Quectel BC660K-GL User manual

BC660K-GL
Log Capture Guide
NB-IoT Module Series
Version: 1.0
Date: 2021-03-29
Status: Released

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Copyright
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Copyright © Quectel Wireless Solutions Co., Ltd. 2021. All rights reserved.

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About the Document
Revision History
Version
Date
Author
Description
-
2020-12-30
Jacobi RAO
Creation of the document
1.0
2021-03-29
Jacobi RAO
First official release

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Contents
About the Document.................................................................................................................................. 3
Contents...................................................................................................................................................... 4
Table Index.................................................................................................................................................. 5
Figure Index................................................................................................................................................ 6
1Introduction......................................................................................................................................... 7
1.1. Declaration of AT Command Examples .................................................................................... 7
2Preparation.......................................................................................................................................... 8
2.1. BC660K-GL-TE-B ...................................................................................................................... 8
2.2. EPAT Runtime Environment.................................................................................................... 10
3Tool Connection................................................................................................................................ 11
3.1. Connection Configuration ........................................................................................................ 11
3.2. Connection Status Checking.................................................................................................... 11
3.2.1. Module Connection Status............................................................................................ 11
3.2.2. Module Database Status............................................................................................... 12
4Log Capture....................................................................................................................................... 13
4.1. Calibration Confirmation .......................................................................................................... 13
4.2. EPAT Startup........................................................................................................................... 14
4.3. Logging Port Baud Rate Configuration.................................................................................... 15
4.4. Database File Selection and Updating.................................................................................... 16
4.5. Log Capture ............................................................................................................................. 18
4.6. Log Saving............................................................................................................................... 18
4.6.1. Manual Log Saving ....................................................................................................... 18
4.6.2. Automatic Log Saving................................................................................................... 20
5FAQs................................................................................................................................................... 22
5.1. How to solve the problem of DB file mismatch?...................................................................... 22
5.2. How to get the DB file?............................................................................................................ 22
5.3. Can the baud rate of the logging port be modified?................................................................ 22
5.4. What to do when the module cannot connect to PC?............................................................. 22
5.5. What to do when the module cannot connect to EPAT?......................................................... 23
6Appendix A References.................................................................................................................... 24

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Table Index
Table 1: Introduction to Key Components of BC660K-GL-TE-B.................................................................9
Table 2: Module Connection Status...........................................................................................................12
Table 3: Module Database Status.............................................................................................................. 12
Table 4: Introduction to EPAT Icons..........................................................................................................18
Table 5: Related Documents......................................................................................................................24
Table 6: Terms and Abbreviations............................................................................................................. 24

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Figure Index
Figure 1: BC660K-GL-TE-B......................................................................................................................... 9
Figure 2: Communication Ports.................................................................................................................. 11
Figure 3: Select Data Resource................................................................................................................. 14
Figure 4: Open the Resource Selection Window.......................................................................................14
Figure 5: Select Device..............................................................................................................................15
Figure 6: Select Port and Baud Rate.........................................................................................................15
Figure 7: Open the Database Window.......................................................................................................16
Figure 8: Update the Database File........................................................................................................... 17
Figure 9: Select Database File Path.......................................................................................................... 17
Figure 10: Icons to Control Log Capture.................................................................................................... 18
Figure 11: Save Logs Manually .................................................................................................................19
Figure 12: Select Log Saving Path ............................................................................................................19
Figure 13: Manual Log Saving Successful ................................................................................................20
Figure 14: Enable Automatic Log Saving ..................................................................................................20
Figure 15: Automatic Log Saving Configurations ......................................................................................21
Figure 16: Automatic Log Saving Successful............................................................................................ 21

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1Introduction
This document is about how to capture logs of the Quectel BC660K-GL module with a BC660K-GL-TE-B
and an EPAT tool. Consult this document to learn about the BC660K-GL-TE-B, the EPAT tool, port
configurations for log capture and the concrete steps of capturing and saving logs.
If there is an abnormal restart, network registration error, data service error or even system crash in
module debugging, refer to this document to capture logs for cause analyses.
1.1. Declaration of AT Command Examples
The AT command examples in this document are provided to help you familiarize with AT commands and
learn how to use them. The examples, however, should not be taken as Quectel’s recommendation or
suggestions about how you should design a program flow or what status you should set the module into.
Sometimes multiple examples may be provided for one AT command. However, this does not mean that
there exists a correlation among these examples and that they should be executed in a given sequence.

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2Preparation
This chapter describes the tools, drivers and the runtime environment of EPAT required for capturing logs
of the module.
The tools and drivers listed below are required:
⚫TE-B of the module
⚫QCOM of version 1.6 or later: Serial port communication tool.
⚫EPAT: Log capture tool
⚫USB-UART Driver: Ensure the port is available for use.
⚫
For the use of the QCOM tool, see document [1].
2.1. BC660K-GL-TE-B
The BC660K-GL-TE-B is shown in the figure below.
NOTE

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Figure 1: BC660K-GL-TE-B
A brief introduction to BC660K-GL-TE-B is given below:
Table 1: Introduction to Key Components of BC660K-GL-TE-B
SN
Components
Description
1
RESET button
Resets the module.
2
BOOT button
Downloads the firmware.
Before firmware downloading, it is necessary to press
BOOT first and hold it, and press RESET for a while, and
then release the RESET and BOOT buttons in turn to
trigger the firmware downloading.
3
PSM_EINT button
Wakes up the module from sleep.
4
UART switch
Controls the main serial port to connect the module or the
external MCU.
5
Wire jumper cap
Connects the USB port on the TE-B to the module. If the
USB port is not connected with the module, when USB is
powered, the USIM card cannot be powered.
6
Micro USB port
Converts the UART port to 4 ports through a USB-UART
bridge: one for AT command communication; one for log

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See document [2] for details about BC660K-GL-TE-B.
2.2. EPAT Runtime Environment
EPAT is a log capture tool applicable to the module; it supports online log capture and offline log analyses
for problem tracking, locating and module debugging.
For the EPAT to run normally, PC shall meet the requirements below:
1. Hardware Requirements
⚫CPU: Inter Core (Core i3 or above is recommended)
⚫Memory: 1 G (2 G or above is recommended)
⚫Hard Disk: 5120 MB available for use
⚫Interface: 2 USB ports (minimum)
2. Software Requirements
⚫Operating system: MS Windows 7, Windows 8.1 or Windows 10
⚫System operating environment: Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable Package (x86) or
Microsoft Visual Studio 2015
EPAT is a portable application that does not need to be installed. You can simply copy the package
provided by Quectel to your PC, find the EPAT.exe under the Bin folder and double-click it to run the tool.
capture; and the rest are reserved.
8
Antenna port
Connects to an external antenna.

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3Tool Connection
3.1. Connection Configuration
Connect the module to the PC through the Micro USB port on the TE-B. After the connection completes,
the PC will automatically install the USB-UART driver. After the driver is installed, the following 4 ports will
appear on the PC:
Figure 2: Communication Ports
Generally, the first port, “USB Serial Port (COM36)”, is used for AT communication, and the third port,
“USB Serial Port (COM38)”, is used for log capture. Yet the port display order may vary with different PCs.
⚫
3.2. Connection Status Checking
3.2.1. Module Connection Status
Check the connection status of the module in the lower right corner of the EPAT tool.
The actual port names may be different from these shown in the figure above due to different drivers
installed.
NOTE

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Table 2: Module Connection Status
3.2.2. Module Database Status
Check the database (DB) status of the module in the upper left corner of the EPAT tool.
Table 3: Module Database Status
Icon
Status
Description
Connected
EPAT can communicate with the module and capture logs.
Unconnected
EPAT cannot find the module and thus cannot capture logs.
Connection failed
EPAT fails to communicate with the module and thus cannot
capture logs.
Icon
Status
Description
DB inaccessible
EPAT fails to compare the Db.txt file with the target firmware since
there is no database in the designated path or the path of the
database has been changed without rebooting the module. In this
case, update the DB file referring to Chapter 4.4 or reboot the
device.
DB mismatched
Db.txt file does not match with the target firmware. In this case,
update the DB file referring to Chapter 4.4.
DB matched
Db.txt file matches with the target firmware and EPAT is ready to
capture logs.

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4Log Capture
To ensure the log messages are available for use and easy to analyze, you need to choose the right DB
file and make an appropriate calibration of the single board. Please follow the steps below:
Step 1: Confirm that the module has been calibrated.
Step 2: Start the EPAT tool.
Step 3: Configure the baud rate for log capture.
Step 4: Select a database file.
Step 5: Capture the log.
Step 6: Save the log.
4.1. Calibration Confirmation
After connecting the module to the PC, confirm whether the module has been calibrated. All tests and
applications of the module shall be performed in this mode, or the module may not work normally.
Run the following commands to check whether the module has been calibrated. If not, calibrate it for for
the subsequent tests and applications.
AT+QRFSTAT
+QRFSTAT: NOT CALIBRATE //The module has not been calibrated. Tests cannot be performed.
OK
AT+QRFSTAT
+QRFSTAT: CABLIBRATE //The module has been calibrated. Tests can be performed and logs
captured.
OK
⚫
See document [3] for details on AT+QRFSTAT, which is under development.
NOTE

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4.2. EPAT Startup
The window below pops up when you open EPAT for the first time. Select “Serial Device”in the window:
Figure 3: Select Data Resource
If EPAT is not opened for the first time, you need to click the button marked in the red frame below to
open the above window:
Figure 4: Open the Resource Selection Window

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4.3. Logging Port Baud Rate Configuration
It is necessary to select the logging port and a baud rate on EPAT and execute AT+QCFG on the PC to
configure the baud rate of the logging port while ensuring the configurations are consistent.
After “Serial Device”is selected, the window below will appear, click “Settings”for port setting.
Figure 5: Select Device
Select the logging port and its baud rate:
Figure 6: Select Port and Baud Rate

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Run the command below on the AT port to set the baud rate of the logging port:
AT+QCFG="logbaudrate",6000000 //Set the baud rate to 6 M.
OK
⚫
1. It is strongly recommended to set the baud rate to 3 M or higher. Otherwise, a lot of log messages
may be lost, resulting in failures in later problem analyses.
2. For the details about AT+QCFG, see document [3]
4.4. Database File Selection and Updating
Different firmware versions require different database files to decode the firmware correctly, so it is
necessary to select the correct database file before capturing logs.
Click the icon in the upper left corner of EPAT to open the database window, as follows:
Figure 7: Open the Database Window
NOTES

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In the pop-up window, click "Update" to update the database file:
Figure 8: Update the Database File
Select a path to store the database file. Click "Update" to update the database, and then wait for the
update to complete.
Figure 9: Select Database File Path

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4.5. Log Capture
Click the start/pause/stop/clear icons in the upper left corner to control log capture flow.
Figure 10: Icons to Control Log Capture
Table 4: Introduction to EPAT Icons
4.6. Log Saving
4.6.1. Manual Log Saving
In EPAT, click “Save”on the toolbar or press the CTRL + Sshortcut key to select in the pop-up window a
path to save logs, as follows:
Icon
Function
Description
Start/Resume
Start capturing logs or resume capturing logs after a
pause. The viewer refreshes the logging page
automatically.
Pause
Pause log capture for a view of the logs. You can
continue to capture logs later.
Stop
Stop log capture. At this time, you cannot add new logs to
the log file.
Clear
Clear the captured logs in display.

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Figure 11:Save Logs Manually
Figure 12: Select Log Saving Path
The window below indicates that the log file has been saved successfully. The current time will be used
by default as the name of the log file, you can modify it for identification.