Fuzzy in the head on how to use cell phone modules

Wireless & IoT
1

It’s not that I’m a technological idiot, it’s just that I haven’t used cell phone modules yet. I barely use the cell phone I have now. I don’t text anybody. Incoming texts are blocked on my cell phone. I just don’t have a use for texting. I live in N.D. where Verizon rules the airwaves, and AT&T and the iPhone is non-existent.

Correct me where I’m wrong. I can take the abuse…

From what I’ve read, if I understand it all correctly:

–AT&T bought all of Alltell’s equipment awhile back

–Verizon/AT&T all have agreements together to use each others towers up here

–AT&T hasn’t done anything with the equipment yet as far as upgrades or implementing anything up here yet

–Verizon is a CDMA type network

–AT&T is GSM

–The average guy can’t buy CDMA modules

–Sparkfun sells GSM modules

–To use one of the Sparkfun GSM modules up here, I have to buy a SIM card somewhere/somehow from somebody

–Just because AT&T doesn’t sell anything up here doesn’t mean there isn’t GSM coverage up here

–From what I’ve been able to deduce, there is GSM coverage in some towns in N.D. (i.e. Fargo, Bismarck, Minot, etc)

–Unless a person has a ‘Nationwide Unlimited’ plan of some sort associated with the SIM card, using a GSM phone here in N.D. would likely be roaming almost 100% of the time

–You can send text messages to a regular ol’ email account, without doing anything special, as long as your SIM card plan allows it of course.

Jist of the story…in the next project I’ve got going…

I’ve used a few Wifi modules (iConnect Nano Wi-Reach) in the past, sending/receiving (SMTP) email, sending/receiving (FTP) files, no problems.

In essence (not really what I want to do, but I can build off the basic premise), I want to put a GPS/temp/baro pressure, etc, in a box, drop it off in the middle of nowhere, and have it send text messages (containing packed data limited to 140 characters, etc) once an hour to an email account, where I can pull those emails using a second unit that’ll parse the data and displays it.

Basically, I want to replace WiFi with cell service so I can put that “box” anywhere in range of a cell tower and have it accomplish the task.

It’s either that or find a old school cheap Tracfone type thing that’s CDMA capable and has a fairly standard serial port hanging off the bottom of it that doesn’t take some crazy backyard engineering to rig a cable to hook into it…

How am I doing?

That bad huh?..

2

Ok, so as far as I can tell, I should be able to do the following:

GM862 module or similar from Sparkfun

T-Mobile Prepaid SIM card activation Kit for $7

T-Mobile $15/month “Unlimited Text + 10 cent/min Talk” plan

Assorted PICs and other logic type glue and such, antennas, battery packs, sensors, etc

And I’m in there. Grab the data at the box, send it over SMS to an email.

Now to figure out how to send an SMS from the GMS module to an email account at the house.

Any help out there? Anyone? Helloooooooo

(kinda feel like the martian rover that can’t move here :slight_smile: )

3

Hey skimask, you’re not alone, I’m in the same boat.

I picked up a GM862 with plans of making a poor mans lojack to keep an eye on the kids as they start driving.

I am also from the ND area, Fargo specifically.

From my research it looked like some people were able to set up an AT&T account in another area but still use their phones in Verizon land (roaming).

I picked up a used phone, sim card and some AT&T pay as you go minutes.

I could not activate the phone from my area, I was able to drive 40 miles south and get into their network area and get the phone activated. However, when I left their network area the phone quit working. Maybe roaming is not allowed with pay as you go??

Any way, if you figure something out let me know!

4

I just talked to a guy I work with that moved up here from Kansas City. Apparently he’s even denser than I am about cell phones. After awhile of talking to him, I figured out that his wife had a T-Mobile phone from Kansas City (GSM I assume because it had a SIM card in back), and that the phone worked when they got up here but it was a bit spotty.

PMLJ (Poor Man’s Lo-Jack) - Were you thinking in terms of SMS’ing the Lat/Long or something else entirely? More simple-er or more complicated-er?

My end result (even though I posted differently) was to pull OBDII, GPS data, accelerations, weather, along with a handful of other data, and fire off that data via SMS-to-email (if I can ever figure it out). At the house end, I’d use a iConnect Nano-Wi-Read module to grab the email from my email account, parse it and FTP the result data back to my own server…and I’d do that as often as I could without pi$$ing off AT&T or whoever the carrier is…and as long as it didn’t affect my wallet.

As soon as I figure it out, I’ll post back, but it seems info is a bit hard to come by for some reason.

5

Yeah, I hope to also pull some OBDII data off as well as location.

Maybe send a text alert on hi speed. :wink:

6

Yep…my “plan” is a bit out there, but here goes (it’s already actually built and semi-running but without the cell phone interface):

ELM327 for OBD (dedicated PIC)

GPS input (dedicated PIC again)

iConnect WiReach-Nano for WiFi (another dedicated PIC)

SD card datalogging (guess what’s dedicated here?)

C328 camera module (if I had to guess I’d say another freekin dedicated PIC)

3.5" TFT LCD w/touch screen for input and display (with it’s own PIC of course)

Wii Nunchuck input for control and G force/acceleration data and an RTC (these 2 share their own PIC)

And a dedicated “arbitration” PIC which basically fires off messages telling the individual PICs that they DO or DO NOT have control of the F-RAM chip.

And a 2mb F-RAM chip for high speed bulk data storage (common lines running to all PICs)

I’ve also spared a handful of extra lines for 2 more dedicated PICs for a MAX7456 chip for TV output and a SpeakJet speech synth output.

8 (11 eventually) PICs “networked” so far, all sharing a common 2mb F-RAM chip. And when I figure it out, there will be a 9th PIC doing all of the cell phone work.

After all…It’s all about the toys.

7

Telit recently released a CDMA version that could be used in the US. I don’t think sparkfun carries it yet. Sending SMS is easy and a lot of what you want can be done in python with a GPS enabled module. The python interpretor is limited and resource heavy but I just finished a rather complex remote control system for FM translator sites that was all programmed in python on the Telit GC864. I can connect on audio and telnet over the internet as well as control receiver equipment through RS-232 and monitor GPIO with nothing but SMS commands

8

jonbowen234:
Telit recently released a CDMA version that could be used in the US

Ok then... I'll take a look at it.

But, I’m still stuck with the same issue…

SMS to SMS - ok

PC/email to SMS - ok

SMS to PC/email - how ???

9

Each carrier is different. For AT&T it is 121. I found a list of them somewhere when searching for that number. first line of the message is the email and the rest is the body. just replace the number with 121

Python example:

sendSMS('121', 'alarms@rejoice.org Satellite Fault')


def sendSMS(number, text):
    "Sends a text message to the number."
    MDM.send('AT+CMGS="%s"\r' % number, 2)
    MDM.receive(10)
    MDM.send(text, 2)
    MDM.sendbyte(0x1A, 2)

That’s bugging me that I can’t find the list I had. I might be buried in Wikipedia someplace but work filters and lack of coffee are slowing me down. I do KNOW 121 works for AT&T just finished a project that uses it.

EDIT:

Found it

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_SMS_gateways

Listed under the last two columns it indicated the number and messages format for most carriers. I don’t see one for Verizon so might not work with them

10

I just wanted to post a quick reply about the T-mobile prepaid sim I’ve got in my ADH8066 module. I’m in north dakota with no coverage for t-mobile, but it’s not roaming. kind of a ‘partner’ area. I just got a prepaid t-mobile sim from amazon ($6) and make sure not to get the ‘replacement sim’. I activated it, added $15 for the first month and boom, unlimited SMS and $.10 a minute(that i’ll never use). I’m actually sending SMS so I don’t need a data plan, but I’ve heard t-mobile data doesn’t work up here. Just thought I’d share.

I’ll be posting a full workup of my device and experience soon on my site.

TopHat

11

It’s not that I’m a technological idiot, it’s just that I haven’t used cell phone modules yet. I barely use the cell phone I have now. I don’t text anybody. Incoming texts are blocked on my cell phone. I just don’t have a use for texting.

Twins! :smiley:

I’m actually in the swamps of Central Florida where coverage can be spotty but I usually needn’t go far to pick up a tower. I have plans for a similar project to what you describe.