GSM Shield V2 - Problems with "freezing within code"!

Hardware Arduino GSM Shield
1

Hello Arduino Community,

I'am working on a Car-Alarm project and for this
I bought the Orginial GSM Shield V2 from Arduino.
I'am using it with the Original Arduino Mega 2650.

I have to admit that I'am dissapointed:
This GSM Shield is very expensiv compared to the
Arduino Board itself and it won't work properly.

Here is the Problem:

It seems that sometimes, while Arduino Mega
acting with the Shield, that it gets stuck in the GSM
library (I'ive got the latest version 1.0.4).

Sometimes if the Shield gets a Call it just freezes
that moment where the Call comes in. In this case
its ringing and ringing and nothing more will happen
after that... I have to reset the whole board.

if (vcs.getvoiceCallStatus() == 2) // This is where I get stuck!
(Further code will not be executed)

In addition the same thing happens on this:

callState = vcs.voiceCall(remoteNumber);

By the way, it doesnt matter how I do it. Even with the example codes
from Arduino I get sometimes stuck and have to reset the Board.

So this is a very inconvenient circumstance, since I am
doing a Call to activate the Alarm or in order to disable it.
Also it makes a Call to inform me about that the Alarm
has been triggered. After the call it may happen that
he stucks in his call and the Alarm wont turn off after
a minute. It just doing the Alarm forever...

The behaivor of these errors seems to be (for me) absolutley
random and I can't see the reason why.

Additional information:
I'am running the whole board on the cars battery (12V) and
a voltage regulator down to 9V (5 Volt may be possible too)

2

Moderator: removed cross post in network section.

With respect to the problem:

  • The voltage regulator of the Arduino should be capable of handling the voltage

  • can you provide a link to the version of the library you use + the complete code + schematics, then we can check if there is some blocking condition possible or an HW problem.

3

no help for me :frowning:

4

New Code, same problem. Eventually the Arduiono board and GSM Shield just freezes:

#include <GSM.h>
#define PINNUMBER "7322"

GSM gsmAccess;
GSMVoiceCall vcs;

int AlarmCount = 0; // Für spätere Zwecke evtl...
bool AlarmIstDa = 0;
int Alarm = 53; // Ob Alarm gekommen ist oder nicht
int AlarmState = 51; // Alarm an oder Aus. ACHTUNG: 0 = ALARM SOLL AKTIV SEIN ; 1 = ALARM DEAKTIV!
boolean Toggle = 0; // Am Anfang nach dem Einschalten, Alarm erstmal Aktivieren!

char numtel[20];
char remoteNumber[20] = "0171xxxxxxx";

void setup()
{
Serial.begin(9600);
pinMode(Alarm, INPUT);
pinMode(AlarmState, OUTPUT);
pinMode(49, OUTPUT);
digitalWrite(AlarmState, Toggle);
Serial.println("Connecting GSM");
boolean notConnected = true;
while (notConnected)
{
Serial.println("gsmAcc.begin Pinnummer...");
if (gsmAccess.begin(PINNUMBER) == GSM_READY) {
notConnected = false;
Serial.println("LOS GEHTS");}
else
{
Serial.println("Fehler.. retry");
delay(1000);
}
}
Serial.println("FIRST HANGCALL");
vcs.hangCall(); // This makes sure the modem correctly reports incoming events
Serial.println("READY TO LOOP");
}

void loop()
{
digitalWrite(49,HIGH);
if (digitalRead(Alarm) == LOW)
{
AlarmIstDa = 0;
delay(100);
}

if (digitalRead(Alarm) == HIGH && AlarmIstDa == 0)
{
AlarmIstDa = 1;
AlarmCount = AlarmCount + 1;
vcs.voiceCall(remoteNumber);
delay(15000);
vcs.hangCall();
}

switch (vcs.getvoiceCallStatus())
{
case IDLE_CALL: // Nothing is happening
break;
case RECEIVINGCALL: // Yes! Someone is calling us
vcs.retrieveCallingNumber(numtel, 20); // Retrieve the calling number
Toggle = !Toggle;
Serial.print("ALARM: ");
Serial.println(Toggle);
digitalWrite(AlarmState, Toggle); //0 = ALARM AN; 1 = ALARM AUS;

vcs.hangCall();
break;
}

delay(1000);
}