NimbeLink Skywire M1 Series User manual
Skywire
®
M1 Development Kit
User Manual
NimbeLink Corp
Updated: August 2018
PN 30192 rev 10 © NimbeLink Corp. 2018. All rights reserved. 1
Table of Contents
Introduction 3
Overview 3
Orderable Parts 4
Firmware Changes 4
Archive of Critical Engineering Sample Notes 5
Engineering Sample 5
Modem Firmware 5
AT Commands - Addressed in firmware 32902 5
Lower Power Modes - Available in firmware 32902 5
SMS Messaging - Available in firmware 32902 5
Supported LTE Bands 5
"Assertion failed" Errors - Fixed in firmware 32902 6
Real-Time Clock Error - Fixed in firmware 32902 6
Command Mode Socket Dials - Hex - Fixed in firmware 32902 6
AT Interface Lockup Issues - Fixed in firmware 32902 6
Network Registration Issues - Fixed in firmware 32902 6
SIM Cards 7
Getting Started 7
Kit Contents 7
Hardware Setup 8
SIM Card Installation 8
Skywire Installation 9
Jumper Installation 10
Antenna Installation 10
Software Setup 11
Terminal Program 12
Baudrate 12
Activate LTE CAT M1 SIM Data plan 12
Hardware Verification 13
Introduction 13
Insert USB Cable 13
Apply Power 13
Verify COM Port Enumeration 14
Connect to the Skywire 14
PN 30192 rev 10 © NimbeLink Corp. 2018. All rights reserved. 2
AT Commands 15
Verify AT Command Communications 16
Enable Command Echo 16
Check Firmware Version 16
Set Your APN 17
Enable Cellular Functionality 17
Verify Auto-Attach 18
Verify Cellular Signal Strength 18
Verify Network Registration 20
Next Steps 20
Additional Resources 21
Troubleshooting 21
Introduction 22
Communications with the Skywire 22
Serial Communications on macOS 22
Network Registration 23
Technical Support 23
PN 30192 rev 10 © NimbeLink Corp. 2018. All rights reserved. 3
1. Introduction
1.1 Overview
This document is the User Manual for the NL-M1DK, NL-SW-LTE-SVZM20-ES,
and NL-SW-LTE-SVZM20 family of Skywire® modems. The procedure outlined in
this guide walks through installing the Skywire modem, setting up your
workstation, issuing basic commands, and registering on the Verizon network.
1.2 Orderable Parts
Table 1.1 Orderable Parts
Number
Description
Firmware
Manufacturer
Carrier
NL-M1DK
Skywire 4G LTE CAT M1
Development Kit
NimbeLink
Verizon
NL-SW-LTE-SVZM20-ES
Skywire 4G LTE CAT M1
Cellular Modem
30850
NimbeLink
Verizon
NL-SW-LTE-SVZM20
Skywire 4G LTE CAT M1
Cellular Modem
32110
NimbeLink
Verizon
NL-SW-LTE-SVZM20-B
Skywire 4G LTE CAT M1
Cellular Modem
37120
NimbeLink
Verizon
NL-SIM-VER-M1
3FF Verizon LTE CAT M1 Sim
Card
NimbeLink
Verizon
TG.30.8113
Dipole Cellular Antenna
Taoglas
TG.08.0113
Monopole Cellular Antenna
Taoglas
1.3 Firmware Changes
The chipset manufacturer has released a new version of firmware - firmware version
37120 - that makes available some features and fixes many issues. Here is a brief
description of the firmware changes:
- More AT command are enabled and functioning. We have an AT command
manual available on our website:
http://nimbelink.com/Documentation/Skywire/4G_LTE_Cat_M1/1001534_NL-SW-
LTE-SVZM_AT_COMMAND_MANUAL.pdf
- Low power modes are enabled, and an application note explaining the process is
located here:
https://nimbelink.com/https://nimbelink.com/skywire-4g-lte-cat-m1/1001779_NL-S
W-LTE-SVZM20_LowPowerAppNote.pdf
- Bug fixes and lockup fixes
- Addition of a client to communicate with Verizon Thingspace
- The USB port can now be used as an AT command port.
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For more information, please see the Product Change Notification for the
NL-SW-LTE-SVZM20:
https://nimbelink.com/Documentation/Skywire/4G_LTE_Cat_M1/1001767_NL-SW-LTE-
SVZM20-X_PCN.pdf
There are still outstanding notes from Section 1.4, as well as an additional issue, to
keep in mind:
- CATM1 still only uses Band 13
- CATM1 devices still require a CAT-M1 SIM card.
- CATM1 SMS is still only between CATM1 devices.
- The Sequans VZM20 module will default to an AT+CFUN=1 mode at boot. If no
SIM card is installed, it may cause the module to continuously reboot.
Additionally, a firmware update procedure may fail. For more information, please
see document 1001810 Device Errata Skywire NL-SW-LTE-SVMZ20 Modem:
https://nimbelink.com/Documentation/Skywire/4G_LTE_Cat_M1/1001xxx_NL-SW
-LTE-SVZM20_Errata.pdf
1.4 Archive of Critical Engineering Sample Notes
1.4.1 Engineering Sample
The NL-M1DK-ES are Engineering Sample products. This means that there is
some functionality not enabled yet, and there will be numerous software and
firmware changed and updates in the near future as these features mature.
1.4.2 Modem Firmware
The firmware in the modem may have some limited functionality, but you will
need to update the firmware as part of the out-of-the-box experience.
1.4.3 AT Commands - Addressed in firmware 32902
Not all AT commands listed in the AT Commands Manual are enabled. The
associated Application Notes will reference commands and sequences that are
available at the time of writing and known to be working. If you receive an
ERROR response when trying to use one of the commands not listed in an
Application Note, you can expect that the implementation is not complete for that
feature.
1.4.4 Lower Power Modes - Available in firmware 32902
We do not advise performing any advanced power testing at this time. Low
power modes (and power-save modes) are not available in current firmware so
results are not representative of the product’s true capabilities yet.
1.4.5 SMS Messaging - Available in firmware 32902
SMS messages are not available at this time.
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1.4.6 Supported LTE Bands
LTE Band 13 is the only cellular band supported by Verizon at this time.
LTE Band 4 is a future network enhancement. Expect a firmware update when
Band 4 is made available.
1.4.7 "Assertion failed" Errors - Fixed in firmware 32902
During development and testing, you may receive error messages that start with
the following:
^EXIT: Assertion failed
This error will cause the Skywire to restart. This is a known issue that is being
investigated and will be addressed in a future firmware release. This error most
often occurs while the Skywire is registering on the network.
1.4.8 Real-Time Clock Error - Fixed in firmware 32902
The real-time clock (RTC) may report the time incorrectly. It may be an hour off,
report in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), or something else. There are two
ways around this:
- You can manually set the RTC using the AT+CCLK command
- You can issue:
AT+CGATT=0
to disconnect from the network. Then, reset the RTC with:
AT+CCLK="00/01/01,00:00:00+0"
and reconnect to the network with:
AT+CGATT=1
Your RTC should now be set to the correct time.
This is a known issue that is being investigated, and will be addressed in a
future firmware release.
1.4.9 Command Mode Socket Dials - Hex - Fixed in firmware 32902
If you are using Command Mode to send socket dials, and are sending hex
characters instead of ASCII characters, you cannot send hex values larger than
"7F". This is a known issue that will be addressed in a future firmware release.
1.4.10 AT Interface Lockup Issues - Fixed in firmware 32902
There may be times when the Skywire interface will lock up, and you are no
longer able to issue AT commands when the Skywire is idle. This is a known
issue that is being investigated, and will be address in a future firmware release.
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1.4.11 Network Registration Issues - Fixed in firmware 32902
There may be times when the Skywire will not register on the network, or will
take a long time to register, despite having an active and known-working SIM.
This is a known issue that is being investigated, and will be addressed in a
future firmware release.
1.4.12 SIM Cards
The LTE CAT M1 network requires the use of a special SIM card. Other Verizon
LTE SIM cards, including the SIM cards used in other Skywire models, will not
work on the LTE CAT M1 network.
Please follow the procedure outlined in Section 3 for activating the included LTE
CAT M1 SIM card on the Verizon network.
2. Getting Started
2.1 Kit Contents
The NL-M1DK kit includes the following hardware:
1. NL-M1DK - Skywire 4G LTE CAT M1 Cellular Modem Development Kit with
jumpers installed
2. NL-SW-LTE-SVZM20 - Skywire 4G LTE CAT M1 Cellular Modem
3. CUI 5V Power Supply
PN 30192 rev 10 © NimbeLink Corp. 2018. All rights reserved. 7
4. NL-SIM-VER-M1 - Skywire 3FF 4G LTE CAT M1 SIM Card
5. Taoglas Antenna
6. USB to mini-USB Cable
2.2 Hardware Setup
2.2.1 SIM Card Installation
The SIM card included in your kit includes a tri-cut carrier and adapter for different sizes.
The Skywire family of modems use the Micro-SIM (3FF size form factor), which is the
SIM card size outlined in red in the below picture:
Carefully snap out the 3FF SIM card size from the SIM card carrier, and insert it into
your Skywire modem. The pads on the SIM card should face the pins on the SIM cage,
and the keyed corner will go in as shown below:
PN 30192 rev 10 © NimbeLink Corp. 2018. All rights reserved. 8
Insert the SIM card into the Skywire:
2.2.2 Skywire Installation
Install the Skywire as shown below. The small circles on the NL-M1DK-ES shows the
proper orientation of the U.FL connectors on the Skywire:
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Please verify that the installation of the Skywire is correct. If it is installed 180
degrees from the proper orientation, or if the Skywire is installed one pin off, it
will damage the Skywire modem when power is applied. This voids the warranty
of the Skywire and the NL-M1DK.
Attach the antenna cables to the Skywire.
Note: when removing antenna cables from the Skywire, use a U.FL removal tool.
Here is a picture of the fully-installed Skywire:
2.2.3 Jumper Installation
The NL-M1DK has the capability to connect to your workstation via a USB-Serial
connection, or to different microcontroller platforms. Your NL-M1DK is setup from the
factory for the USB-Serial connection. However, if a jumper was knocked off during
shipment, here is a diagram for the proper jumper settings:
PN 30192 rev 10 © NimbeLink Corp. 2018. All rights reserved. 10
2.2.4 Antenna Installation
Install the antenna to SMA connector J18 by screwing on the antenna. Make note not to
cross-thread the antenna:
Bend the antenna connector so it is pointing vertically. Below is a side view of the
installed antenna.
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2.3 Software Setup
2.3.1 Terminal Program
You will need a Terminal program to communicate with the Skywire. For Windows, we
recommend TeraTerm or PuTTY:
TeraTerm - https://ttssh2.osdn.jp/index.html.en
PuTTY - http://www.putty.org/
For Unix-based systems (macOS, Linux), we recommend picocom or minicom .
A GUI-based option for macOS is CoolTerm:
http://freeware.the-meiers.org/
Note: Additional setup may be necessary for macOS. Please consult Section 7.3 before
continuing.
2.3.2 Baudrate
The default baudrate of the NL-SW-LTE-SVZM20-x is 921600 . Please make sure to
change the settings of your terminal program to reflect this.
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3. Activate LTE CAT M1 SIM Data plan
To activate Skywire modem and SIM card, visit:
https://go.nimbelink.com
to create an account. Follow the instructions to activate the SIM card. The IMEI is the
fifteen-digit number listed on top of the Skywire, and the ICCID is the twenty-digit
number on the SIM card holder.
4. Hardware Verification
4.1 Introduction
Now that the Skywire is installed in the NL-M1DK, it is time to verify that the Skywire
can connect to the network. This example uses TeraTerm on Windows 7, however the
process is similar for your platform. Generally,
- Setup your terminal program to use baudrate 921600 and connect to your
Skywire port
- Issue the listed AT commands to verify communications and network connectivity
4.2 Insert USB Cable
Insert the USB cable to port J20 on the NL-M1DK:
Insert the other end of the USB cable to your workstation.
PN 30192 rev 10 © NimbeLink Corp. 2018. All rights reserved. 13
4.3 Apply Power
Insert the included 5V power adapter into the NL-M1DK:
Plug the power supply into a power outlet.
4.4 Verify COM Port Enumeration
Open Windows Device Manager, and verify that the FTDI drivers installed properly.
There will be two new COM ports on your PC. You will use the first COM port for AT
commands. The second COM port is a debug port, and not usable by the end-customer.
Note the first COM port number. For this guide, the ports enumerate as COM44 and
COM45:
If your devices do not install, you may need to download drivers from FTDI. Please find
them here:
http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm
4.5 Connect to the Skywire
Open TeraTerm, and close the initial connection window that appears: this window
doesn't allow us to change the baud rate. Go to:
Setup > Serial Port
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and in the Baud Rate field either type in 921600 or use the dropdown to select 921600.
All other settings should remain at their defaults. For the Port, use the dropdown to
select your COM port if it isn't selected already. COM44 has been selected for this
example, corresponding to the port listed in Section 4.4:
Once you have the correct settings, click "OK" to establish the connection to your
Skywire.
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4.6 AT Commands
The Skywire family of embedded modems communicates using AT commands. AT
commands are issued by typing the command, pressing the Enter key on your
keyboard, and observing the response.
4.7 Verify AT Command Communications
Type the following command:
AT
followed by the Enter Key, and the terminal should respond with:
OK
Please note: the default behavior of the NL-SW-LTE-SVZM20-x is to not echo the
command back, so you will not see AT as you type it, only the ‘OK’ response if Enter
key is pressed.
4.8 Enable Command Echo
To enable the command echo, type the following command:
ATE1
followed by the Enter Key, and the terminal should respond with:
OK
You will now see the commands as they are typed. This functionality will default back to
off with a power cycle. You can also disable the command echo by typing the following
command:
ATE0
followed by the Enter Key, and the terminal should respond with:
OK
4.9 Check Firmware Version
It is beneficial to make sure that you always have the latest firmware to ensure stability
and feature set. To check your firmware, type the following command:
ATI1
followed by the Enter Key, and the terminal should respond with:
UE5.0.0.0
LR5.0.0.0-3xxxx
OK
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3xxxx is the firmware version number to look for. Please compare that firmware version
with the version listed in Section 1.3, as well as in the firmware update application note:
https://nimbelink.com/Documentation/Skywire/4G_LTE_Cat_M1/1001541_NL-SW-LTE-
SVZM20_Firmware-Upgrade.pdf
If your version is older than the latest one available, please update the firmware using
the that guide.
4.10 Set Your APN
When you activate cellular service, an APN is assigned and must be used by the
modem to properly route traffic when using the network. Testing has been performed
with Verizon Dynamic APNs and Private Network APNs. Accounts activated through
NimbeLink (go.nimbelink.com) will be setup with the APN:
NIMBLINK.GW12.VZWENTP
To set this APN in the modem, type the following command:
AT+CGDCONT=3,"IPV4V6","NIMBLINK.GW12.VZWENTP"
followed by the Enter Key, and the terminal should respond with:
OK
4.11 Enable Cellular Functionality
To conserve power, by default cellular functionality is disabled. To enable cellular
functionality, type the following command:
AT+CFUN=1
followed by the Enter Key, and the terminal should respond with:
OK
This functionality will reset when rebooted. Therefore, this command will need to be
sent at each power-on.
If you would like to have the Skywire boot in AT+CFUN=1 mode, issue:
AT+SQNAUTOCONNECT=1
followed by the Enter Key, and the terminal should respond with:
OK
This command is saved in non-volatile memory (NVM), and therefore only needs to be
issued once. To verify that this command is set, you can issue:
AT+SQNAUTOCONNECT?
followed by the Enter Key, and the terminal should respond with:
+SQNAUTOCONNECT: x
PN 30192 rev 10 © NimbeLink Corp. 2018. All rights reserved. 17
OK
where x is either 0 for disabled or 1 for enabled.
4.12 Verify Auto-Attach
Depending on your settings, the Skywire may not automatically try to register on the
network. To enable this functionality, type the following command:
AT^AUTOATT=1
followed by the Enter Key, and the terminal should respond with:
OK
This command is saved in non-volatile memory (NVM), and therefore only needs to be
issued once. However, if you would like to verify that this command is set, you can type
the following command:
AT^AUTOATT?
followed by the Enter Key, and the terminal should respond with:
^AUTOATT: x
OK
where x is either 0 for disabled or 1 for enabled.
PN 30192 rev 10 © NimbeLink Corp. 2018. All rights reserved. 18
4.13 Verify Cellular Signal Strength
To verify the signal strength, type the following command:
AT+CESQ
followed by the Enter Key, and the terminal should respond with:
+CESQ: 99,99,255,255, xx,yy
OK
where xx and yy will be numbers corresponding to the Reference Signal Received
Quality (RSRQ) and Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), respectively. Please
see the below table to convert these numbers to real-world values:
Values of xx
RSRQ (Reference Signal Received Quality)
0
RSRQ < -19.5 dB
1
-19.5 dB ≤ RSRQ < -19 dB
2
-19 dB ≤ RSRQ < -18.5 dB
...
...
32
-4 dB ≤ RSRQ < -3.5 dB
33
-3.5 dB ≤ RSRQ < -3 dB
34
-3 dB ≤ RSRQ
255
Not known or detectable
Values of yy
RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power)
0
RSRP < -140 dBm
1
-140 dBm ≤ RSRP < -139 dBm
2
-139 dBm ≤ RSRP < -138 dBm
...
95
-46 dBm ≤ RSRP < -45 dBm
96
-45 dBm ≤ RSRP < -44
97
-44 dBm ≤ RSRP
255
Not known or not detectable
Here are estimated signal qualities based on the above values:
Values of xx
RSRQ
Values of yy
RSRP
Quality
0
RSRQ < -19.5 dB
0 - 40
RSRP < -100 dBm
Marginal
1 - 9
-19.5 dB ≤ RSRQ < -15 dB
41 - 50
-100 dBm ≤ RSRP < -90 dBm
Fair
10 - 19
-15 dB ≤ RSRQ < -10 dB
51 - 59
-90 dBm ≤ RSRP < -80 dBm
Good
20 - 34
≥ -10 dB
60 - 97
≥ -80 dBm
Excellent
PN 30192 rev 10 © NimbeLink Corp. 2018. All rights reserved. 19
Note: AT+CESQ may respond with:
+CESQ: 99,99,255,255,255,255
as the Skywire is registering on the network. Poll the command until it returns a valid
number, indicating that the Skywire is receiving a valid cellular signal.
4.14 Verify Network Registration
Once you have a cellular signal, you can verify that you are registered on the network.
Type the following command:
AT+CEREG?
followed by the Enter Key, and the terminal will respond with:
+CEREG: 2,x,y,z
OK
where x is your registration status, and yyyy and zzzzzzzzz are further network
details. Poll this command until it returns:
+CEREG: 2,1,"yyyy","zzzzzzzz"
A value of 1 means that your Skywire is registered on the network.
Note: The default settings are to show unsolicited response codes regarding network
status, so you may see a line similar to the following come across the communication
lines:
+CEREG: 1,"xxxx","yyyyyyyy",z
The " 1 " in the first parameter is the same as above, and means that the Skywire is
registered on the network. NimbeLink still recommends querying the command.
PN 30192 rev 10 © NimbeLink Corp. 2018. All rights reserved. 20
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