Hi all! Just a heads-up to anyone using this module... I've seen people saying you need to use the command AT+SBAND=7 to tell the module it's in the US. This isn't a country code; it designates which frequency bands the module operates on. So check your provider! If you're using T-Mobile, I believe you actually want AT+SBAND=8 for GSM900 and PCS1900. Hopefully this will save some pain.
As far as the shield goes... when it works, it works well. The documentation is a bit poor, but once you find the ten commands you need to use most frequently, it gets better. There may be less expensive options out there, but this seems to be working for me now. Fingers crossed.

I have this board, and I cann connect to GSM but not to GPRS. The attach command AT+CGATT=1 always sens error CME ERROR:0 phone failure. IT SEEMS I NEED to UPDATE the firmware for the spreadstrum modem. I called spreadstrum and they asked me to contact sparkfun.

Has Sparkfun considered selling the SIM340C GSM modules made by SIMCOM? They use a through-hole mini DIP connector which is really easy to hand-solder. They have similar specs to these modules.
I'm not affiliated with the company, I just like using their hardware.

Hi!!

I Got 15 modules with the same imei.... How about that?????

The website lists the SM5100B Evaluation board as retired, does Sparkfun plan to offer an alternative?

Hi!! I bought a SM5100B a few months ago.. Trying to work with using the development board started giving me problems. I made it send a SMS and the next day, it didn't even go further from the starting sentence "~~~~~". Does anyone have any idea of what is wrong with it? Thanks!

I am evaluating this module with the development board (not the shield) and I'm running into some trouble.

I first tried it with a SIM from ReadySim, "30 days talk & text + 2 GB Data." I first used this SIM in my Android phone and registered it to get a number, and it works fine for SMS and voice calls. The SM5100B will not register on the network with this SIM, no matter what I do. I've tried all the bands, and I've gone through every option mentioned in these dozens of comments. I always get a status 3 back ("denied.")

Today I tried my regular SIM, the one I have used in several different phones for the last few years, which is a T-Mobile SIM. With this SIM the SM5100B seems to register fine on the network. I am not having any success with SMS. Besides just typing AT commands in a serial terminal, I've been working with this Java program to talk to the module: http://m2msupport.net/m2msupport/module-tester/

This seems to work OK up until the point I try to send an SMS. I have successfully sent a couple of short SMS messages but after that the module starts reporting errors. For example, here is the "conversation" with the module (via the tester program, which adds some notes). After I try to send a message all commands start failing:

ÒÒÒÒÒ +SIND: 1

+SIND: 10,"SM",1,"FD",1,"LD",1,"MC",1,"RC",1,"ME",1

+SIND: 11

+SIND: 3

+SIND: 4

(I query with the "get device info" button):

Spreadtrum Communication CO.,Ltd

OK Manufacturer : Ò

SM5100B-D

OK Model Number : SM5100B-D

IDH.SC6600D-BASE4_R1.0.0011_B04

OK Revision : IDH.SC6600D-BASE4_R1.0.0011_B04

(I query with the "signal strength" button)

+CSQ: 15,99

OK Signal level is -83 dbm. Signal condition is good.The signal strength range is -53 dbm (Excellent) to -109 dbm (Marginal).

(I query with the "SMS support" button)

+CSMS: 1,1,1,0

OK Service-> Unkown type Mobile Terminated SMS -> Supported Mobile Originated SMS -> Supported Broadcast type SMS messages -> NOT supported

(I query with the "SMS SC address" button)

+CSCA: "+12063130004",145

OK SMS service center address is +12063130004

(I query with the "SMS format" button)

+CMGF: 0

OK SMS message for is configured for PDU mode

(OK, let me try to send a message; phone number blanked out for privacy reasons)

+CMGF: 0

OK SMS message for is configured for PDU mode Checking registration status...

+CREG: 0,5

OK Device is registered and is roaming.

Checking SMS Mode...

+CMGF: 0

OK SMS message for is configured for PDU mode Checking SMS Mode...

SMS Service center entry is empty.Not including this field in the PDU

+CMGS: 40

OK

I sent a couple of messages successfully, but after that, if I continue to query it, say to ask for my phone number repeatedly, it will work once, then return CME error 4, then error 4 again, then work, then not work, etc. so it seems very unreliable as to whether it will recognize commands. I am talking to it at 9600 baud; I'm using an external 5V power brick that is rated at 2 amps, and the "quad band cellular duck antenna" from Sparkfun.

Is there a currently available, recommended SIM that is verified to work with this device? I'm in Midland, Michigan, USA. I can use my old personal SIM for experimentation but if we are going to deploy modules like this in projects we will need to set up SIMs for them.

Is the module just unreliable, in terms of staying up and running?

Hi all,

I am a newbie trying to send a SMS using Arduino. I have this part and the evaluation board for it. Will those be enough? Do I really need the shield too? Thanks

4 Frequency GPRS/GSM Module-EFCom Pro is an ultra compact and reliable wireless module. http://www.elecfreaks.com/store/gprsgsm-moduleefcom-pro-efcompro-p-450.html

You may need SIM900 GPRS/GSM module here: http://www.elecfreaks.com/store/gprsgsm-moduleefcom-por-p-450.html

Im seriously annoyed here at the lack of documentation in key areas.

For example the SOCKSTATUS response is poorly documented:

+SOCKSTATUS: 1,1,0102,0,0,0

Means socket 1 is online and 0102 is connected. My Gripe is with the 0102 field.

I am aware of 2 documented flags: 0102 – Connected 0104 – Connecting

Since starting development I’ve had 0100 and 2130 aswell as just 01. Could anyone provide further clarification on what these mean?. I’m unable to access the manufacturer’s website.

I have heard that you have to buy separate power charger, but I can not offered as a product?

i have not used such a gprs module, i just purchase an alike gprs/gsm modue from a china website:

http://www.elecrow.com/micro-controllers-c-109/shield-c-109_110/gprsgsm-shield-p-325.html

one years agaio, the module works well, but a litte large for my case . just want to know, what’s the difference with the 2 modules? do i need one week more to learn how this module works again?

Have problem to connect to celluar network with SM5100B-D I do have take away the pin code request I do have good signal strength +CSQ: 22,99 and a connection with the celluar network The sim card works in ordinary mobile phone

I get the following +SIND: 1 ;SIM card +SIND: 10,"SM",1,"FD",1,"LD",1,"MC",1,"RC",1,"ME",1 +SIND: 3 ;AT module is partially ready +SIND: 7 ;Only emergency call +SIND: 4 ;AT module is totaly ready

and...

+COPS: (1,"TELIA",,"24001"),(1,"voda SE",,"24008"),,(0-4),(0,2)

Can it be that SM5100B do not work with a 3G SIM card??? Or some other thing I have missed?? /John

newbie questions : is there a sim card slot in it ? can it be used without sim card? Is it possible to send GPS to remote mobile phone/laptop without simcard? thank you

Does anyone have the command to setup the PDP context for a T-mobile broadband SIM card?

Here's the China Mobile one: AT+CGDCONT=1,”IP”,”cmnet”

What would the T-mobile one look like?

Also, do you need a username/password combination for T-mobile? (i.e. AT+CGPCO=0,”user”,”password”, 1)

TYIA

Does anyone have recommendations for a cheap pay as you go setup for these devices? I wouldn't need a bunch of usage, so I'm looking for something relatively cheap. If it forces me to add an entire line of service, it's sort of a non-starter for hobbyist projects. I'm in the U.S.

I was using the TCP/IP functions to send a string to a remote server(which i don't moderate) but now I'm failing to connect all of the sudden. Before I was getting +SOCKSTATUS: 1,1,0102,0,0,0 but now I'm getting +SOCKSTATUS: 1,0,2130,0,0,0 I cant figure out what that "2130" means. I scoured the AT Command Set pdf for any clues but the answer eludes me. Any ideas what went wrong?

Thanks in advance.

FYI in case someone was wondering CTRL+Z = hex value 0x1A or decimal 26

Is it possible to send picture messages in addition to text SMS messages using this module? I'd like to use a small serial camera to snap an image, and then send it to a phone. Is this possible? Thanks.

How much power does it consumes in GPRS mode?

Can anyone tell me the power consumption while using GPRS? I've searched all the documents I could find, but with no luck.

Hi guys: Thanks for all these suggestiones. Right now I can communicate between Arduino and GSM. 1. The NewSoftSerial Library is very unstable while working at high baudrate: 115200 for SM5100B. The information is not readable until I modified the library itself but even so, there are still some errors when return long sentence back......

2. Based on the problem before, the timing issue also exist when TX long data to control GSM using Arduino. for example, There is a sentence that I gonna use: AT+SDATACONF=1,”TCP”,”www.sina.com.cn”,80 (to a remote host name), assume that I gonna use some other website instead of sina.com. It is very easy to be super long.... like Amazon Website Service Linux Platform. To fix this problem, I tried to separate the long sentence into many small pieces. The last end with Carrier Return while the others not. But still doesn't work. Sometimes if I type in everything together, the GSM reboot itself....which is very weird and I remembered this happends to other users.

I am wondering do you know any people in sparkfun using this as a project and can successfully using the TCP/IP function.

At last, thanks for all your help and I will promise to make a tutorial for this baby if I can figure out.

I bought the SM5100B and eval board. And right now. I run into big issues. I use the USB to control the module as expected using TCP/IP to ETL data. Then I removed the solder on the eval board and try to control the GSM using Arduino. But, I can't make it work and I connected the jumpers again and try to repeat my success again but...it doesn't work any more. Every time I started my module, it told me +SIND: 1

+SIND: 10,"SM",1,"FD",1,"LD",1,"MC",1,"RC",1,"ME",1

+SIND: 3

+SIND: 4

+SIND: 7 (It should be +SIND: 11)

which indicates that not connected to the network. If connected, it should tell me +SIND: 11, what is worse, I unplug the card and put back to my iphone(I just place the miniSIM carefully at the large socket, will that be a reason to burn the sim card?), and it doesn't work anymore! I even can't use my SIM card anymore, do you guys think I burned the card or just it is just a matter of configuration? Appreciate any help.

No CDMA love? :-( I'm loyal to Sprint. Wel, I suppose that no SIM card would be hard. (no rhyme intended)

Hi, is it possible interface this module with an ATmega128 at 3,3V ? I mean without level shifters. In the manual seems that all I/O are at 2,8V...

Hi,

I tested the uart port provided by the eval. board. It works just fine.

Now is it possible to drive SM5100B through SPI port using AT command set ?

(Of course I have a picmicro to handle both protocols. My picmicro provides 2 usarts and 1 or 2 SPI, both usarts are used. No SPI are used. And SM5100B datasheets are not informative enough to tell)

The description says that an antenna does come attached to the module, but its just an extension cable with a connector doesn't it?

I am trying to put it into sleep mode and then wake it up when I need to send a text.

After thoroughly looking through the "SM5100B-D AT Command" PDF, I have been unable to find something that definitively explains the commands for sleep and wake.

Can someone from sparkfun please shed a little light on the situation?

What exacty are the "sleep" and "idle" modes and how do you enter them? Is "idle" entered automatically when not communicating? Can you receive calls in "sleep" mode. What are the AT comands to enter those modes? The command manual says nothing about that. When not communicating my module uses about 60 to 100mA... I'd like to get to the 7mA for a remote application.
Cheers

Here are some hints etc. for building a text message device using the SM5100B GSM.
http://arduinostuff.jimdo.com/home/texting

hi all,
I am trying to obtain an sms controller that will work in the UK..
the item I really want is this one
http://jaycar.co.nz/productView.asp?ID=KC5400&keywords=SMS&form=KEYWORD
http://www.siliconchip.com.au/cms/A_102670/article.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWGXhxfnqRA&NR=1
As it has 8 inputs and 4 outputs.
Would this kit do the trick?..if not does anyone have any ideas what will?
Thanks

Hello
I have bought SM5100B-D Gsm module and evaluation board from you.
I am using the Rxd1 and Txd1 to connect it to the arduino pro mini.
I also give supply 3.8V to main Vbatt .
But the Rx and Tx leds of the evaluation board are not on when I connect it to arduino, unlike when
it is connected to hyperterminal using USB.
Should I give supply to the Vbat and GND pins next to the Rxd1 and Txd1 pins in the evaluation board?
If so can I give 5 V supply, because it is not working for 3.8V supply.
But it is mentioned in the datasheet that max voltage is 4.2V
What should I do?
(Please Note I am already connecting main Vbat and GND to the 3.8V supply, I am talking about the additional
Vbatt and Gnd pins next to the Rxd1 and Txd1 pins)
Kindly help me out.
Regards
Shruti

The description mentions the PCS 1900 band. Will this work on Sprint?

Does anyone know what the maximum data transmission speed is for this module?

Finally, the secret to getting this device to work.
Although it took me a week of frustration, knowing a few simple facts is all it takes.
I will be providing a tutorial that simplifies how to transmit data to a serve, sens sms msgs and make calls later, but for now, here's how to get connected to a Tmobile network in a minute of two.
I am using TMobile as my carrier. A Prepaid SIM
The ONE most important thing is using the proper antenna. TMobile uses 1900Mhz band in US. DO NOT use a cellular antenna designed for 850-900Mhz. It will not work, unless maybe you have climbed a cell tower and placed it next to its antenna.
Use an antenna designed for 1900Mhz. This is critical.
The second thing is to set your device to the right frequency band.
Use the AT+SBAND=7 command.
Once set, this setting will remain until you change it, even if you remove power from the device.
With proper antenna connected and band set, recycle power to your device.
Wait a bit and you will eventually see the infamous +SIND: 11 response indicating that you are sucessfully connected to your network.
After this, the rest is easy!
Good luck.
More to follow...

HELP!
Purchased 3 SM5100B boards and two of the dev boards.
I am able to talk to the SM5100B but cannot get it to authenticate with a good T-mobile SIM card to the network.
Yes, I have a good antenna, a good power supply etc.
I am in the US and have the Frequency set for GSM 850.
T-Mobile says that perhaps these devices are "blacklisted" for their network.
Has anyone been able to get these to connect to T-Mobile in the US? If so, what are the settings I need to do this.
Thanks!

Hi, I bought this module and one WRL-00558 antenna with RP SMA connector. Both seems to have female connectors without pin in the middle. Does anybody know if there is an adaptor to match both connectors? Do I buy an antenna?
Thanks

Thanks to some sleuthing by one of our customers Michael, we have some tips to share about connecting with this module.
"The power up sequence is essential. One must plug in the USB connection and establish a connection to the PC before applying power to the GSM module. This is critical.
1) Plug in the USB cable to the PC
2) Be sure the PC recognizes the USB Connection
3) Start a terminal emulation program and connect it to the USB connection
4) Plug in 5v or higher power supply capable of at least 2 A peak current to the eval board and turn the power switch on the eval board ON.
5) The system will take about 15 secs to fully connect, during which time it will respond with some SIND codes. When it has finished this sequence, it is ready to be used."
We are also working on testing compatibility with different carriers. At this time, there have been reports of issues with prepaid cards, and lower end providers.

I have the SM5100B Evaluation Board. I inserted a simcard, plus nearly all commands return ERROR. Example:
AT+SLOG=?
ERROR
Why? Tks!

hello! I have not successfully managed to use UART1(2 wire) from the breakout board. However, with no flow control selected from the interface, the UART0 works. Is there any command to enable UART1 or what's the catch? Thanks

Description tells that there is no SIM socket on SM5100B board, but as i see on the picture there is a SIM slot. Who is wrong ?

What baud rate does this come set at? Default 115200 or has it been changed to 9600?

does it work with the lithium polymer batteries sold here? anyone ever test that?

I find that it stops working at 3.9v, not 3.6v as mentioned.

Does anyone know if the sound quality is good on this unit?