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PLang.3
Visitor II
July 9, 2020
Solved

How to use X-CUBE-CELLULAR Framework with the STEVAL-STWINKT1 and Quectel BG96 on STMOD+ connector? Framework confusion.

  • July 9, 2020
  • 7 replies
  • 4556 views

What I have:

  • SMT32 CubeIDE 1.3.0
  • the P-L496G-CELL02 eval kit with the Quectel BG96 on STMOD+ connector
  • the X-cube-cellular examples for connecting the board with the cloud via MQTT
  • an STEVAL-STWINKT1, which I want to connect via MQTT to our cloudservice

What I already did:

  • With the P-L496G-CELL02 board, I used the MQTT client demonstration project, that is using the X-CUBE-CELLULAR-Framework and therein the network library api
  • I modified this project to connect the board to our own cloud (via mqtt) and do some publishing of data, subscription to some topics, rpc calls etc - it works
  • But this is only the first step

What is my goal?

  • Using the Quectel BG96 on STMOD+ connector with the STEVAL-STWINKT1. Connecting the board to our cloud via MQTT and publish some sensor data.

Problem:

  • the example project STWINCELL, which comes with the STEVAL-STWINKT1 implements a connection to an AWS cloud
  • the AWS example is NOT BASED on the X-CUBE-CELLULAR framework and differs in the framework architecture significantly. Why did you use two different approaches?? This makes it very hard now - because I already solved the task (connecting to our cloud) with the X-CUBE-CELLULAR-Framework and the P-L496G-CELL02.

Questions:

  • What would you suggest? What is the best approach to realize an MQTT connection with the STWINKT? I see two approaches:
    • modifying the AWS example an get rid of all the AWS specific stuff to establish a simple MQTT connection to a server
    • or are there examples projects for the STWINKT1 using the X-CUBE-CELLULAR add-on that I can use as a starting point? The X-CUBE-CELLULAR would definitely be my favorite solution, as I expect, that ST will care for this framework in future, or am I wrong.

What would be the more future proof path? Adapting the AWS-cloud example or using X-CUBE-CELLULAR as base framework?

Thanks for your help and best regards

Patrick

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Best answer by Eleon BORLINI

    Hi @Chandrashekar C​ ,

    Our experts performed some tests (described here below) without encountering issues. The outcome is that your issue could be related to supply problems.

    Test configuration:

    HW

    • STWIN
    • STMOD+ expansion board with Quectel BG96 Cellular module
    • M2M SIM provided by TIM to use NB-IoT infrastructure
    • Power supply able to provide 5V@1A

    FW

    • STSW-STWINCELL
      • original binary firmware as in the provided package (RTC synchronization with TLS protocol using www.gandi.net)
      • modified binary firmware as previously described (RTC synchronization with TCP protocol using www.st.com)

    Please find attached the log files.

    The modem obtains the IP address and can configure RTC from both www.gandi.net and www.st.com.

    Their suggestion is:

    • supply with at least 5V@1A the STWIN that is connected with the STMOD+ cellular board. A lower current capability could be the cause of the issue;
    • connect the STWIN directly with the power supply without any USB hub.

    -Eleon

    7 replies

    P
    PLang.3Author
    Visitor II
    July 17, 2020

    Hi ST-Support, can you please help me? The topic is still open. Best regards, Patrick

    A
    a123
    Visitor II
    July 23, 2020

    I'm interested on the answer also.

    Thanks

    E
    Eleon BORLINI
    ST Employee
    September 15, 2020

    Hi @PLang.3​ ,

    sorry to come to you so late. Looks like a quite a complex topic, but me please check internally by our experts.

    I'll keep you updated.

    -Eleon

    E
    Eleon BORLINI
    ST Employee
    September 21, 2020

    Hi @PLang.3​ , @a123​ ,

    back to you with some updates.

    The STSW-STWINCELL software package is based on the STM32CubeExpansion_Cloud_AWS_V1.4.0, which uses the Cellular Framework V3.0.0.

    The current Cellular Framework version is the V5.1.0, and it is the only version available for the download on st.com.

    The two versions are quite different: for this reason, our experts say that an alignment of the STSW-STWINCELL with the Cellular Framework V5.1.0 would be very difficult.

    -Eleon

    P
    PLang.3Author
    Visitor II
    September 21, 2020

    Hi Eleon,

    first of all, Thank you very much for this information. So am I right in assuming that the X-CUBE-CELLULAR framework will be further developed? Current version is the V5.1.0.

    I would like to use the STEVAL-STWINKT1 as evaluation hardware together with the Quectel BG96 on STMOD+ connector.

    So for my project it would be best to use the X-CUBE-CELLULAR-Framework V5.1.0 and adapt it so that it works with STWINKT1, right? Or is there already a suitable example software available here??? After all, STWINKT1 is a current ST evaluation board that is also designed for connectivity and the X-CUBE-CELLULAR framework is the ST software for this. So why dont you go this way?

    Best regards, Patrick

    E
    Eleon BORLINI
    ST Employee
    September 22, 2020

    Hi Patrick,

    you are right, the eval tool and the last X-CUBE-CELLULAR-Framework should be aligned together. I'll report this point internally, but our engineers should already be aware of this. I would suggest you to use the STWINKT1 + Cellular framework version 3.0.0 and start from this project trying to adapt it to version 5.1.0 framework. You can find the past X-CUBE-CELLULAR packages HERE.

    -Eleon

    C
    Chandrashekar C
    Visitor II
    March 1, 2021

    Hi @Eleon BORLINI​ ,

    Any idea when the new version of STSW-STWINCELL shall be released? it seems to be one year old now.

    really appreciate if you share any information on new version of STSW-STWINCELL.

    Kind Regards

    Chandrashekar C

    E
    Eleon BORLINI
    ST Employee
    March 1, 2021

    Hi @Chandrashekar C​ ,

    unfortunately no news so far on this specific topic, but in the meantime we upgraded the hardware from the STWINKT1 to the STWINKT1B, so I'm expecting the function pack version update will follow accordingly, assuring -hopefully- a back compatibility between the two platforms.

    -Eleon

    C
    Chandrashekar C
    Visitor II
    March 1, 2021

    Hi @Eleon BORLINI​ ,

    Thanks for the quick response. Currently we are using STWINKT1B with STMod+ for our development. Looking forward for the updated function pack. I hope they release it soon.

    Kind Regards

    Chandrashekar C

    C
    Chandrashekar C
    Visitor II
    March 25, 2021

    Hi @Eleon BORLINI​ 

    I am using STSW-STWINCELL demo application on STEVAL-STWINKT1B with STEVAL-STMODLTE, most of the time I keep getting this error but once in a while it works fine, it connects and sends the topics to AWS.

    Can you please help me fix this issue?

    SIM which I am using work perfectly fine on my phone, so there is no connection issue.

    0693W000008xuVjQAI.pngKind Regards

    Chandrashekar C

    E
    Eleon BORLINI
    ST Employee
    March 26, 2021

     Hi @Chandrashekar C​ ,

    I checked with our experts and they say that it is unfortunately an issue related to the server chosen for the synchronization with the TLS protocol.

    In fact the cellular module is perfectly connected to the net as shown in your picture, with his own IP address.

    They suggest the following procedure:

    1. Open the file “main.h�?
    2. Remove the comment at line 90 (#define USE_CLEAR_TIMEDATE             // see 'timedate.c')
    3. Compile again
    4. Download the new firmware.

    Please let me know if you can fix the issue in this way.

    -Eleon

    C
    Chandrashekar C
    Visitor II
    March 26, 2021

    Hi @Eleon BORLINI​ 

    Thanks for the response.

    I followed the procedure you suggested in the above message, its still same, I doesn't connect at all :( not even once.

    Do you think it's anything do with setting Tickless to 1 to achieve Low power mode?

    #define configUSE_TICKLESS_IDLE 1

    0693W000008y3bHQAQ.pngPlease let me know if I can tweak in anything else.

    Kind Regards

    Chandrashekar C

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