A package to use a Narrowband IoT board with u-blox SARA N2xx with micro:bit. We made this package so the board we've made can be used with a micro:bit. That board only works with Telenor Norway, but it should be possible to use this with any board that has a u-blox SARA N2 and exposes the RXD and TXD pins. NB-IoT is a technology using the mobile network to send small messages from anywhere there is 4G coverage that has been upgraded for NB-IoT.
The micro:bit needs to be powered by a power source which can handle the u-blox SARA N210, which is minimum 3.1V. So the common 2xAA battery pack won't do (only 3.0V). USB should work fine because it's regulated to 3.3V on the micro:bit.
To use this extension, go to makecode and edit or create a new project. Click the gear in the top right corner and «Extensions». Paste in the URL to this github repository: https://github.com/ExploratoryEngineering/pxt-nbiot and click on it so add it to the project. You should now see NB-IoT in the menu of available blocks.
| micro:bit | SARA N210 |
|---|---|
| P0 | RXD |
| P1 | TXD |
| 3V (see note above) | VCC |
| GND | GND |
(the 3v3-pin on the EE-NBIOT-01 is actually VCC on the SARA N210)
// connect to the NB-IoT module on chosen pins (default P0 and P1)
nbiot.connect(SerialPin.P0, SerialPin.P1)
// configure what server to send to
nbiot.setServer("172.16.15.14", 1234)
// run the code when we're successfully connected to the network
nbiot.onConnected(function () {
basic.showString("Connected")
})
// send number 123
input.onButtonPressed(Button.A, function () {
nbiot.sendNumber(123)
})
input.onButtonPressed(Button.B, function () {
nbiot.sendString("Hello")
})
Connect to the NB-IoT network using chosen pins to communicate with the SARA-N2 module
nbiot.connect(SerialPin.P0, SerialPin.P1)
Get the IMSI from the SIM card
nbiot.imsi()
Get the IMEI from the u-blox N2
nbiot.imsi()
Configure server IP address and port. When sending strings or numbers, it will be sent as an UPD message to this IP and port.
nbiot.setServer("172.16.15.14", 1234)
Run code when successfully connected to the network
nbiot.onConnected(() => {
})
Send text or number as a string. A socket will be automatically created if needed.
nbiot.sendString("Hello World!")
Send a number. A socket will be automatically created if needed.
nbiot.sendNumber(42)
Check if we're connected to the network. Returns true if connected and false if not connected.
nbiot.isConnected()
Send an array as bytes. A socket will be automatically created if needed.
let bytes = [1,2,3]
nbiot.sendBytes(bytes)
Send a buffer. A socket will be automatically created if needed.
let length = 5
let buffer = pins.createBuffer(length)
for (let i = 0; i < str.length; i++) {
buffer.setNumber(NumberFormat.UInt8BE, i, i*2)
}
nbiot.sendBuffer(buffer)
Get signal strength in dBm
nbiot.signalStrength()
Create a socket for sending/receiving data. A socket is automatically created when needed, so usually it's not necessary to create a socket manually.
nbiot.createSocket()
Send raw AT-command to u-blox N2 and wait for OK or ERROR. All communication between the micro:bit and the SARA N2 module is AT commands over a serial connection. Use this function if you want to use some functionality in the SARA N2 which is not implemented in the library. See the AT Commands Manual for all available commands.
nbiot.writeCommand(`AT+CPSMS=1,,,"11111111","00000000"`)
Check how many lines we have received that have not been read yet
nbiot.availableLines()
Return the next response line if available, or a blank string if not
nbiot.readLine()
Reboot the SARA-N2 module
nbiot.reboot()
Apache 2.0
- for PXT/microbit