Digi XBee Cellular 3G Global User manual

Digi XBee® Cellular 3G Global
Embedded Modem
User Guide

Revision history—90001541
Revision Date Description
AJune, 2017 Baseline release of the document.
B June 2017 Updated the cellular service information.
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property of their respective owners.
© 2017 Digi International Inc. All rights reserved.
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merchantability for a particular purpose. Digi may make improvements and/or changes in this manual
or in the product(s) and/or the program(s) described in this manual at any time.
Warranty
To view product warranty information, go to the following website:
www.digi.com/howtobuy/terms
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Digi XBee Cellular 3G Global Embedded Modem User Guide 2

Contents
Digi XBee Cellular 3G Global Embedded Modem User Guide
Applicable firmware and hardware 9
Purchase the correct SIM cards 9
Getting started with the XBee Cellular Modem Development Kit
Identify the kit contents 11
Cellular service 11
Connect the hardware 12
Configure the device using XCTU 13
Add a device 13
Update to the latest firmware 13
Software libraries 13
XBIB-U-DEV reference 15
Check for cellular registration and connection 16
Flow control 17
Connect to the ELIZA server 17
Connect to the echo server 19
Connect to the Daytime server 20
Connect to a TCP/IP address 22
Perform a (GET) HTTP request 23
Get started with MQTT 24
Example: MQTT connect 25
Send a connect packet 26
Example: send messages (publish) with MQTT 28
Example: receive messages (subscribe) with MQTT 29
Use MQTT over the XBee Cellular Modem with a PC 30
Get started with CoAP 33
CoAP terms 33
CoAP quick start example 34
Configure the device 35
Example: manually perform a CoAPrequest 35
Example: use Python to generate a CoAP message 36
Configure the XBee Cellular Modem using Digi Remote Manager 37
Create a Remote Manager account 37
Get the XBee Cellular Modem IMEI number 38
Add a XBee Cellular Modem to Remote Manager 38
Update the firmware 38
Digi XBee Cellular 3G Global Embedded Modem User Guide 3

Digi XBee Cellular 3G Global Embedded Modem User Guide 4
Get started with MicroPython
About MicroPython 41
Why use MicroPython 41
MicroPython on the XBee Cellular Modem 41
Use XCTU to enter the MicroPython environment 41
Use the MicroPython Terminal in XCTU 42
Example: hello world 42
Example: turn on an LED 42
Exit MicroPython mode 43
Other terminal programs 44
Tera Term for Windows 44
Use picocom in Linux 45
Technical specifications
Interface and hardware specifications 48
RF characteristics 48
Networking specifications 48
Power requirements 49
Power consumption 49
Electrical specifications 49
Regulatory approvals 50
Hardware
Mechanical drawings 53
Pin signals 53
Pin connection recommendations 54
SIM card 54
The Associate LED 54
Antenna recommendations
Antenna placement 57
Design recommendations
Power supply considerations 59
Add a capacitor to the RESET line 59
Heat considerations 60
Add a fan to provide active cooling 60
Cellular connection process
Connecting 62
Cellular network 62
Data network connection 62
Data communication with remote servers (TCP/UDP) 62
Disconnecting 62
SMS encoding 63

Digi XBee Cellular 3G Global Embedded Modem User Guide 5
Modes
Select an operating mode 65
Transparent operating mode 65
API operating mode 66
Bypass operating mode 66
Enter Bypass operating mode 66
Leave Bypass operating mode 67
Restore cellular settings to default in Bypass operating mode 67
Command mode 67
Enter Command mode 67
Send AT commands 68
Apply command changes 68
Make command changes permanent 68
Exit Command mode 68
Sleep modes
About sleep modes 71
Normal mode 71
Pin sleep mode 71
Cyclic sleep mode 71
Cyclic sleep with pin wake up mode 71
Airplane mode 71
The sleep timer 71
MicroPython sleep behavior 72
Serial communication
Serial interface 74
Serial data 74
UART data flow 74
Serial buffers 75
CTS flow control 75
RTS flow control 75
AT commands
MicroPython commands 77
PS (Python Startup) 77
PY (MicroPython Command) 77
Special commands 78
AC (Apply Changes) 78
FR (Force Reset) 78
RE (Restore Defaults) 79
WR (Write) 79
Cellular commands 79
PH (Phone Number) 79
S# (ICCID) 79
IM (IMEI) 80
MN (Operator) 80
MV (Modem Firmware Version) 80
DB (Cellular Signal Strength) 80

Digi XBee Cellular 3G Global Embedded Modem User Guide 6
AN (Access Point Name) 80
AM (Airplane Mode) 81
Network commands 81
IP (IP Protocol) 81
TL (SSL/TLS Protocol Version) 81
TM (TCP Client Connection Timeout) 82
DO (Device Options) 82
EQ (Device Cloud FQDN) 83
Addressing commands 83
SH (Serial Number High) 83
SL (Serial Number Low) 84
DL (Destination Address) 84
P# (Destination Phone Number) 84
DE (Destination Port) 84
TD (Text Delimiter) 85
MY (Module IP Address) 85
LA (Lookup IP Address of FQDN) 85
OD (Operating Destination Address) 85
C0 (Source Port) 86
Serial interfacing commands 86
BD (Baud Rate) 86
NB (Parity) 87
SB (Stop Bits) 87
RO (Packetization Timeout) 87
FT (Flow Control Threshold) 88
API Enable 88
PD (Pull Direction) 88
PR (Pull-up/down Resistor Enable) 89
I/O settings commands 90
D0 (DIO0/AD0) 90
D1 (DIO1/AD1) 90
D2 (DIO2/AD2) 91
D3 (DIO3/AD3) 91
D4 (DIO4) 91
D5 (DIO5/ASSOCIATED_INDICATOR) 92
D6 (DIO6/RTS) 92
D7 (DIO7/CTS) 93
D8 (DIO8/SLEEP_REQUEST) 93
D9 (DIO9/ON_SLEEP) 94
P0 (DIO10 Configuration) 94
P1 (DIO11/PWM1 Configuration) 95
P2 (DIO12 Configuration) 95
I/O sampling commands 95
TP (Temperature) 96
SM (Sleep Mode) 96
SP (Sleep Period) 96
ST (Wake Time) 97
Command mode options 97
CC (Command Sequence Character) 97
CT (Command Mode Timeout) 97
GT (Guard Times) 97
Firmware version/information commands 98
VR (Firmware Version) 98
VL (Version Long) 98
HV (Hardware Version) 98

Digi XBee Cellular 3G Global Embedded Modem User Guide 7
AI (Association Indication) 98
HS (Hardware Series) 99
CK (Configuration CRC) 99
Diagnostic interface commands 99
DI (Device Cloud Indicator) 99
CI (Protocol/Connection Indication) 100
Execution commands 102
NR (Network Reset) 102
!R (Modem Reset) 102
IS (Force Sample) 103
Operate in API mode
API mode overview 105
Use the AP command to set the operation mode 105
API frame format 105
API operation (AP parameter = 1) 105
API operation with escaped characters (AP parameter = 2) 106
Frame descriptions 109
AT Command - 0x08 109
AT Command: Queue Parameter Value - 0x09 110
Transmit (TX) SMS - 0x1F 111
Transmit (TX) Request: IPv4 - 0x20 112
AT Command Response - 0x88 113
Transmit (TX) Status - 0x89 114
Modem Status - 0x8A 115
Receive (RX) Packet: SMS - 0x9F 116
Receive (RX) Packet: IPv4 - 0xB0 117
Socket behavior
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate checking 119
Socket timeouts 119
Enable incoming TCP sockets in API mode 119
Troubleshooting
Cannot find the serial port for the device 121
Condition 121
Solution 121
Correct a macOS Java error 123
Condition 123
Solution 123
Unresponsive cellular component in Bypass mode 124
Condition 124
Solution 124
Not on expected network after APN change 125
Condition 125
Solution 125
Syntax error at line 1 125
Solution 125
Error Failed to send SMS 125
Solution 125

Digi XBee Cellular 3G Global Embedded Modem User Guide 8
Regulatory information
Modification statement 127
Interference statement 127
Antennas 127
FCC (USA) exposure notice 127
ISED (Canada) exposure notice 127
FCC Class B digital device notice 128
Labelling requirements for the host device 128

Digi XBee Cellular 3G Global Embedded Modem User
Guide
The XBee Cellular Modem integrates an embedded Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA)
cellular module and enables original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to incorporate 3G cellular
technology into their devices and applications without painful, time-consuming, and expensive FCC
and carrier end-device certifications.
With the full suite of standard XBee API frames and AT commands, existing XBee customers can
seamlessly transition to this new device with only minor software adjustments. When OEMs add the
XBee Cellular Modem to their product, they create a future-proof design with flexibility to switch
between wireless protocols or frequencies as needed.
Applicable firmware and hardware
This manual supports the following firmware:
n113xx
It supports the following hardware:
nXBC-M5-UT-xxx
Purchase the correct SIM cards
The XBee Cellular Modem requires a 4FF (Nano) size SIM card. The SIM interface supports both 1.8 V
and 3 V SIM types.
Digi XBee Cellular 3G Global Embedded Modem User Guide 9

Getting started with the XBee Cellular Modem
Development Kit
This section describes how to connect the hardware in the XBee Cellular Modem Development Kit, and
provides some examples you can use to communicate with the device.
Identify the kit contents 11
Cellular service 11
Connect the hardware 12
Configure the device using XCTU 13
Software libraries 13
XBIB-U-DEV reference 15
Check for cellular registration and connection 16
Flow control 17
Connect to the ELIZA server 17
Connect to the echo server 19
Connect to the Daytime server 20
Connect to a TCP/IP address 22
Perform a (GET) HTTP request 23
Get started with MQTT 24
Get started with CoAP 33
Configure the XBee Cellular Modem using Digi Remote Manager 37
Digi XBee Cellular 3G Global Embedded Modem User Guide 10

Getting started with the XBee Cellular Modem Development Kit Identify the kit contents
Digi XBee Cellular 3G Global Embedded Modem User Guide 11
Identify the kit contents
The Developer's kit includes the following:
One XBIB-U-DEV board
One 12 V power supply
One antenna with U.FL connectors
One USB cable
One XBee Cellular Modem
One SIMcard
Cellular service
KITUSERS: The SIM card shipped with your 3G Global Kit is data-only and does not support SMS or
phone numbers. These features are fully supported with full-service SIMs on XBee Cellular Modem.
Contact Digi at 1.877.890.4014 for SIM card support.
The XBee Cellular kit includes six months of free cellular service.

Getting started with the XBee Cellular Modem Development Kit Connect the hardware
Digi XBee Cellular 3G Global Embedded Modem User Guide 12
Connect the hardware
1. The XBee Cellular Modem should already be plugged into the XBIB-U-DEV board.
2. The SIMcard should be already be inserted into the XBee Cellular Modem. If not, install the
SIMcard into the XBee Cellular Modem.
WARNING! Never insert or remove the SIM card while the device is powered!
WARNING! The development board power supply only supports 3G mode. It does not
support 2G mode.
3. Connect the antenna to the XBee Cellular Modem by aligning the U.FL connector carefully, then
firmly pressing straight down to seat the connector. You should hear a snap when the antenna
attaches correctly. U.FL is fragile and is not designed for multiple insertions, so exercise
caution when connecting or removing the antennas. We recommend using a U.FL removal tool.
4. Plug the 12 V power supply to the power jack on the development board.

Getting started with the XBee Cellular Modem Development Kit Configure the device using XCTU
Digi XBee Cellular 3G Global Embedded Modem User Guide 13
5. Connect the USB cable from a PC to the USB port on the development board. The computer
searches for a driver, which can take a few minutes to install.
Configure the device using XCTU
XBee Configuration and Test Utility (XCTU) is a multi-platform program that enables users to interact
with Digi radio frequency (RF) devices through a graphical interface. The application includes built-in
tools that make it easy to set up, configure, and test Digi RF devices.
For instructions on downloading and using XCTU, see the XCTU User Guide.
Note If you are on a macOS computer and encounter problems installing XCTU, see Correct a macOS
Java error.
Add a device
These instructions show you how to add the XBee Cellular Modem to XCTU. If XCTU does not find your
serial port, see Cannot find the serial port for the device.
1. Launch XCTU .
2. Click the Discover radio modules button .
3. In the Discover radio devices dialog, select the serial ports where you want to look for XBee
modules, and click Next.
4. In the Set port parameters window, maintain the default values and click Finish.
5. As XCTU locates radio modules, they appear in the Discovering radio modules dialog box.
If your module could not be found, XCTU displays the Could not find any radio module dialog
providing possible reasons why the module could not be added.
Update to the latest firmware
Firmware is the program code stored in the device's persistent memory that provides the control
program for the device. Use XCTU to update the firmware.
1. Click the Configuration working modes button .
2. Select a local or remote XBee module from the Radio Modules list.
3. Click the Update firmware button .
The Update firmware dialog displays the available and compatible firmware for the selected
XBee module.
4. Select the product family of the XBee module, the function set, and the latest firmware version.
5. Click Update. A dialog displays update progress.
See How to update the firmware of your modules in the XCTU User Guide for more information.
Software libraries
One way to communicate with the XBee device is by using a software library. The libraries available
for use with the XBee Cellular Modem include:

Getting started with the XBee Cellular Modem Development Kit Software libraries
Digi XBee Cellular 3G Global Embedded Modem User Guide 14
nXBee Java library
The XBee Java Library is a Java API. The package includes the XBee library, its source code and a
collection of samples that help you develop Java applications to communicate with your XBee devices.

Getting started with the XBee Cellular Modem Development Kit XBIB-U-DEV reference
Digi XBee Cellular 3G Global Embedded Modem User Guide 15
XBIB-U-DEV reference
This picture shows the XBee USB development board and the table that follows explains the callouts
in the picture.
Number Item Description
1 Programmingheader Header used to program XBee Programmable devices.

Getting started with the XBee Cellular Modem Development Kit Check for cellular registration and connection
Digi XBee Cellular 3G Global Embedded Modem User Guide 16
Number Item Description
2 Self power module Advanced users only—voids the warranty. Depopulate R31 to
power the device using V+ and GND from J2 and J5. You can
connect sense lines to S+ and S- for sensing power supplies.
CAUTION: Voltage is not regulated. Applying the incorrect
voltage can cause fire and serious injury.1
3 Current testing Depopulating R31 allows a current probe to be inserted across P6
terminals. The current though P6/R31 powers the device only.
Other supporting circuitry is powered by a different trace.
4 Loopback jumper Populating P8 with a loopback jumper causes serial transmissions
both from the device and from the USB to loopback.
5 DC barrel plug: 6-20V Greater than 500 mA loads require a DC supply for correct
operation. Plug in the external power supply prior to the USB
connector to ensure that proper USB communications are not
interrupted.
6 LED indicator Yellow: Modem sending serial/UART data to host.
Green: Modem receiving serial/UART data from host.
Red: Associate.
7 USB
8 RSSI indicator
9 User buttons Connected to DIO lines for user implementation.
10 Reset button
11 SPI power Connect to the power board from 3.3 V.
12 SPI Only used for surface-mount devices.
13 Indicator LEDs DS5: ON/SLEEP
DS2: DIO12, the LED illuminates when driven low.
DS3: DIO11, the LED illuminates when driven low.
DS4: DIO4, the LED illuminates when driven low.
14 Through-hole XBee
sockets
15 20-pin header Maps to standard through-hole XBee pins.
Check for cellular registration and connection
In the following examples, proper cellular network registration and address assignment must occur
successfully. The LED on the development board blinks when the XBee Cellular Modem registers to the
cellular network; see The Associate LED. If the LEDremains solid, registration has not occurred
properly. Registration can take several minutes.
1Powering the board with J2 and J5 without R31 removed can cause shorts if the USB or barrel plug power are
connected. Applying too high a voltage destroys electronic circuitry in the device and other board components
and/or can cause injury.

Getting started with the XBee Cellular Modem Development Kit Flow control
Digi XBee Cellular 3G Global Embedded Modem User Guide 17
Note Make sure you are in an area with adequate cellular network reception or the XBee Cellular
Modem will not make the connection.
In addition to the LED confirmation, you can check the AT commands below in XCTU to check the
registration and connection. To view these commands:
1. Open XCTU and click the Configuration working mode button.
2. Select a device from the Radio Modules list. XCTU displays the current firmware settings for
that device.
3. On the Configuration toolbar, click the Default button to load the default values
established by the firmware, and click Yes to confirm.
The relevant commands are:
Note To search for an ATcommand in XCTU, use the search box.
nAI (Association Indication) reads zero when the device successfully registers to the cellular
network. If it reads 0x23 it is connecting to the Internet; 0x22 means it is registering to the
cellular network.
nMY (Module IPAddress) should display a valid IPaddress. If it reads 0.0.0.0, it has not
registered yet.
Flow control
We strongly encourage you to use flow control with the XBee Cellular Modem to prevent buffer
overruns. See Serial communication for details on RTSand CTSflow control.
Connect to the ELIZA server
You can use the XBee Cellular Modem to chat with the ELIZA Therapist Bot. ELIZAis an artificial
intelligence (AI) bot that emulates a therapist and can perform simple conversations.
The following table explains the AT commands that you use in this example.
At command Value Description
IP (IP Protocol) 1 Set the expected transmission mode to TCP
communications.
DL (Destination
Address)
52.43.121.77 The target IP address of the Eliza server.
DE (Destination Port) 0x2328 The target port number of the Eliza server.

Getting started with the XBee Cellular Modem Development Kit Connect to the ELIZA server
Digi XBee Cellular 3G Global Embedded Modem User Guide 18
To communicate with the ELIZA Therapist Bot:
1. Ensure that the device is set up correctly with the SIM card installed and the antennas
connected as described in Connect the hardware.
2. Open XCTU and click the Configuration working mode button.
3. Select a device from the Radio Modules list. XCTU displays the current firmware settings for
that device.
4. On the Configuration toolbar, click the Default button to load the default values
established by the firmware, and click Yes to confirm.
5. Factory settings are loaded but not written to the device. To write them, click the Write button
on the toolbar.
6. To switch to TCP communication, in the IP field, select 1 and click the Write button .
7. To enter the destination address of the ELIZATherapist Bot, in the DL field, type 52.43.121.77
and click the Write button.
8. To enter the destination IP port number, in the DE field, type 2328 and click the Write button.
9. Click the Consoles working mode button on the toolbar to open a serial console to the
device. For instructions on using the Console, see the AT console topic in the XCTU User Guide.
10. Click the Open button to open a serial connection to the device.
11. Click in the left pane of the Console log, then type in the Console to talk to the ELIZA Therapist
Bot. The following screenshot provides an example of this chat.

Getting started with the XBee Cellular Modem Development Kit Connect to the echo server
Digi XBee Cellular 3G Global Embedded Modem User Guide 19
Connect to the echo server
This server echoes back the messages you type.
The following table explains the AT commands that you use in this example.
At
command Value Description
IP (IP
Protocol)
1 Set the expected transmission mode to TCP communications.
TD (Text
Delimiter)
D (0x0D) The text delimiter to be used for Transparent mode, as an ASCII hex
code. No information is sent until this character is entered, unless the
maximum number of characters has been reached. Set to zero to
disable text delimiter checking. Set to Dfor a carriage return.
DL
(Destination
Address)
52.43.121.77 The target IPaddress of the echo server.
DE
(Destination
Port)
0x2329 The target port number of the echo server.
To communicate with the echo server:
1. Ensure that the device is set up correctly with the SIM card installed and the antennas
connected as described in Connect the hardware.
2. Open XCTU and click the Configuration working mode button.

Getting started with the XBee Cellular Modem Development Kit Connect to the Daytime server
Digi XBee Cellular 3G Global Embedded Modem User Guide 20
3. Select a device from the Radio Modules list. XCTU displays the current firmware settings for
that device.
4. On the Configuration toolbar, click the Default button to load the default values
established by the firmware, and click Yes to confirm.
5. Factory settings are loaded but not written to the device. To write them, click the Write button
on the toolbar.
6. To switch to TCP communication, in the IP field, select 1 and click the Write button .
7. To enable the XBee Cellular Modem to recognize carriage return as a message delimiter, in the
TD field, type Dand click the Write button.
8. To enter the destination address of the echo server, in the DL field, type 52.43.121.77 and click
the Write button.
9. To enter the destination IP port number, in the DE field, type 2329 and click the Write button.
10. Click the Consoles working mode button on the toolbar to open a serial console to the
device. For instructions on using the Console, see the AT console topic in the XCTU User Guide.
11. Click the Open button to open a serial connection to the device.
12. Click in the left pane of the Console log, then type in the Console to talk to the echo server.
The following screenshot provides an example of this chat.
Connect to the Daytime server
The Daytime server reports the current Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) value responding to any
user input.
The following table explains the AT commands that you use in this example.