Help on getting DIYmall SIM808 Module GSM GPRS GPS up and running

Projects Networking, Protocols, and Devices
1

Hello

I've tried to search through the web for a while now, without too much results.
I do have the same setup as this guy: https://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?topic=422433.0

And with the attached documentation. The documentation is lacking a lot of information.

I've also come across this other documentation: SIM808 GPRS/GSM+GPS Shield v1.1 - Elecrow
but this is for another shield - which I am starting to regret that I did not buy.

I have the following Wire setup:
DIYmall808 <--> Arduino Uno¨
TXD <--> Digital pin 2
RXD <--> Digital pin 3
GND <--> GND
VMCU_V <--> 5V

With the library found here: GitHub - jefflab/GSMSHIELD: Arduino SIM900 library - with improvements
and with a few modifications in the library, documented in \doc\Instructions.txt, I have got the GPS antenna to work with the example found in GSM_GPRSLibrary_GPS. It perfectly prints out my latitude, longtitude, hight, time and velocity.

So, I would like to get my SIM-card to work. I recently bought a twin-sim. I inserted it into an old phone that fit this size of SIM-cards, and disabled the requirement of PIN-code (not sure if there are any way to program the pin-code).

Without the SIM-card inserted, two of the LEDs on the shield are blinking, and the middle one is stable on.

The problem is when I insert the SIM-card, and then turn on the shield. What happens then is that the middle light D4 turns steady on, while the left D3 blinks 13 times. After 13 blinks of D3, then both D3 and D4 turns off. It's like it does not accept the SIM-card or something?

Any idea how to troubleshoot this?

2

Anyone? :slight_smile:

Can there be anything that I need to do with the SIM card?

3

I did some more resarch, and found that both the SIM-card and the GSM-antenna needs to be mounted for having it to turn off after those 13 blinks or so. If only the SIM-card is inserted, or only the GSM-antenna, then it stays on. I also found the schematics for the card:
http://www.tuxti.com.br/arquivos/arduino/modulos/sim808/SIM808_V3.1.rar
or
https://www.scribd.com/document/336035473/SIM808-V3-1
I really can't make any sense out of this, so any help would be much appreciated.

Bellow is the output for each of the scenarios:

No SIM-card, No Antenna:

GSM Shield testing.
ATT: OK
RIC:
OK

DB:ELSE
ATT: OK
RIC:
OK

DB:ELSE
ATT: OK
RIC:
OK

DB:ELSE
ATT: OK
RIC:
OK

DB:CORRECT BR
ATT: OK
RIC:
OK

ATT: OK
RIC:
OK

ATT: OK
RIC: ATE0
OK

ATT: OK
RIC:
OK

ATT: OK
RIC:
OK

ATT: OK
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: OK
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: OK
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: OK
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: OK
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: OK
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: OK
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: +CPMS:
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: +CPMS:
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: +CPMS:
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: +CPMS:
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: +CPMS:
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: +CPMS:
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: +CPMS:
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: +CPMS:
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: +CPMS:
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: +CPMS:
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: OK
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: OK
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: OK
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: OK
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: OK
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: SHUT OK
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: SHUT OK
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: SHUT OK
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: SHUT OK
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: SHUT OK
RIC:
ERROR

status=READY
DEBUG:SMS TEST
ATT: >
RIC:
OK

ERROR

SMS sent OK
This method is deprecated! Please use GetSMS in the SMS class.
ATT: +CMGL
RIC:
ERROR

This method is deprecated! Please use GetSMS in the SMS class.
ATT: +CMGL
RIC:
ERROR

This method is deprecated! Please use GetSMS in the SMS class.
ATT: +CMGL
RIC:
ERROR

With SIM-card inserted, without antenna

GSM Shield testing.
ATT: OK
RIC: AT
OK

DB:ELSE
ATT: OK
RIC: AT
OK

DB:ELSE
ATT: OK
RIC: AT
OK

DB:ELSE
ATT: OK
RIC: AT
OK

DB:CORRECT BR
ATT: OK
RIC: AT
OK

ATT: OK
RIC: AT&F
OK

ATT: OK
RIC: ATE0
OK

ATT: OK
RIC:
OK

ATT: OK
RIC:
OK

ATT: OK
RIC:
OK

ATT: OK
RIC:
OK

ATT: +CPMS:
RIC:
+CPMS: 0,20,0,20,0,20
OK

ATT: OK
RIC:
OK

ATT: SHUT OK
RIC:
SHUT OK

status=READY
DEBUG:SMS TEST
ATT: >
RIC:
OK

DEBUG:>

SMS sent OK
This method is deprecated! Please use GetSMS in the SMS class.
ATT: +CMGL
RIC:
ERROR

This method is deprecated! Please use GetSMS in the SMS class.
ATT: +CMGL
RIC:
OK

This method is deprecated! Please use GetSMS in the SMS class.
ATT: +CMGL
RIC:
OK

Without SIM-card, With antenna:

GSM Shield testing.
ATT: OK
RIC: AT
OK

DB:ELSE
ATT: OK
RIC: AT
OK

DB:ELSE
ATT: OK
RIC: AT
OK

DB:ELSE
ATT: OK
RIC: AT
OK

DB:CORRECT BR
ATT: OK
RIC: AT
OK

ATT: OK
RIC: AT&F
OK

ATT: OK
RIC: ATE0
OK

ATT: OK
RIC:
OK

ATT: OK
RIC:
OK

ATT: OK
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: OK
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: OK
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: OK
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: OK
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: OK
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: OK
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: +CPMS:
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: +CPMS:
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: +CPMS:
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: +CPMS:
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: +CPMS:
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: +CPMS:
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: +CPMS:
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: +CPMS:
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: +CPMS:
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: +CPMS:
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: OK
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: OK
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: OK
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: OK
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: OK
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: SHUT OK
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: SHUT OK
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: SHUT OK
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: SHUT OK
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: SHUT OK
RIC:
ERROR

status=READY
DEBUG:SMS TEST
ATT: >
RIC:
OK

ERROR

SMS sent OK
This method is deprecated! Please use GetSMS in the SMS class.
ATT: +CMGL
RIC:
ERROR

This method is deprecated! Please use GetSMS in the SMS class.
ATT: +CMGL
RIC:
ERROR

This method is deprecated! Please use GetSMS in the SMS class.
ATT: +CMGL
RIC:
ERROR

With SIM-card and antenna it turns off after 13 blinks, but when I tried to turn it back off every time it turned off, I got some new inputs:

GSM Shield testing.
ATT: OK
RIC: AT

OK

DB:ELSE
ATT: OK
RIC: ⸮
ATT: OK
RIC:
RDY

+CFUN: 1
AT

OK

DB:ELSE
ATT: OK
RIC: AT

OK

DB:ELSE
ATT: OK
RIC: AT

OK

DB:CORRECT BR
ATT: OK
RIC: ⸮ATE0

OK

RDY

+CFUN: 1

ATT: OK
RIC:
OK

ATT: OK
RIC:
OK

ATT: OK
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: OK
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: OK
RIC:
+CPIN: READY

OK

ATT: OK
RIC:
OK

ATT: +CPMS:
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: +CPMS:
RIC:
ERROR

ATT: +CPMS:
RIC:
ERROR

Call Ready

SMS Ready

ATT: +CPMS:
RIC:
+CPMS: 0,20,0,20,0,20

OK

ATT: OK
RIC: ⸮
ATT: OK
RIC:
RDY

+CFUN: 1
AT+CPBS="SM"

ERROR

ATT: SHUT OK
RIC: AT+CIPSHUT

ERROR

ATT: SHUT OK
RIC: AT+CIPSHUT

ERROR

ATT: SHUT OK
RIC:
+CPIN: READY
AT+CIPSHUT

SHUT OK

status=READY
DEBUG:SMS TEST
ATT: >
RIC: ATE0

OK

ERROR

SMS sent OK
This method is deprecated! Please use GetSMS in the SMS class.
ATT: +CMGL
RIC:
ERROR

This method is deprecated! Please use GetSMS in the SMS class.
ATT: +CMGL
RIC:
ERROR

SMS Ready

This method is deprecated! Please use GetSMS in the SMS class.
ATT: +CMGL
RIC: NO STRING RCVDThis method is deprecated! Please use GetSMS in the SMS class.
ATT: +CMGL
RIC: AT+CMGL="REC UNREAD",1

ERROR

+CPIN: READY

ATT: OK
RIC: AT+CMGD=0

ERROR

`

This method is deprecated! Please use GetSMS in the SMS class.
ATT: +CMGL
RIC: AT+CMGL="REC UNREAD",1

ERROR

ATT: OK
RIC: AT+CMGD=0

ERROR

`

This method is deprecated! Please use GetSMS in the SMS class.
ATT: +CMGL
RIC: AT+CMGL="REC UNREAD",1

ERROR

SMS Ready

ATT: OK
RIC: AT+CMGD=0

ERROR

`

This method is deprecated! Please use GetSMS in the SMS class.
ATT: +CMGL
RIC: NO STRING RCVDThis method is deprecated! Please use GetSMS in the SMS class.
ATT: +CMGL
RIC: NO STRING RCVDThis method is deprecated! Please use GetSMS in the SMS class.
ATT: +CMGL

4

Digging down into the data sheet, I found that:

SIM808 will be powered down in the following situations:
[...]
Abnormal power down: over-voltage or under-voltage automatic power down

So I guess that was the problem, because it worked when changing over to using a 12V 7.2AH battery.

I first used a AC/DC transformer with output 12V, 2.0A and I thought that should work, but doesn't seem like.

Have not yet been able to send SMS, but I am at least receiving a lot of messages, so I've now confirmed that the Hardware-setup is working.

Thanks a lot anyway :slight_smile: