

whilst the backend shows me:

    Status : [ACKED]
    Data (Hexa) : cafecafecafecafe

any idea what i'm missing here?
It's definitively not the link - sender and receiver have free LOS.

avgSnr=20.74
rssi=-52.00

Used HW: FiPy on '1.17.5.b6'