Using Private LTE with EM9191

IoT Modules
1

Hi,
I would like to ask for some help to debug my current issue, I have been cracking my head with an EM9191 module and its incapacity to discover our test network MCC/MNC 00101 , even though other modems are able to connect to it without any issues, we tried with several bands and nothing, the modem appears to be blind to the 00101 network which is now running on band 1 / band 7 / band 3 all at 20 Mhz, however, it IS able to see all public networks running on LTE. It keeps on attaching to whatever other carrier is out there but 00101.

I am monitoring the test network, and even when I force the module to attach , it just does nothing, not even a try.

is there any specific procedure to discover a MCC/MNC 00101 network? please advise,
Many thanks
Raul

ATI
Manufacturer: Sierra Wireless, Incorporated
Model: EM9191
Revision: SWIX55C_01.07.19.00 000000 jenkins 2021/02/11 02:17:18
IMEI: 355890340860498
IMEI SV: 7
FSN: 8W2243502501A1
+GCAP: +CGSM,+DS,+ES

OK
AT!IMAGE
ERROR
AT!IMAGE?
TYPE SLOT STATUS LRU FAILURES UNIQUE_ID BUILD_ID
FW 1 GOOD 1 0 0 ?? 01.07.19.00?
Max FW images: 1
Active FW image is at slot 1

TYPE SLOT STATUS LRU FAILURES UNIQUE_ID BUILD_ID
PRI FF GOOD 0 0 0 016.010_000 01.07.19.00_GENERIC
Max PRI images: 50
OK
AT!IMPREF?
!IMPREF:
preferred fw version: 01.07.19.00
preferred carrier name: GENERIC
preferred config name: GENERIC_016.010_000
preferred subpri index: 000
current fw version: 01.07.19.00
current carrier name: GENERIC
current config name: GENERIC_016.010_000
current subpri index: 000

!GSTATUS:
Current Time: 9433 Temperature: 30
Modem Mitigate Level: 0 ModemProc Mitigate Level: 0
Reset Counter: 1 Mode: ONLINE
System mode: LTE PS state: Not attached
LTE band: B255 LTE bw: Unknown
LTE Rx chan: 4294967295 LTE Tx chan: 4294967295
EMM state: Deregistered Attach Needed
RRC state: RRC Idle
IMS reg state: NOT REGISTERED IMS mode: Normal
IMS Srv State: UNKNOWN SMS,UNKNOWN VoIP

PCC RxM RSSI: — PCC RxM RSRP: —
PCC RxD RSSI: — PCC RxD RSRP: —
PCC RxM1 RSSI: — PCC RxM1 RSRP: —
PCC RxD1 RSSI: — PCC RxD1 RSRP: —
Tx Power: – TAC: ffff (65535)
RSRQ (dB): 0.1 Cell ID: ffffffff (4294967295)
SINR (dB): 0

NR5G band: — NR5G bw: —
NR5G Rx chan: — NR5G Tx chan: —
NR5G RSRP (dBm): — NR5G RSRQ (dB): —
NR5G SINR (dB): —

AT+COPS=1,2,“00101”,7
+CME ERROR: no network service

2

have you tried “AT+COPS=?”

3

yep, all commercial networks do appear, the 00101 does not.

4

i saw that “LTE band: B255” in AT!GSTATUS?
what is your setting for AT!BAND? and AT!SELRAT?

In addition you are using very old FW, you can see if the new FW can fix the issue

5

Hello!

AT!SELRAT=Only LTE
AT!BAND=All

I ran the firmware upgrade using SWIX55C_03.10.07.00-001_GENERIC_030.062_000 twice, the window’s firmware tool reports the upgrade as successful however when I check the version it keeps on having the same version, maybe I am missing something at this step??

Thanks!

6

how do you use the fdt tool?
like this?
fdt2.exe -d g5k -ignswto -f SWIX55C_03.09.03.00-001.cwe SWIX55C_03.09.03.00-001_VERIZON_030.033_001.nvu

7

Hello

Yeah now it can see the network! Many thanks for the hint, however I lost the AT Port, I am only seeing a single USB serial port that might be data but not commands, I am using SWIX55C_03.10.11.00-001.cwe SWIX55C_03.10.11.00-001_GENERIC_030.066_000.nvu

any ideas on how to recover the AT PORT? it is now working only in MBIM …

Thanks

8

What do you see in windows device manager?

9

Hello!

[2591872.466203] usb 1-1: New USB device found, idVendor=1199, idProduct=90d3, bcdDevice= 0.06
[2591872.466208] usb 1-1: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[2591872.466210] usb 1-1: Product: Sierra Wireless EM9191
[2591872.466212] usb 1-1: Manufacturer: Sierra Wireless, Incorporated
[2591872.466214] usb 1-1: SerialNumber: 8W2243502501A133
[2591872.540059] cdc_mbim 1-1:1.0: setting rx_max = 16384
[2591872.540746] cdc_mbim 1-1:1.0: cdc-wdm1: USB WDM device
[2591872.541231] cdc_mbim 1-1:1.0 wwan1: register ‘cdc_mbim’ at usb-0000:00:15.0-1, CDC MBIM, 82:41:c8:3d:12:9e
[2591872.542988] option 1-1:1.4: GSM modem (1-port) converter detected
[2591872.543184] usb 1-1: GSM modem (1-port) converter now attached to ttyUSB4

and if you open that ttyUSB4 , it does nothing , it is not the AT port,
Thanks!

10

I never see such situation before with only dm port and mbim interface
What have you done? Just firmware upgrade?

How about windows?

11

Just firmware update with the indicated firmware, and the condition is exactly the same in windows,
no idea on how to continue
The good thing is , the modem now can connect to the test PLNM but it can be only managed through qmicli using --device-open-mbim flag

any ideas?

12

not sure if this works, you can have a try:

  1. download the USB driver of Windows:
    https://source.sierrawireless.com/resources/airprime/software/sdx55-windows-drivers-latest-release/#sthash.t4StrCJv.dpbs

  2. create a configuration.ini file in the same folder as the driver, add the following setting in configuration.ini

[Default Values]
USBCOMP=9

  1. run the driver exe.

  2. connect the EM9 to windows again

13

Hello,

It makes no difference, but please not , the idea is to use the modem in Linux, is it possible to set that configuration in linux??

14

The idea is to enable it only
You can switch to linux afterward

How about USBCOMP=9?

15

okeay… just to know , where should I leave the configuration.ini file?

16

In the same folder as the driver exe when you run it

17

Ok, it changed the comport to 9… but still only 1 serial port

18

Can it do AT communication?
Is it the same for “USBCOMP=8”?

19

Many Thanks!! now it works in COM 9 ! how do I translate that to linux?!

20

Didn’t you just need to connect your module from linux to windows?