Category Archives: MOBITEK S80 3G Modem

USR-VCOM for MOBITEK S80 and MOBITEK Q25 Works in Windows 11

TEST OBJECTIVE TESTING METHODOLOGY TEST RESULT
Does MOBITEK S80’s USR-VCOM (ELTIMA virtual serial port) support Windows 11?
  1. Install  USR-VCOM in VM-Windows 11 :-

  2. Do “Hyper-Terminal” or “AT-OK” test.
 USR-VCOM version = 3.7.1.520
Does MOBITEK Q25’s USR-VCOM (ELTIMA virtual serial port) support Windows 11?
  1. Install  USR-VCOM in VM-Windows 11 :-

  2. Do “Hyper-Terminal” or “AT-OK” test.
 USR-VCOM version = 3.7.1.520

How MOBITEK SMS Modem Can Be Used for Transactional SMS?

What is Transactional SMS?

  • used by businesses to relay transactional information.
  • through this type of SMS, businesses can reach subscribed customers directly to share important details that aren’t related to promotional activity.
  • most commonly automated, triggered by customer actions.
  • provide value to customers with personalized and unique text messages.
  • benefits of sending transactional messages via SMS:
    • fast deliver, deliver in a few seconds
    • convenient, all SMS sending to mobile number
    • high delivery rate, SMS open rate up to 98%
    • low cost and high return
    • integration capabilities
    • do not need opt-in

 

How does Transactional SMS work?

For “SMS API”, you can use either:-

For “SMS Server”, you can use:-

 

Transactional SMS Examples

How to Reset or Reboot MOBITEK S80 Modem on an Interval

  1. The reset command “AT+WRST” can be issued in either hyper terminal or QCOM.
  2. When MOBITEK S80 modem is reset/reboot:-
    • the state of QCOM as follows:-
      • “Close Port” button turn to “Open Port”
      • “Send Command” and “Run” buttons are greyed out
      • No command can be send out
    • the state of Red LED status as follows:-
      • stop blinking
      • turn off
      • turn on
      • blinking
      • all the above completed in less than 10 seconds
    • SMS Engine — Enterprise Edition is able to re-initialize the modem

 

TEST RESULT

TEST OBJECTIVE TESTING METHODOLOGY TEST RESULT
Can MOBITEK S80 support schedule reboot? E.g. reboot on 1 p.m. every day? Not applicable
Can MOBITEK S80 reboot every 3 minutes? AT+WRST?

+WRST: 0

OK
AT+WRST=1,”000:03″

OK
AT+WRST?

+WRST: 1,”000:03″,”000:03″

OK

 The reset is set to start at “15:46”. By right the port will disconnect at:

  • 15:49
  • 15:52
  • 15:55

The state of QCOM when the modem disconnect:

  • “Close Port” button turn to “Open Port”
  • “Send Command” and “Run” buttons are greyed out
  • No command can be send out

At “15:49” the port closed (below s.c. is taken around 1 minute late).

Open the port again at “15:51”. At “15:52” the port closed (below s.c. is taken around 1 minute late).
Can SMS Engine — Ent. Ed. re-initialise MOBITEK S80 Modem after modem is reset?
  1. Stop the service/engine
  2. Use hyper terminal instead of QCOM ( because during remote support, you will use hyper terminal)
  3. Set the modem to reset every 3 or 5 minutes (AT+WRST=1,”000:03″)
  4. Start the service/enigne
  5. Check the log file, it should show that “GSM modem not connected” every 3 minutes then follow by “Modem ID 1 initialized”.

Not sure how frequent the engine will check for the modem’s connection. The reset duration happen in less than 10 seconds. Probably it missed the checking:

  • between 17:10 – 17:19
    • status missing at 17:13
    • status missing at 17:16
  • between 17:19 – 17:28
    • status missing at 17:22
    • status missing at 17:25

The last 3 “initialized” status show the disconnect interval are 3 minutes.
When modem is reset, what is the status of LED?
  1. Open Hyper Terminal, enter AT+WRST=1,”000:03″ command
  2. Start the engine
  3. Monitor LED status
 Red LED status when the modem reset (less than 10 seconds):

  • stop blinking
  • turn off
  • turn on
  • blinking

 

AT+WRST

AT+WRST only has the <MODE>,<DELAY>,<REMAINTIME>:

Issued: AT+WRST=1,"000:03"

Response: +WRST: 1,"000:03","000:03"

  • 1 = enable reset
  • “000:03” = reset every 3 minutes interval
  • “000:03” = countdown for the next reset (3 minutes). this countdown is still active even the port is disconnected.

Means:

  • AT+WRST is not able to do schedule reboot as we can’t specify the schedule time for the reset
  • AT+WRST is able to reset at any interval, i.e.: every 3 minutes
  • need to connect to the port again after every reset
  • the reset setting is always saved in the module even after every reconnection unless “AT+WRST=0” is issued

Does Shutting Down 3G Network Affect the Functionality of MOBITK Q24 and MOBITEK S80 SMS Modem (GSM Modem)

Question: Malaysia TELCO phasing out 3G soon, may we know if MOBITEK S80 (3G) and MOBITEK Q24 (2G) SMS Modem will be affected (not able to send out SMS)?

 

Answer no. 1: please refer to

3G Shut Down: Millions of Maxis & Celcom 4G customers may need 2G to make Calls

“Malaysia is among a limited countries around the world that have decided to shut down its 3G networks while maintaining 2G.“

“As a safety net, 2G network will still be maintained to ensure customers are able to make calls and SMS seamlessly, whenever 4G is inaccessible,”

 

Answer no. 2: please refer to

Digi begins shutting down its 3G network, here’s the full schedule

Digi CTO Kesavan Sivabalan said: “Our priority remains in ensuring high availability and consistency of our 4G network services, and to do so effectively, it is necessary that we retire the 3G network, freeing up crucial spectrum and resources that would now be channelled towards increasing capacity of the 4G network to support higher usage.”  Users with 3G devices can still stay connected to 2G after the 3G shutdown. While 2G is sufficient for basic voice calls and SMS, it is barely usable for internet services in this day and age.

 

Answer no. 3: please refer to

Malaysia has not fully shut down its 3G networks, over 440,000 users have not switched to 4G phones

Malaysia was supposed to shut down all 3G networks by the end of 2021 but it turns out that some 3G sites are still operational. This was revealed during the recent JENDELA update for the final quarter of 2021.

3G users can still use their existing phones after the 3G shutdown but their devices will connect to the slower 2G connection, which can be used for basic voice calls and SMS.

Therefore, as long as 2G network is maintained, MOBITEK S80 (3G) and MOBITEK Q24 (2G) SMS Modem can still send and receive SMS.

“Device driver software was not successfully installed” Warning Message

Applies to: MOBITEK S80 Modem

The warning “Device driver software was not successfully installed” can be ignored as long as there are 4 COM ports appeared when you plug in MOBITEK S80 Modem with PC.

 

The 4 COM ports are:-

  • Sierra Wireless AT Command Port (UMTS)
  • Sierra Wireless CNS Port (UMTS)
  • Sierra Wireless DM Port (UMTS)
  • Sierra Wireless NMEA Port (UMTS)

Comparison Between MOBITEK S80 SMS Modem in VMWare and VirtualBox

  VMware VirtualBox
Installing USB Driver (USBDriverInstaller_SL80XX_V11.5.0.0.exe) Easy to install without the needs of other pre-installation software.
  • Require installation of “Extension Pack in VirtualBox”
  • Require configuration in “USB Settings”

(source: https://www.wintips.org/how-to-setup-usb-on-virtualbox-guest-oracle/)
MOBITEK S80 appearance in Device Manager Can detect the MOBITEK S80 after USB Driver installed without COM port disappearing It cannot detect MOBITEK S80 Modem vis USB port, refer to

The work around is to use serial port in VirtualBox by linking/mapping USB port (host) to serial port (VM), refer to https://mobitek-system.com/blog/2017/11/how-to-set-up-mobitek-s80-modem-in-virtualbox/
Hyper Terminal test Able to run Hyper Terminal test on connected MOBITEK S80 MOBITEK S80 Modem will not response in hyper terminal if connected via USB port in virtual machine, refer to https://mobitek-system.com/blog/2020/06/fail-to-get-mobitek-s80-to-work-in-usb-port-in-virtualbox/

How to Solve USR-TCP Cannot Detect MOBITEK S80 Modem on LAN

  1. Use “Advance IP Scanner”

    to scan for a free IP address on LAN. The free IP address will be assigned to MOBITEK S80 Modem later.
  2. Disconnect MOBITEK S80 Modem from LAN.
  3. Directly connect MOBITEK S80 Modem with laptop/PC through LAN port/cable.
  4. Run “USR-TCP”,

    Assign a new IP address that does not belong to any device in “Advanced IP Scanner” (step 1) to the MOBITEK S80 Modem . As well as configure the “Default Gateway”, “Subnet Mask”, etc.
  5. Disconnect MOBITEK S80 Modem from laptop/PC.
  6. Re-connect MOBITEK S80 Modem to LAN through router/switch.
  7. Run “USR-TCP” to detect MOBITEK S80 Modem.
  8. If  “USR-TCP” still cannot detect MOBITEK S80 Modem  then use web browser, enter the IP address of MOBITEK S80 Modem into the address bar. If a web administration page is displayed then the connection is successfully established.

    Web Administration Page of MOBITEK S80 Modem

  9. Use “USR-VCOM”

    to add a COM port that links the COM port with the IP address of S80.
  10. Use “Hyper Terminal”, connect via COM port, run “hyper terminal test”. If test is passed then S80 is working on the LAN.

How to Connect to MS Access Database using JDBC:ODBC Connection

  1. Depending on whether your Java application is 32-bit or 64-bit, choose the correct ODBC Data Source Administrator (64bit or 32 bit) to create the Data Source Name. Otherwise, the connection cannot be established.
      • If your Java application is 64-bit then use ODBC Data Source Administrator 64-bit
      • If your Java application is 32-bit then use ODBC Data Source Administrator 32-bit
  2. Open ODBC Data Source Administrator (make sure the correct version is used).
  3. Select “System DSN” tab. Click “Add”.
    JDBC-01
  4. In this example, we are connecting to MS Access database, in “Create New Data Source”, select “Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb, *.accdb)” in the list. Click “Finish”.
    JDBC-02
  5. In “ODBC Microsoft Access Setup”, enter any “Data Source Name”. This name will be used in DBeaver later. So remember it. After that click “Select…” button.
    JDBC-03
  6. Now you have to locate your MS Access file. In this example we use “SMSEngine5.mdb”. Click “OK”.
    JDBC-04
  7. Example of the Data Source Name created.
    JDBC-05
  8. Open DBeaver (or any other database management tool). Click on “Database -> New Database Connection”
    JDBC-06
  9. In “Connect to database”, select “ODBC” in the list. Click “Next”
    JDBC-07
  10. Insert “Database/Schema” name the same like you created earlier in ODBC Data Source Administrator. Click “Test Connection” to test the ODBC connection.
    JDBC-08
  11. If everything is setup right, you will get the below message. Click “Finish”
    JDBC-09

Summary Table — MOBITEK Modem in Linux Mint in VM and Linux Mint as Host OS

MODEM Linux Mint in VM Linux Mint in Dell-D630
MOBITEK S80 MOBITEK S80 does not work (no response in CuteCom) in VM-Linux Mint MOBITEK S80 can work in Linux Mint using USB. There are 4 COM ports created in Linux (ttyUSB0, ttyUSB1, ttyUSB2, ttyUSB3), only “ttyUSB3” is used for the AT command.
MOBITEK Q24 MOBITEK Q24 is working (can send and read SMS) in VM-Linux Mint MOBITEK Q24 also can work in Linux using “ttyUSB0”