Reading data from 100+ GSM modules

Projects General Guidance
1

Hey!

I'm fairly new to Arduino, have made 3-4 simple projects.
But I'm now looking into controlling around 100 GSM modules, primarily for reading SMS but on occasion writing SMS.

The GSM modules have a UART port and I2C pins. I've read some ideas on controlling many devices and narrowed it down to:

  1. Use USB serial to plug it into my PC. This wouldn't work because my PC can't control 100 USB connections.
  2. I2C with an Arduino Uno as master and devices as slaves. Theoretically with 7 bits adress it supports around 120 devices. The problem is the capacitance of the bus which reaches its limit with that many devices. Also, they most likely have a hardcoded I2C adress which means I have to use I2C multiplexers. I've read that you can change the multiplexer's I2C adress with 2 pins which would allow me to control 64 devices which is reasonable.

Is I2C a viable option or do you recommend something else?

2

Why 100 SMS modules ?
I doubt you want to use GSM (it’s virtually extinct), give us a reason.

Tens of simultaneous messages per minute?
Many different mobile numbers ?
Suggest something else !

3

Yeah maybe it's not the best choice.
I essentially need around 100 unique phone numbers that can receive SMS from users.
Each GSM module would probably get about 5-10 SMS per hour.
Do you have any other suggestions to manage 100+ phone numbers?

4

OK, next question Why do you need 100 separate numbers ?
You’re expecting traffic of up to 1000 messages per hour..

Why not use mobile data ?

5

If it was up to me I would avoid SMS. But that's how the client application is set up.

6

Now we need to know. what and how the existing solution is set up.
What does it do?

100 modems is a very 90’s approach.
Maybe it’s time to bring it into the 21st century with major savings feature and performance benefits.

1 Like
7

I'm currently just researching solutions. Don't want to buy hardware without having some sort of clue to move forward.

One use of the phone numbers is verification. You know how some sites and platforms require SMS verification? The idea is to enable users to have multiple accounts without dealing with SIM cards themselves.

Do you know any other approach to manage around 100 phone numbers? I know 100 GSM modules sounds difficult but that's what I came up with. Also, thank you for helping.

8

Depending on the topology, i’d probably stay with the ‘remote’’ modems
But use the data carrier rather than the TXT platform.
Identifying the nodes is easy if you include the node address or name in the payload.

If you’re really stuck with text, remember the carriers queue the messages being sent - with unique sequential identifiers, and most modems support storage of incoming messages in the receive queue.

9

Sorry if I'm dumb. But what do you mean with "TXT platform"?

10

SMS, any way it’s transported.
GSM is long dead, the others mobile networks from GPRS up to LTE are still Mostly viable 3G is slowly being phased out, so hook onto 4G until 5G has settled

11

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