# EM7590 not sending NMEA sentences

**URL:** https://forum.sierrawireless.com/t/em7590-not-sending-nmea-sentences/35391
**Category:** MC/EM Series
**Created:** [August 14, 2025, 7:10am UTC](https://forum.sierrawireless.com/t/em7590-not-sending-nmea-sentences/35391 "2025-08-14T07:10:17Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![lordbordem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c0e974/32.png) [@lordbordem](https://forum.sierrawireless.com/u/lordbordem)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2025, 7:10am UTC](https://forum.sierrawireless.com/t/em7590-not-sending-nmea-sentences/35391/1 "2025-08-14T07:10:17Z")

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Hello,I’m currently having issues with a EM7590 module and how the GPS works on it. This module is attached a Syslogic Nvidia Jetson device running a balena OS.

Very occasionally (Approximately once every 20 or so cold boots) the GPS would work fine and we would get a constant stream of NMEA strings from the NMEA port on /dev/ttyUSB1.

However, most of the time we would get no NMEA data at all from the port but in this state, it will occasionally send a stream of 10 or so messages before stopping again. This is usually the message stream it sends to us before stopping again.

> $GPGGA,0,_66  
> $GPVTG,T,M,N,K,N_2C  
> $GPRMC,V,N_53  
> $GPGSA,A,1,32  
> $GPGGA,0,66  
> $GPVTG,T,M,N,K,N_2C  
> $GPRMC,V,N53  
> $GPGSA,A,1,_32  
> $GLGSV,1,1,02,38,39,1_7B  
> $GPGSV,1,1,01,25,35,164  
> $GPGGA,0,_66  
> $GPVTG,T,M,N,K,N_2C  
> $GPRMC,V,N\*53  
> $GPGSA,A,1,\*32

The following is the configuration for the modem

> AT  
> OK
> 
> ati3  
> Manufacturer: Sierra Wireless  
> Model: EM7590  
> Revision: SWIX12C\_02.02.03.00 2024/01/29 23:36:42  
> SVN: 05  
> IMEI: 357999720312919  
> FSN: DX5036002105H1  
> TS.25: 2024.1.1  
> +GCAP: +CGSM
> 
> OK
> 
> AT!GNSSCONFIG?  
> GPS: 1  
> GLONASS: 1  
> BDS: 1  
> GAL: 1  
> QZSS: 1
> 
> OK  
> AT!GPSAUTOSTART?  
> function: 2  
> fixtype: 2  
> maxtime: 254 seconds  
> nmaxdist: 50 meters  
> fixrate: 1 seconds
> 
> OK  
> AT!GPSCONF?  
> 0,1,“”,4
> 
> OK  
> AT!GPSLOC?  
> Not Available
> 
> OK  
> AT!GPSNMEACONFIG?  
> Enabled: 1  
> Output Rate: 1
> 
> OK  
> AT!GPSNMEASENTENCE?  
> !GPSNMEASENTENCE: 5F
> 
> OK  
> AT!GPSSATINFO?  
> NO SAT INFO
> 
> OK  
> AT!GPSSTATUS?  
> 2025 08 14 3 04:50:01 Last Fix Status = FAIL, FAILCODE = 4  
> 2025 08 14 3 04:50:02 Fix Session Status = ACTIVE
> 
> No TTFF available
> 
> OK  
> AT!GPSSUPLURL?  
> [supl.google.com](http://supl.google.com)
> 
> OK  
> AT!GPSSUPLVER?  
> !GPSSUPLVER: 2
> 
> OK  
> AT+WANT?  
> Preferred: 1  
> Current: 0
> 
> OK  
> AT!CUSTOM?  
> !CUSTOM:  
> “SIMLPA” 0x01  
> “UIM2ENABLE” 0x01  
> “GPSENABLE” 0x01  
> “MBIMTYPE” 0x01
> 
> OK

We do send $GPS\_START to the GPS AT port when we first start the device but that doesn’t seem to change this behavior (Sent it both as a echo to the ttyUSB1 port and sent it over minicom, also tried it with $GPS\_START/r and $GPS\_START/r/n)

We assume it’s a config/software issue because we see this issue on all our current devices with the EM7590 modules (approximately 30+ units)

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![jyijyi](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/forum.sierrawireless.com/jyijyi/32/4766_2.png) [@jyijyi](https://forum.sierrawireless.com/u/jyijyi)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2025, 7:51am UTC](https://forum.sierrawireless.com/t/em7590-not-sending-nmea-sentences/35391/2 "2025-08-14T07:51:23Z")

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how about using latest firmware?

[https://source.sierrawireless.com/resources/airprime/minicard/75xx/em7590/em7590-approved-fw-packages/#sthash.QuzdpHaC.dpbs](https://source.sierrawireless.com/resources/airprime/minicard/75xx/em7590/em7590-approved-fw-packages/#sthash.QuzdpHaC.dpbs)

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![lordbordem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c0e974/32.png) [@lordbordem](https://forum.sierrawireless.com/u/lordbordem)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2025, 7:59am UTC](https://forum.sierrawireless.com/t/em7590-not-sending-nmea-sentences/35391/3 "2025-08-14T07:59:21Z")

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Unfortunately we have these devices out in the field and we aren’t in a position where we can easily update the firmware on them.

Is there something else we can try to at least verify it is a firmware issue or an issue with how we are configuring the module?

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![jyijyi](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/forum.sierrawireless.com/jyijyi/32/4766_2.png) [@jyijyi](https://forum.sierrawireless.com/u/jyijyi)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2025, 8:34am UTC](https://forum.sierrawireless.com/t/em7590-not-sending-nmea-sentences/35391/4 "2025-08-14T08:34:49Z")

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I tried the same firmware 02.02.03.00 as yours in EM7590, I can see the NMEA frame.

`$GPGGA,0,`_`66`  
 `$GPVTG,T,M,N,K,N`_`2C`  
`$GPRMC,V,N*53`  
`$GPGSA,A,1,`_`32`  
 `$GPGGA,0,66`  
 `$GPVTG,T,M,N,K,N`_`2C`  
`$GPRMC,V,N53`  
`$GPGSA,A,1,*32`

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![lordbordem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c0e974/32.png) [@lordbordem](https://forum.sierrawireless.com/u/lordbordem)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2025, 11:33am UTC](https://forum.sierrawireless.com/t/em7590-not-sending-nmea-sentences/35391/5 "2025-08-14T11:33:09Z")

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So we also do get NMEA messages occasionally. The issue is that it seems to just stop after a couple of seconds.

Having looked into it further we are noticing a couple things

1. From a cold boot, for the first 30 seconds or so, if we send !GPSSTATUS we would get Last Fix Status = None. At this point, if we are observing the NMEA port, we would see those no fix NMEA messages I mentioned in the first post
2. After 30 seconds, if we send !GPSSTATUS again, we would now get Last Fix Status = Fail, FailCode=4 which we understand to be GPS fix timeout (We would assume it would follow the max time param in our auto start config, which is 50 seconds but it doesn’t). The moment it switched to Fail, we would stop getting NMEA messages
3. From this point onwards, the modem will stay on this Last Fix Status = Fail state.

We then tried to force it to get a fix by send !GPSFIX=1,255,1. Sometimes this message will return a ERROR message (But doesn’t return a error code like EM759x AT Reference Manual seems to suggest) but retrying the message a few times eventually returns a OK code.

Once that happens, Last Fix Status would be SUCCESS and we would start seeing NMEA messages again and it will keep sending NMEA messages until it goes back to Last Fix Status is FAIL. Not sure what causes it to go from SUCCESS to FAIL thou because just outright removing the antenna doesn’t seem to cause that, it would just stay on SUCCESS and keep resending the last good position, but we have definitely seen the modem go from SUCCESS to FAIL, which subsequently stops the NMEA messages.

So I guess our question at this point is

1. Is the modem supposed to stop sending NMEA messages if Last Fix Status is Failed
2. Is there a reason why the modem doesn’t seem to retry getting a fix automatically until we manually send a !GPSFIX message despite !GPSAUTOSTART being set

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![jyijyi](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/forum.sierrawireless.com/jyijyi/32/4766_2.png) [@jyijyi](https://forum.sierrawireless.com/u/jyijyi)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2025, 12:04pm UTC](https://forum.sierrawireless.com/t/em7590-not-sending-nmea-sentences/35391/6 "2025-08-14T12:04:01Z")

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Can it be fixed after

At!gpsend=0

At!gpsfix=1,255,10000

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![lordbordem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c0e974/32.png) [@lordbordem](https://forum.sierrawireless.com/u/lordbordem)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2025, 5:49am UTC](https://forum.sierrawireless.com/t/em7590-not-sending-nmea-sentences/35391/7 "2025-08-15T05:49:41Z")

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!GPSEND will always send an ERROR back and like I mentioned above, sending !GPSFIX does make it work for a bit but it would also just stop sending NMEA strings, coinciding with it going into the FAIL last fix state with failcode 4.

Even sending !GPSFIX is not always guaranteed since 6/10 times, it will return ERROR with no error code

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![jyijyi](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/forum.sierrawireless.com/jyijyi/32/4766_2.png) [@jyijyi](https://forum.sierrawireless.com/u/jyijyi)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2025, 6:13am UTC](https://forum.sierrawireless.com/t/em7590-not-sending-nmea-sentences/35391/8 "2025-08-15T06:13:12Z")

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i cannot see such issue:

at!entercnd=“A710”  
OK  
at!gpsend=0  
OK  
at!gpsfix=1,255,100000

OK  
ati3  
Manufacturer: Sierra Wireless  
Model: EM7590  
Revision: SWIX12C\_02.02.03.00 2024/01/29 23:36:42  
SVN: 05  
IMEI: 357999720012345  
FSN: 01225200012345  
TS.25: 2024.1.1  
+GCAP: +CGSM

OK  
at!gpsend=0  
OK  
at!gpsfix=1,255,100000

OK  
at!gpsend=0  
OK  
at!gpsfix=1,255,100000

OK  
at!gpsend=0  
OK  
at!gpsfix=1,255,100000

OK  
at!gpsend=0  
OK  
at!gpsfix=1,255,100000

OK  
at!gpsend=0  
OK  
at!gpsfix=1,255,100000

OK

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![lordbordem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c0e974/32.png) [@lordbordem](https://forum.sierrawireless.com/u/lordbordem)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2025, 10:36am UTC](https://forum.sierrawireless.com/t/em7590-not-sending-nmea-sentences/35391/9 "2025-08-26T10:36:32Z")

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Hello,

Just as an update, we’ve had a chance to bring up one of our client devices locally in our office so that we can update the firmware

We are now using the latest generic firmware  
ATI  
Manufacturer: Sierra Wireless  
Model: EM7590  
Revision: SWIX12C\_03.01.02.00 2025/04/25 14:37:44  
SVN: 07  
IMEI: 357999720312919  
FSN: DX5036002105H1  
TS.25: 2025.2.24  
+GCAP: +CGSM

We are noticing a couple things

- The ttyUSB paths seem to have suddenly changed and is now showing as ttyUSB0, ttyUSB2 and ttyUSB3. (USB2 being NMEA and USB3 being AT)
- With the exact same configuration as specified in my first post, the modem is returning ZERO NMEA sentences. It will rarely send a $PSTIS, \*61 message but nothing else (Even if we send a GPSFIX or GPSTRACK message)
- The modem will return an OK for !GPSEND and !GPSFIX, which causes the last fix session to go from FAIL to NONE back to FAIL in the span of a couple seconds.

Does your test devices show constant NMEA sentences?

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![jyijyi](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/forum.sierrawireless.com/jyijyi/32/4766_2.png) [@jyijyi](https://forum.sierrawireless.com/u/jyijyi)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2025, 10:40am UTC](https://forum.sierrawireless.com/t/em7590-not-sending-nmea-sentences/35391/10 "2025-08-26T10:40:26Z")

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did you go outdoor area to test?
