I'm a novice at using Arduino boards but I have purchased a Tracfone for the SIM card and want to use it with my MKR to send a text message to my other cell phone. I have used the following code SendSMS.ino - Google Drive which slooowly executes but I don't receive a text. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
I'm in the US, and I found i needed to put +1 at the beginning of the phone number and then it worked. "+15554441212"
I tried that and it didn't work for me. I think I just need the right SIM. Precisely what SIM are you using?
Thanks
Steve
I tried a Soracom sim first, it wouldn't send. Checked and they said it wouldn't,
Then tried Hologram.io sim, worked the first time I got the phone number correct. With the plan I have each outgoing SMS is 0.26 USD. Incoming is free, but I haven't been able to receive one yet, by simulating sending through their dashboard. I should get a phone number for it and try that. You have to pay monthly for the phone number.
Oh, FYI the Arduino SIM won't do SMS at all.
Thanks. I'll order a Hologram SIM. I recently ordered a SIM through Amazon but the vendor hasn't been cooperative about activating it so I'm going to return it.
You activate it online. Easy to do. Hologram has a good dashboard too, where you can send data to your device etc. note going out to the internet is easy, but incoming data is possible with their webhook generator and you can do ssh tunneling if needed
You may want to order more than one to save postage. There is no monthly fee if not activated. Saves time if you have any trouble
Ok, thanks.
I bought and activated a hologram.io SIM and the test code I downloaded is stuck on "ready to connect". Do you have any suggestions?
The code I'm using is from the example https://docs.arduino.cc/tutorials/mkr-nb-1500/nb-send-sms .
I used that same program and it worked as soon as added the+1 to he number. I don’t think I changed anything. Have you been able to connect with any of the other sample programs with the new hologram sim?
I'm not familiar with what the other sample programs would do, but this is all I want to accomplish.
@stevo265 It sounds like you aren't connected to the mobile network.I would try some of the simple test programs first, especially the RAT (Radio Access Technology) program.
This will only take a few minutes to do. In the IDE, go to Files/Examples/MKRNB/Tools/
Then compile and run these programs in this order: TestModem, ChooseRadioAccessTechnology (choose #2), TestGPRS (you probably don't use a proxy so hit enter at that question)
After the last one works, then try the sendSMS program. Let me know how it goes.
Are you using a lipo battery plugged in to the 2-pin Jst connector on the MKR NB 1500 board, and do you have an antenna connected too?
Mine won't connect without both of those. There is no internal antenna on the board and a strong signal helps a lot. If you don't have a battery connected, the power from the USB doesn't always have enough current for the radio modem module to work correctly. Powering the MKR NB 1500 with an external power supply may work without a battery.
I'll have to figure out why my MKR examples aren't showing up even though I have the library installed.
(Attachment Screen Clip 1.bmp is missing)
They should be there either with the Web IDE or the standard IDE. Here is a link to them so you can get them. Look in the examples folder, and then tools folder. Good luck!
I attached a lipo battery but no luck. As you can see in one of the attached files I have had the MKRNB library included but going through Files/Examples none of the MKR examples are found. I have had to navigate with file explorer to find them and when I try to compile the file GPRSPing.ino I get a ton of errors.
Also what have you used for the PIN_NUMBER value in the SendSMS example?
Thanks tons for your advice but I'm just having trouble getting to the end result I'm after.
Testmodem and testgprs came up similar errors and I do have an external antenna.
That's odd. I think the Testmodem doesn't need to even be connected to work.
There is a Serial SARA passthrough (may have the name wrong). Try that. You turn on the serial monitor window, and at the input thing at the top, enter AT and enter, you should see OK, then try ATI and ATI9. You have to select the baud to be 115200 and Both NL & CR at the upper right of the serial monitor first. I'm kind of going from memory here.
Give that a try.
Looking at the last screen shot with the errors, that isn't the correct program. It shouldn't have the #include <MKRGSM.h>, the correct program has #include <MKRNB.h>
That program looks to be for the MKR 1400 board.
The correct program won't have those errors.
It needs to be the ones I sent you a link to, or be found under the MKRNB selection in the File/Examples. You could try removing the library and re-installing it.
Under the board manager, did you find and select the MKR NB 1500? That has to be done..