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MicroMod Update Tool Hookup Guide

2024-10-08 | By SparkFun Electronics

License: See Original Project Cellular GPS Wireless MicroMod

Courtesy of SparkFun

Guide by El Duderino, PaulZC

Introduction

Introducing the SparkFun MicroMod Update Tool! This simple little board allows you to interact ‎directly with the SARA-R5 LTE-M / NB-IoT module on the MicroMod Asset Tracker Carrier ‎Board via the module's UART.‎

SparkFun MicroMod Update Tool

 

The MicroMod Asset Tracker Carrier Board provides you with a toolkit to monitor and track the ‎location of your assets. Do you want to know where your assets are at all times? Or maybe you just ‎want an update if an asset is moved? If so, this is the product for you!‎

Built around the u-blox SARA-R510M8S module, the asset tracker offers Secure Cloud LTE-M and ‎NB-IoT data communication for multi-regional use and has an integrated u-blox M8 GNSS receiver ‎for accurate positioning information. The SARA-R5 supports many different forms of data ‎communication from full TCP/IP sockets and packet switched data, through HTTP Get/Put/Post, ‎FTP (the SARA has a built-in file system), Ping, to good old SMS text messaging!‎

The Update Tool is not a full MicroMod Processor Board, it is much simpler than that. It has a ‎CH340C USB-Serial converter on it which gives you full access to all eight pins of the SARA-R5's ‎UART interface via the Asset Tracker’s USB-C connector. Think of it as a bridge from USB to serial.‎

Why is this a good idea? Well, for a start - as the name suggests - it is an ideal way to upgrade the ‎SARA-R5’s firmware should you need to. The Update Tool also makes it simple to communicate ‎directly with the SARA using u-blox’s sophisticated m-center cellular evaluation software. If you’re ‎familiar with u-center, u-blox’s GNSS evaluation software, you’ll know how excellent their software ‎is. m-center is every bit as good.‎

The Update Tool features eight pairs of Plated Through Hole connections for the UART signals. ‎You can use these to connect directly to the SARA UART using 3.3V signals if you want to. The ‎split pads on the rear of the Tool can be opened to isolate the CH340C completely; the pins ‎nearest the M.2 will link straight to the SARA UART.‎

Required Materials

In order to follow along with this tutorial, you'll want to have the following items.‎

The Asset Tracker Firmware Update Tool, as the name suggests, is designed to work with the ‎MicroMod Asset Tracker Carrier Board. The Update Tool along with a Hologram eUICC SIM ‎Card are included with the Asset Tracker:‎

SparkFun MicroMod Asset Tracker Carrier Board

You'll also need a USB-C cable to connect the Carrier to your computer. Below are some options ‎for USB cables:‎

Optional Extras

If you want to manipulate the UART connections on the Update Tool, we recommend soldering a ‎set of headers to your board. Below are a few options:‎

If you wish to use the Update Tool to interact directly with the SARA-R5 module on your Asset ‎Tracker and do not have these items already, you may also need LTE and GNSS antennas:‎

Suggested Reading

If you aren't familiar with the MicroMod ecosystem, we recommend reading here for an overview:‎

micromod_1

MicroMod Ecosystem

We also recommend reading through the following tutorials if you are not familiar with the concepts ‎covered in them:‎

  • Serial Communication: Asynchronous serial communication concepts: packets, signal levels, ‎baud rates, UARTs and more!‎

  • How to Work with Jumper Pads and PCB Traces: Handling PCB jumper pads and ‎traces is an essential skill. Learn how to cut a PCB trace, add a solder jumper between pads to ‎reroute connections, and repair a trace with the green wire method if a trace is damaged.‎

  • How to Install CH340 Drivers: How to install CH340 drivers (if you need them) on Windows, ‎Mac OS X, and Linux.‎

  • Getting Started with MicroMod: Dive into the world of MicroMod - a compact interface to ‎connect a microcontroller to various peripherals via the M.2 Connector!‎

Hardware Overview

In this section we'll go over the hardware and components on the MicroMod Update Tool.‎

M.2 Connector

All of our MicroMod Processor boards come equipped with the M.2 MicroMod Connector, which ‎leverages the M.2 standard and the Update Tool is no different. Just remember this is for ‎use only with the MicroMod Asset Tracker Carrier Board.‎

m2front_2

M.2 Connector from the Front

m2back_3

M.2 Connector from the Back

CH340 USB-Serial Converter

The heart of the Asset Tracker Firmware Update Tool is the CH340C USB-Serial converter which ‎we use on many of our RedBoards and other breakouts. It converts 8-wire UART serial to USB.‎

ch340_4

PTH Connections and Jumpers

The Update Tool includes a set of eight jumpers to allow users to connect the SARA-R5 UART pins ‎to a 3.3V development board. The jumpers can be opened to disconnect the pins from the CH340C ‎to be re-routed to your development board.

pht_5

Take care to only connect the pins to a 3.3V RedBoard or Arduino Board or properly shift the logic ‎level down to 3.3V. Connecting them to a 5V board may damage the Asset Tracker.‎

Read on to the Using the PTH Connections for more information.‎

MicroMod Update Tool Pin Functionality

Since the MicroMod Update Tool serves a specific purpose to communicate directly with the SARA-‎R5 on the MicroMod Asset Tracker Carrier Board, the pinout is much simpler than other MicroMod ‎Processors. The tables below outline the pin functionality for the Update Tool along with the ‎general MicroMod pinout. If you prefer to refer to the schematic it can be viewed here.‎

  • MICROMOD UPDATE TOOL PINOUT TABLE

table_6

  • MICROMOD GENERAL PINOUT TABLE

table_7

  • MICROMOD GENERAL PIN DESCRIPTIONS

table_8

Board Dimensions

The board measures 22mm x 22mm, with 15mm to the top notch and 12mm to the E key. For more ‎information regarding the processor board physical standards, head on over to the Getting Started ‎with MicroMod tutorial and check out the Hardware Overview section.‎

dimensions_9

Hardware Assembly

Inserting your Update Tool

With the M.2 MicroMod connector, connecting your Update Tool to the Asset Tracker is a breeze. ‎Simply match up the key on your Processor's beveled edge connector to the key on the M.2 ‎connector. At a 45° angle, insert the processor board to the M.2 connector. The Update Tool will ‎stick up at an angle as seen here:‎

insert_10

Once the update tool is in the socket, gently press the board down, grab the set screw and tighten ‎it with a Phillip's head screwdriver:‎

socket_11

Once the Update Tool is secure, your assembled MicroMod Asset Tracker system should look ‎similar to the image below!‎

secure_12

Connecting Everything Up

Now is a good time to insert the Nano SIM from your service provider into the Asset Tracker. Make ‎sure the orientation matches the symbol on the PCB; the edge with the trimmed corner is inserted ‎first.‎

The LTE and GNSS connections simply screw on to the appropriate SMA connectors. Make sure ‎you check the labelling and connect them the right way round. LTE is on the Left.

connect_13

With your Update Tool inserted and secured it's time to connect your MicroMod Asset Tracker ‎Carrier Board to your computer using the USB-C connector. Depending on which drivers you ‎already have installed, you may need to install drivers for the CH340. Please refer to our CH340 ‎tutorial for further instructions.‎

Software Setup

Note: This guide assumes you already have the CH340 drivers installed. If needed, please refer to ‎our How to Install CH340 Drivers tutorial.‎

Installing u-blox m-center

You can find the webpage for u-blox's m-center software here. Sadly m-center is only available for ‎Windows, and we don’t know of an equivalent for Linux. This link will download version 2.03.0 of m-‎center (but please do check the u-blox website for more recent versions):‎

U-BLOX M-CENTER FOR WINDOWS (ZIP)

Unzip the file and run the m-center .EXE to install the software.‎

Using u-blox m-center

Like u-center, m-center is very easy and intuitive to use. Let's go over the features of the software.‎

Home

Begin by clicking Set port and selecting the port for the CH340 Update Tool:

setport_14

Click Connect, followed by Initialization to connect to the SARA-R5. The IMEI and firmware ‎version should appear:‎

connectinitial_15

The carrier operator name and signal strength will appear in the top right corner of the window. We ‎are told by u-blox that it is normal for the signal strength to appear quite low; LTE communication ‎works with relatively low signal levels.‎

We believe the Trace Port option can be used to connect to the SARA-R5's USB diagnostic port ‎via the SARA USB D+/D-/DET pins on the Asset Tracker Carrier Board, but we have not tried that ‎yet.‎

Click Set current time to set the SARA's internal clock from the LTE network.‎

Network

Click the Network icon, next to the Home icon in the top left of the window, to see the network ‎operator settings.‎

Click Refresh Info, Get List and Refresh to update the network information and Packet Switched ‎Data Profiles.‎

refresh_16

You can choose to deregister from the current operator and connect to a new one if your SIM ‎supports it.‎

You can also activate and deactivate the Packet Switched Data profile from this page. You will not ‎be able to send and receive data until you have activated a profile.‎

Phonebook

As the name suggests, the phonebook icon opens the SARA’s phonebook. You can add and delete ‎numbers here.‎

phonebook_17

SMS

The SMS (envelope) icon will allow you to send text messages and read or reply to any received ‎messages.

  sms_18

File System

The File System icon provides access to the SARA’s internal file system. You can add, retrieve, and ‎delete files from here. If you have run the Asset Tracker ThingSpeak (HTTP POST) example, the ‎results of the most recent POST are stored in post_response.txt.‎

Did you know that the SARA-R5 supports FTP transfer too? Of course it does...‎

file_19

Positioning

The Positioning icon provides access to positioning information derived from either the LTE ‎network, or the SARA-R510M8S’s built-in M8 GNSS receiver.‎

position_20

Firmware Over the Air (FOTA) and eCall Simulator

Advanced users can make use of the SARA’s Firmware download Over The Air and eCall Simulation ‎functions:‎

firmware_21

AT Terminal

One of the most important features offered by m-center is the AT Terminal. Clicking the button ‎below the signal strength indicator opens a Pandora’s Box full of AT Command goodies!‎

atterminal_22

You can either type the AT commands manually into the text box, or select a template message ‎from the drop-down menus, and then click Send or hit Enter to send the message. The replies ‎from the SARA are shown in the Terminal window. You can log everything to file too if you wish. ‎Scripts? Yes, you can run those too! This is a very powerful tool.‎

To manually Ping a server (such as www.sparkfun.com) the truncated set of commands is:‎

  • AT+UPSD=0,100,1‎

    • This instructs the SARA to map the Context ID 1 profile into Profile ID 0.‎

  • AT+UPSD=0,0,2‎

    • This instructs the SARA to use the “IPv4v6 with IPv4 preferred” protocol for Profile ID ‎‎0 (this needs to match the operator’s protocol).‎

  • AT+UPSDA=0,3‎

    • This instructs the SARA to activate Profile ID 0.‎

  • AT+UPING="www.sparkfun.com"‎

    • This instructs the SARA to ping the SparkFun server

Upgrading the SARA Firmware with u-blox EasyFlash

Just about the only thing that m-center doesn’t allow you to do is to upgrade the SARA-R5’s ‎firmware. To do that you need to download and install u-blox’s EasyFlash update tool.‎

upgrading_23

The link below will download EasyFlash version 12.08 but do check the SARA-R5 resources ‎page for the latest version as of this writing:‎

U-BLOX EASYFLASH FOR WINDOWS

Again, EasyFlash only appears to be available for Windows. We are not aware of a version for Linux. ‎Unzip the .ZIP file and run the

EasyFlash .MSI installer to install the software. u-blox will make the ‎firmware updates available through the SARA-R5 resources page.‎

Note: SparkFun is not able to give users the latest firmware file. It must come from u-blox.‎

You need to manually download the .DOF update binary file and place it in the same folder as ‎the EasyFlash executable. (That bit is important!). After the .DOF file is downloaded follow these ‎steps:‎

  • Run the EasyFlash executable.‎

  • Select SARA-R5 as the Product.‎

  • Select the COM port your Firmware Update Tool (CH340) is connected to.‎

  • Select 921600 as the Baud Rate.‎

    • Do not select 3000000 Baud as the CH340 cannot support it.‎

  • Turn the SARA-R5 off by pushing and holding the SARA On button on the Asset Tracker for ‎five seconds.‎

    • Check that the white On LED on the Asset Tracker goes out.‎

  • Click the Start button on EasyFlash.‎

  • Press the SARA On button briefly when instructed to turn the SARA back on again.‎

  • The update process takes around three minutes to complete.‎

  • Turn the SARA off again when instructed to complete the update.‎

progress_24

Firmware update in progress

completed_25

Firmware update completed

You can confirm that the update was successful by opening m-center and connecting to the SARA-‎R5. The firmware version is shown on the Home page:‎

confirm_26

Using the PTH Connections

Want to connect the SARA UART pins to your favourite 3.3V RedBoard or Arduino Board? The ‎Firmware Update Tool lets you do that too!‎

sarapins_27

If you flip the Update Tool over, you will see eight jumpers linking each pair of Plated Through ‎Holes. You can cut the jumpers to disconnect the PTHs from the CH340C. You can then connect ‎the holes closest to the M.2 connector to your 3.3V board.‎

Insert 1x8 or 2x8 0.1”-pitch header pins through the front of the Firmware Update Tool and solder ‎them on the back. 2x8 header pins are a good idea as it means you can use header jumper links to ‎reconnect the CH340C again if you want to.‎

headers_28

The headers linked above will make contact with the IMU and other components and must be ‎clipped prior to installing the Update Tool

Important Notes:‎

• Take care when selecting which header pins to solder onto the Update Tool. The pins must ‎not protrude from the back of the board by more than 1.25mm or they will collide with the IMU ‎and other components on the Asset Tracker circuit board. Trim the pins, if ‎necessary, before soldering.‎

• Take care to only connect the pins to a 3.3V RedBoard or Arduino Board or properly shift ‎the logic level down to 3.3V. Connecting them to a 5V board may damage the Asset Tracker.

Troubleshooting

Below we have outlined a few troubleshooting tips for the MicroMod Update Tool and MicroMod ‎Asset Tracker Carrier Board.‎

LTE Network Availability

The SARA-R5 supports LTE-M and NB-IoT data communication for multi-regional use. Please ‎check the LTE signal availability for your area before purchasing a SARA-R5 product and selecting ‎an LTE service provider / operator.‎

TP (1PPS) Pin and LED

At the time of writing, we are shipping the SARA-R5 on the Asset Tracker with firmware version ‎‎02.06 on it. 02.06 contains a feature (which is just a polite name for a bug!) which means the 1 ‎Pulse-Per-Second from the GNSS does work, but the pulse is only ~3 microseconds wide and ‎cannot be adjusted. Handy huh? u-blox are aware of this - in fact, we told them about it - and a fix is ‎coming but they haven’t added it yet. We will keep an eye out for this fix and update this page when ‎it is available.‎

Just to complicate matters, 3 microseconds is too short for the buffer FET and LED connected to ‎the timing pulse to respond. So, we regret that you cannot currently use the TP PTH. We will share ‎the fix with you as soon as we have it. The SARA firmware is easy to update using the Asset ‎Tracker Firmware Update Tool.‎

General Troubleshooting

Not working as expected and need help?

If you need technical assistance and more information on a product that is not working as you ‎expected, we recommend heading on over to the SparkFun Technical Assistance page for some ‎initial troubleshooting.

SPARKFUN TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PAGE

If you don't find what you need there, the SparkFun Forums: MicroMod are a great place to find ‎and ask for help. If this is your first visit, you'll need to create a Forum Account to search product ‎forums and post questions.

SPARKFUN FORUMS: MICROMOD

Resources and Going Further

Want more information on the MicroMod Update Tool? Check out these links!‎

u-blox Documentation and Software:‎

MicroMod Documentation:‎

If you have not already, be sure to check out our Hookup Guide for the Asset Tracker Carrier Board:

board_100

MicroMod Asset Tracker Carrier Board Hookup Guide

Get started with the SparkFun MicroMod Asset Tracker Carrier Board following this Hookup Guide. The Asset Tracker uses the u-blox SARA-R510M8S LTE-M / NB-IoT module to provide a host of data communication options.

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