Support for BC66 (cell mlts not working + callback doubt)

[pgaspar96]

Hi and thank you for your work.

I'm uploading your file "info.ino" to my BC66 board and everything works fine except for Dev.getMlts(mlts, 322); which returns nothing.

I really need to get the date time and so I was trying to send the first two AT commands (the ones you say that are required once) to check if that was the problem but I think the AT cmds are not being sent and I can't get the callback working.

I'm trying to make the callback like this based on what you said here:

// Attempt to make a callback
static int callback(){
  return Dev.GET_QCGDEFCONT(char *line, u32 len, NULL);
  }

This is how I'm sending the AT cmd:

DBG("Sending cmd AT+QSPCHSC=1");
  if ( ret = Dev.send("AT+QSPCHSC=1",1000,NULL,NULL) ) {  // without callback
    Serial.println("[ERROR] cmd scrampling");             // allways prints error
    }

And this is how I'm trying to get the date time:

void loop()
{
  delay(1000);
  char mlts[322];
  Dev.getMlts(mlts, 322);
  Serial.printf("Cell mlts    %s\n", mlts); //never prints the date
}

[Wiz-IO]

Hi,

the cell MLTS is valid second after cell is connected and is just for info (maybe your cell not support this)

after connection use class RTC get() https://github.com/Wiz-IO/framework-quectel/blob/master/arduino/cores/bc66/RTC.cpp#L37

or Quectel RTC API https://github.com/Wiz-IO/framework-quectel/blob/master/arduino/cores/bc66/RTC.cpp#L50

If time is not valid you need SNTP....

for full AT support look Quectel API Ql_RIL_SendATCmd()

or https://github.com/Wiz-IO/framework-quectel/blob/master/arduino/cores/bc66/DEV.cpp#L250

[pgaspar96]

Thank you for the fast response.

I used RTC but the time is not valid. Do you know how to setup a SNTP? I've been searching and I can only find NTP using Wi-Fi or Ethernet.

[Wiz-IO]

any Arduino library for NTP.... Are you sure you have Internet on the module?

[pgaspar96]

Yes, I even connected it to an MQTT server and sent messages.

[pgaspar96]

I'm now trying to use the NTPClient and some code I got from here and I'm getting this error:

C:\Users\cooki\Documents\Arduino\libraries\NTPClient\NTPClient.cpp: In member function 'bool NTPClient::forceUpdate()':

C:\Users\cooki\Documents\Arduino\libraries\NTPClient\NTPClient.cpp:84:81: error: expression list treated as compound expression in functional cast [-fpermissive]

   unsigned long highWord = word(this->_packetBuffer[40], this->_packetBuffer[41]);

C:\Users\cooki\Documents\Arduino\libraries\NTPClient\NTPClient.cpp:85:80: error: expression list treated as compound expression in functional cast [-fpermissive]

   unsigned long lowWord = word(this->_packetBuffer[42], this->_packetBuffer[43]);

Code related to the NTP:

#include <nbUDP.h>
#include <NTPClient.h>

nbUDP udp;
const long utcOffsetInSeconds = 0;
NTPClient timeClient(udp, "pool.ntp.org", utcOffsetInSeconds);
char daysOfTheWeek[7][12] = {"Sunday", "Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday", "Saturday"};

In setup: timeClient.begin();

In loop:

  timeClient.update();
  Serial.print(daysOfTheWeek[timeClient.getDay()]);
  Serial.print(", ");
  Serial.print(timeClient.getHours());
  Serial.print(":");
  Serial.print(timeClient.getMinutes());
  Serial.print(":");
  Serial.println(timeClient.getSeconds());
  //Serial.println(timeClient.getFormattedTime());
  delay(1000);

[Wiz-IO]

try edit library word() to makeWord()

[pgaspar96]

It worked, thank you! Yet I must be doing something wrong. I debugged and everytime this line of the NTPClient executes the board resets: cb = this->_udp->parsePacket();

Function where line is:

bool NTPClient::forceUpdate() {
  #ifdef DEBUG_NTPClient
    Serial.println("Update from NTP Server");
  #endif

  this->sendNTPPacket();

  // Wait till data is there or timeout...
  byte timeout = 0;
  int cb = 0;
  do {
    delay ( 10 );
    cb = this->_udp->parsePacket();
    if (timeout > 1000) return false; // timeout after 1000 ms
    timeout++;
  } while (cb == 0);

    Serial.println("Packet sent");

  this->_lastUpdate = millis() - (10 * (timeout + 1)); // Account for delay in reading the time

  this->_udp->read(this->_packetBuffer, NTP_PACKET_SIZE);

  unsigned long highWord = makeWord(this->_packetBuffer[40], this->_packetBuffer[41]);
  unsigned long lowWord = makeWord(this->_packetBuffer[42], this->_packetBuffer[43]);
  // combine the four bytes (two words) into a long integer
  // this is NTP time (seconds since Jan 1 1900):
  unsigned long secsSince1900 = highWord << 16 | lowWord;

  this->_currentEpoc = secsSince1900 - SEVENZYYEARS;

  return true;
}

I think the problem might be on the way I set up the UDP client. Is it correct to use ?

#include <nbUDP.h>
#include <NTPClient.h>

nbUDP udp;
const long utcOffsetInSeconds = 0;
NTPClient timeClient(udp, "pool.ntp.org", utcOffsetInSeconds);

[Wiz-IO]

Yes, you need use nbUDP for BC66 https://github.com/Wiz-IO/Arduino-Quectel-BC66/tree/master/libraries/Ethernet/src

Why you need UTC, if you send MQTT message, the server knows when it arrived

and I think the module automatically finds NTP when there is an internet and adjusts the Rtc for module NTP support - ask your local Quectel support, and see AT commnads

[Wiz-IO]

look BC66 AT command AT+QNTP then RTC will be synchronized

[pgaspar96]

Thank you, I managed to sync the time with an NTP server using that cmd:

//AT+QNTP=<contextID>,<server>[,<port>][,<autosettime>]
char cmd_sync[] = "AT+QNTP=1,\"ntp.ist.utl.pt\",123,1\r"; 
DBG("\nsending command %s - length %d\r\n", cmd_sync, Ql_strlen(cmd_sync));
Ql_RIL_SendATCmd(cmd_sync, Ql_strlen(cmd_sync), callback, NULL, 300);

Unfortunately we are now in the daylight saving time (aka summer time) and the clock is behind by 1 hour. I tried to change the time zone and the hour like this:

ST_Time time_gmt;
Ql_GetLocalTime(&time_gmt);
time_gmt.timezone = 1;
Ql_SetLocalTime(&time_gmt);

But it is not working. Do you have any idea how I can solve the problem? I also searched for a cmd to change the timezone but there is only one to check for changes in the timezone.

[Wiz-IO]

Hi make timeout more... ( Ql_RIL_SendATCmd ) I think Quectel stdlib not support timezone...

[Wiz-IO]

static int eu_dst(const time_t * timer) {
    uint32_t t = *timer - 946684800;
    if ((uint8_t) (t >> 24) >= 194) t -= 3029443200U;
    t = (t + 655513200) / 604800 * 28;
    if ((uint16_t) (t % 1461) < 856) return 3600;
    else return 0;
}

static int (*dst_ptr) (const time_t *) = eu_dst;

static int timeZoneOffset = 2 * 3600;

int isDst(const time_t * timer) {
    return eu_dst(timer);
}

[pgaspar96]

I don't understand how to apply that code to the RTC.

I'm doing something like this:

time_t t = RTC.get();
int aux = isDst(&t);
Serial.printf("\naux: %d",aux);

isDst() is returning 3600 and that is correct but how do I apply that to the RTC? Also I'm using RTC.ascTime() to print the date.

[Wiz-IO]

isDst( now UTC ) return seconds if datetime is in DST period "winter" give 0 seconds "summer" give 3600 plus (timezone * 3600) give your local time

now + ( timezone * 3600) + isDst( now )