OptConnect EMA Series User manual

OptConnect ema™
Getting Started
V1.2 Updated January 2020

© OptConnect Management, LLC 2019. All rights reserved. Revision 1.2
2
Table of Contents
Table of Contents 2
1. Introduction 3
1.1 Scope 3
1.2 Contact Information 3
1.3 Orderable Part Numbers 3
1.4 Additional Resources 4
1.5 Activation 4
2. ema:Play Setup 4
2.1 Overview 4
2.2 Unpack ema:Play 4
2.3 Insert ema into ema:Play 5
2.4 Attach Antenna(s) 6
2.5 Apply Power to ema:Play 7
3. OptConnect Summit Portal 8
3.1 Overview 8
3.2 Login and Find ema 8
3.3 Device Attributes and Location 10
3.4 Events, Usage and Analytics 11
4. Banyan Hills Canopy™ IoT Platform 12
5. ema Modem UART Test 12
5.1 Overview 12
5.2 Configure ema:Play for S2USB 12
5.3 Configure the S2USB Driver 14
5.4 ema Modem Configuration and Test 14
5.5 Packet Data Protocol (PDP) Test 18
6. Troubleshooting 19
6.1 Overview 19
7. What’s Next? 19
8. Revision History 20

© OptConnect Management, LLC 2019. All rights reserved. Revision 1.2
3
1. Introduction
1.1 Scope
This document serves as a guide on how to get started using the OptConnect ema™ cellular modem. For
demonstration purposes, OptConnect’s ema:Play Evaluation Kit will be used as the host system
throughout this document. Furthermore, it is assumed that ema:Play’s on-board MCU (U16) firmware is
executing the latest GettingStartedWithemaVx.x demonstration project. The latest version of this project is
available at http://optconnect.com/emaPlay . For instructions on how to update ema:Play’s on-board
MCU (U16) firmware, reference the OptConnect ema™ ema:Play User Guide, section 4.1.3 .
Included in this document are instructions for driver installation on Windows operating systems and AT
commands for basic device configuration and setup.
It is recommended that all OptConnect ema™ users familiarize themselves with the material contained in
this document before continuing on to other application notes.
1.2 Contact Information
For more information regarding OptConnect ema™ contact OptConnect Sales at 1.877.678.3343 ext. 2020
during normal business hours. For technical support contact OptConnect Customer Care Center at
1.877.678-3343 ext. 2021 from 8 am till 9 pm MST Monday through Saturday.
1.3 Orderable Part Numbers
Orderable
Device
Modem
Firmware
Revision
Operating
Temperature
LTE Bands
3G
UMTS
Network
Region
EMA-L4-1-XX-A-A
20.00.005
-40 to +85˚C
FDD B2, B4, B5,
B12, B13
B2, B5
AT&T,
Verizon
North America
EMA-L4-1-US-B-A
20.00.005
-40 to +85˚C
FDD B2, B4, B5,
B12, B13
B2, B5
AT&T,
Verizon
United States
Unless instructed otherwise EMA-L4-1-XX-A-A will utilize AT&T as the primary carrier and Verizon as the
secondary carrier. Unless instructed otherwise, EMA-L4-1-US-B-A will utilize Verizon as the primary carrier
and AT&T as the secondary carrier.
Orderable
Device
Description
Operating
Temperature
Region
EMA-ZZ-1-XX-Z-B
ema:Play Evaluation Kit, OptConnect ema™ evaluation
platform
-40 to +85˚C
North America
EMA-L4-1-XX-A-B
ema:Play Evaluation Kit, OptConnect ema™ evaluation
platform, EMA-L4-1-XX-A-A ema modem included
-40 to +85˚C
North America
EMA-L4-1-US-B-B
ema:Play Evaluation Kit, OptConnect ema™ evaluation
platform, ema EMA-L4-1-US-B-A ema modem included
-40 to +85˚C
United States

© OptConnect Management, LLC 2019. All rights reserved. Revision 1.2
4
1.4 Additional Resources
OptConnect ema™ is supported by a full range of documentation; including User Guides and Application
Notes as well as an ema:Play User Guide and related code samples. The latest versions of these resources
can be found at http://optconnect.com/ema . Suggested prerequisites for this document are the
following:
-OptConnect ema™ Hardware Guide
-OptConnect ema™ emaLink AT Command Manual
-ema:Play User Guide
1.5 Activation
If ema is not activated/registered upon receipt, please visit https://summit.optconnect.com/ema to
activate/register ema.
2. ema:Play Setup
2.1 Overview
This section describes how to properly install ema into ema:Play and overall evaluation kit setup. It is
critical to follow the steps detailed in this section to avoid potential damage to ema and/or ema:Play as a
result of improper installation. ema:Play ships with the Getting Started with ema demonstration project
and its hardware is pre-configured to run this project.
2.2 Unpack ema:Play
Carefully unpack ema:Play from its box. The contents of the kit should include the following as shown in
Figure 1:
1. ema:Play Evaluation Kit with/without ema installed (see section 1.3 for device p/n’s)
2. OptConnect Gemini MIMO Antenna
3. 5VDC Power Supply
4. 2 x USB cables

© OptConnect Management, LLC 2019. All rights reserved. Revision 1.2
5
Figure 1
2.3 Insert ema into ema:Play
If ema:Play includes an ema (see section 1.3 for device p/n’s), this section can be skipped.
To avoid damage to ema and/or ema:Play, take precautions to
correctly insert ema into the modem socket. Double check pin
alignment before applying power.
Follow this procedure to correctly insert ema into ema:Play.
1. Orient ema so that it’s label is aligned with the ema logo that is printed on the ema:Play PCB as
shown below in Figure 2.
2. Firmly press ema into the socket as shown in Figure 3.
Figure 2 Figure 3
1
2
3
4

© OptConnect Management, LLC 2019. All rights reserved. Revision 1.2
6
2.4 Attach Antenna(s)
ema:Play includes two SMA to U.FL adaptors located at J3 and J12. These accommodate both a primary
antenna and a diversity antenna. The U.FL ends of these adaptors connects to ema’s X1 and X2
connectors. The SMA ends of these adaptors connect to the OptConnect Gemini antenna cables or other
antennas. If ema:Play includes an ema (see section 1.3 for device p/n’s), then the adaptors(J3, J12) should
already be connected to ema as shown in Figure 4.
Figure 4
Follow this procedure to correctly connect the adaptor’s U.FL end to ema if required:
1. Insert ema into ema:Play as shown in section 2.3.
2. Carefully bend the adaptor cables into position over ema’s antenna connectors (X1, X2) as shown
in Figure 4 above.
3. With extreme care, press the U.FL ends of the adaptor cables onto ema’s antenna connectors (X1,
X2). When correctly connected, there should be a subtle click/snap.
4. Confirm the connection by holding the adaptor cable close to ema’s antenna connectors (X1, X2)
and gently rotating the adaptor cable back and forth while it is connected to ema. It should rotate
freely in a flat planar fashion.
Note: If the antenna adaptor cables are to be removed, it is highly recommended to use an antenna
removal tool to avoid damaging the antenna connectors. Sample tool p/n: Hirose U.FL-LP-N-2
Follow this procedure to correctly connect the OptConnect Gemini antenna to ema:Play:
1. On the Gemini antenna, locate the cable labeled “LTE-1”. Finger tighten this cable onto ema:Play
at connector J3, labeled “Primary” as shown in Figure 5.
2. The other cable is labeled “LTE-2”, and should be finger tightened onto ema:Play at connector J12
labeled “Diversity” as shown in Figure 5.

© OptConnect Management, LLC 2019. All rights reserved. Revision 1.2
7
Figure 5
2.5 Apply Power to ema:Play
1. Apply power to ema:Play and ema by plugging in the provided power supply at connector J9 as
shown in Figure 6. The following conditions can be observed and validate that the demonstration
project is successfully running:
•Green ema:Play power LEDs ON; 4V0, 3V3
•Blue ema:Play LEDs signal array is scrolling; D14-D17
Figure 6
2. Press and hold button SW7(shown in Figure 7) for about 2 seconds or until the LED signal array
changes to D14 blinking. The following conditions can be observed and validate that ema is
connected and communicating on the cellular network. Allow up to 30 seconds for these
conditions to occur.
•Amber ema:Play status LED ON; STS
•Green ema status LED ON; D1

© OptConnect Management, LLC 2019. All rights reserved. Revision 1.2
8
•Green ema:Play ema power LED ON; 4VMOD
•Blue LEDs signal array showing current signal strength; D14-D17
D14 –D17
LED State
Description
Scrolling left to right
Idle, waiting for user input (hold SW7 for 2 seconds)
D14 Flashing
Searching for cellular network and/or acquiring signal bars
All Flashing
An error has occurred
1 –4 LEDs ON solid
Indicating current signal quality
D14 –D17 LED State Reference Table
Figure 7
3. OptConnect Summit Portal
3.1 Overview
The OptConnect Summit portal is an online tool that allows users to manage and monitor their entire fleet
of OptConnect cellular devices, and is included with the purchase of any OptConnect device. This section
describes how to use the Summit portal for basic ema monitoring and management. This section
assumes that the users’Summit account has been setup successfully, and the user can login to the
Summit portal. For questions regarding Summit account creation and login credentials, refer to section
1.2.
3.2 Login and Find ema
1. Continuing from section 2.5, confirm that ema:Play and ema are powered ON.

© OptConnect Management, LLC 2019. All rights reserved. Revision 1.2
9
2. Navigate to https://summit.optconnect.com/login and login to the portal. The landing page
should look similar to Figure 8. All of the OptConnect cellular devices associated with this account
will be qualified by the categories shown.
Figure 8
3. Click the “CURRENTLY ONLINE” button. The view will switch and list all OptConnect cellular
devices associated with this account that are currently online. Locate the ema in question by serial
number. Click on the serial number to monitor ema as shown in Figure 9.

© OptConnect Management, LLC 2019. All rights reserved. Revision 1.2
10
Figure 9
3.3 Device Attributes and Location
1. The “DEVICE ATTRIBUTES” section can be used to investigate ema’s Board ID, IP address, Last
check-in, etc. Certain fields (Device ID, and Description) can also be edited accordingly. Reference
Figure 10.
Figure 10

© OptConnect Management, LLC 2019. All rights reserved. Revision 1.2
11
2. The “APPROXIMATE DEVICE LOCATION” section can be used to view ema’s location. Reference
Figure 11.
Figure 11
3.4 Events, Usage and Analytics
1. The “EMA EVENTS” section can be used to closely monitor ema’s behavior over time. Reference
Figure 12.
Figure 12

© OptConnect Management, LLC 2019. All rights reserved. Revision 1.2
12
2. The “DATA USAGE HISTORY” and “SIGNAL ANALYTICS” sections can be used to monitor ema’s
usage and signal data. Reference Figure 13.
Figure 13
4. Banyan Hills Canopy™IoT Platform
Every purchase of an OptConnect ema:Play Evaluation Kit includes a trial of Banyan Hills Canopy™
enterprise IoT platform. Its real-time dashboard, advanced features and configurable KPIs give you
complete visibility into your network of data. Manage the overall health of your devices, address service
issues before problems arise and delight customers with entirely new experiences. Canopy™ is coupled
with Banyan Hills Leaf Agent, running on ema:Play’s Demonstration project, and using ema as the internet
connection. This allows for a simple device to cloud round trip relationship utilizing ema:Play’s onboard
sensors, digital inputs, and digital outputs. For more information and detailed usage examples, reference
the ema:Play User Guide.
5. ema Modem UART Test
5.1 Overview
Section 3 describes how to properly configure and test ema communications using ema:Play’s built in
dual Serial to USB (S2USB) port to access the ema modem UART interface using a standard USB port on
any Windows computer. This will allow the user to send and receive AT commands to ema’s cellular
module. The S2USB port will enumerate as two unique Virtual COM ports on the computer.
5.2 Configure ema:Play for S2USB
1. Continuing from section 2.5, confirm that ema:Play and ema are powered ON.
2. Hold ema:Play’s on-board MCU (U16) in RESET by moving SW5 to the ON position as shown in
Figure 14.

© OptConnect Management, LLC 2019. All rights reserved. Revision 1.2
13
Figure 14
3. Direct ema’s modem UART signals (DIN/DOUT) to the S2USB port using dip switch SW2, by
setting it to the S2USB mode as shown in Figure 15.
Figure 15

© OptConnect Management, LLC 2019. All rights reserved. Revision 1.2
14
5.3 Configure the S2USB Driver
Before ema:Play’s S2USB port can be used with a Windows computer, the computer must have the proper
drivers installed.
1. Continuing from section 5.2, plug one end of the provided USB cable into a computer and the
other end into the S2USB port at J10 on ema:Play.
•The S2USB LED should turn ON and ema:Play should enumerate with the computer as
two unique COM ports.
•Confirm driver installation by checking Windows Device Manager. The driver should be
listed as shown in Figure 10, or similar.
Figure 10
•If the driver is not listed as shown, visit this website to download the drivers:
https://www.silabs.com/products/development-tools/software/usb-to-uart-bridge-
vcp-drivers
5.4 ema Modem Configuration and Test
The next step is to use AT commands to configure ema using the ema Modem UART via the ema:Play
S2USB port and a terminal emulator program. This section details a few useful AT commands, and how to
troubleshoot error conditions.
1. Install a terminal emulator Program for Windows, such as Tera Term. It can be downloaded here:
https://ttssh2.osdn.jp/index.html.en
2. After installing Tera Term, run it. The startup window will look similar to Figure 16.

© OptConnect Management, LLC 2019. All rights reserved. Revision 1.2
15
Figure 16
3. Select the “Serial” radio button and using the drop-down menu labeled "Port", select the COM
port that corresponds to ema’s Modem UART interface. It should be labeled as "Silicon Labs Dual
CP2105 USB to UART Bridge: Standard COM PORT" in the menu. Then, click on the "OK" button to
open the connection.
Note: The COM port assigned to the ema modem UART will vary from computer to computer,
and will not necessarily be COM11, as in the example. The Windows Device Manager can be
explored to identify the correct COM port.
4. Configure the Connection Properties. Click on the "Setup" drop down in the menu bar at the top
of the Tera Term window, and then select "Serial port...". Configure the settings in the dialogue
that opens according to Figure 17. Do not change the "Port" setting, as this is already configured
properly.

© OptConnect Management, LLC 2019. All rights reserved. Revision 1.2
16
Figure 17
After choosing the configuration settings, Tera Term is now ready for use. However, the
configuration settings will not persist after Tera Term is closed.
To save the configuration settings, simply click on "Setup", and then select the "Save setup…"
option. This will open a dialogue box that will ask for the path at which to save the configuration
file. Configure this path in any way, and then hit the "Save" button.
5. Verify Serial Connectivity. To ensure that the serial connection is established and functioning,
issue the following command to ema via the terminal emulator:
AT
ema should respond with:
OK
If ema responds to the above command as described, then the serial connection has been
properly established.
6. Verify cellular signal quality. To verify that ema is receiving an acceptable cellular signal, issue the
following command:
AT+CESQ
ema will respond in the following format:

© OptConnect Management, LLC 2019. All rights reserved. Revision 1.2
17
+CESQ: aa,bb,ccc,ddd,xx,yy
The important parameters are the last two. xx is the Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ)
and yy is the Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP). Typical RSRQ and RSRP values are shown
in Figure 18 and Figure 19, respectively.
Values of xx
RSRQ
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
Figure 18
Values of yy
RSRP
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 dBm
97
-44 dBm ≤ RSRP
255
Not known or not detectable
Figure 19

© OptConnect Management, LLC 2019. All rights reserved. Revision 1.2
18
The following table (Figure 20) lists estimated signal qualities based on RSRQ and RSRP.
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
Figure 20
If ema responds with +CESQ: aa,bb,ccc,ddd,255,255 then there is likely a problem with the
antenna connection. Please refer to section 4 for troubleshooting information.
5.5 Packet Data Protocol (PDP) Test
1. PDP Configuration: ema will automatically determine and configure the proper PDP context
based on the inserted SIM card(s). As such, no further action is required on the part of the user
insofar as PDP context configuration is concerned.
Note: ema will configure the PDP context during the boot-up process. Therefore, the PDP context
will be ready for use as soon as the AT command interface becomes responsive.
2. Activate the PDP Context: Before activating the PDP context, it is important to consider the
primary cellular carrier being used for the data connection. AT&T users must activate the first PDP
context for data connections, while Verizon users must activate the sixth PDP context.
Be sure to only activate the context number that corresponds to the carrier of the primary SIM
card installed in ema.
To activate the PDP context, and establish the network connection, issue the following command:
AT#SGACT=<cid>,1
Where <cid> is replaced with "1" for AT&T users, and "6" for Verizon Users.
ema should respond with the following:
#SGACT: <ip_addr>
Where <ip_addr> is replaced with the IP address that ema was assigned by the network.
3. Disconnecting from the network: To disconnect from the network, issue the following
command:
AT#SGACT=<cid>,0
Where <cid> is replaced with "1" for AT&T users, and "6" for Verizon Users.
Issuing this command will cease any ongoing data connections, and gracefully detach ema from
the network.

© OptConnect Management, LLC 2019. All rights reserved. Revision 1.2
19
6.Troubleshooting
6.1 Overview
This section contains troubleshooting information for various errors and difficulties that may occur when
setting up ema.
1. Enabling Verbose Error Reporting. It is often helpful to enable verbose error reporting after
encountering an "ERROR" response code for an AT command. A higher level of verbosity will add
more detail to the error response code, and can aid in the troubleshooting process.
To enable verbose error reporting, issue the following command:
AT+CMEE=2
For instance, consider an example in which a user instructs ema to activate a PDP context that has
already been activated.
Assuming the highest level of error reporting verbosity was enabled, ema would respond with
+CME “ERROR: context already activated"
instead of just
"ERROR"
In this case, the extra information contained in the error response code would help the user
determine the exact cause of the problem they were experiencing.
2. Signal Quality and Antenna Troubleshooting. If the response to:
AT+CESQ
is:
+CESQ: aa,bb,ccc,ddd,255,255
It is likely that the antenna is not properly connected to either ema at X1/X2 or ema:Play at J3/J12.
Check all connections along the antenna path. In this case, check the antenna connections, and
retry:
AT+CESQ
7. What’s Next?
Now that the user has experienced how to exchange AT commands with the OptConnect ema™ modem
and it has been properly set up and connected to the network, it is ready to be used for product
development.
OptConnect offers several application notes that demonstrate how to use essential ema features and
capabilities. These application notes are available at the following link: http://optconnect.com/ema .

© OptConnect Management, LLC 2019. All rights reserved. Revision 1.2
20
8. Revision History
Revision
Date
Description
Author
1.0
6/3/2019
Initial Release
MSV
1.1
9/9/2019
Updated Section 3.4. CSQ->CESQ and tables.
MSV
1.2
5/11/2020
Added Sections 1.5, 3, 4. Updated Section 2 per ema:Play
demonstration project.
MSV