Reset required to reconnect to network after signal lost in IOT_Example sketch

[mduiop]

With the SIM7000A shield and an Arduino Mega I can run the IOT_Example sketch without modification (except I changed the URL for GET header to point to my app), and send a GET header via HTTP to my custom application. My GPS coordinates are sent to the web app every 10 seconds . . . no problem. However, if I lose the data connection (because I drive through a dead spot for example) the sketch will not reconnect. It just tries over and over until I reset. Upon reset it will find the network connection immediately, so the signal exists in the area it just can't reconnect after losing connection . . . Any thoughts are appreciated.

[botletics]

Do you know what the serial monitor looks like when that happens?

[mduiop]

If I remember correctly it keeps on looping though:

"Failed to connect to cell network, retrying..."

At line 283, and the beginning of the main loop you have this code:

while (!netStatus()) { Serial.println(F("Failed to connect to cell network, retrying...")); delay(2000); // Retry every 2s }

Like I said, this works fine unless I lose an already established connection. If I reset (by disconnecting and re-connecting the serial monitor) then setup() repeats again. Perhaps because the following two lines are called from setup:

fona.powerOn(FONA_PWRKEY); // Power on the module moduleSetup(); // Establishes first-time serial comm and prints IMEI

Maybe if the above fails to connect a certain number of times then I call powerOn() and moduleSetup() . . . seems like a hack because I do not fully understand what is going on . . . so maybe there is a better solution (if that would even work).

Thanks

EDIT: if the above is unclear, and maybe this is a better idea . . . : since when powerOn() and moduleSetup() are called in setup() and then the main loop is executed everything works (until I lose a connection), then only works when I reset the device (forcing setup() to be called again) we need to do something that setup() is doing to get it to reconnect. Maybe powerOn() and moduleSetup() should be moved from setup() to main()?

[botletics]

But when the network check fails, does the module simply not respond to the AT commands? I guess what I'm trying to ask is if your module actually powers off. I get what you're saying about setup() and loop(), but I need to see if your module is actually turning off, because powerOn() takes care of that, and moduleSetup() only establishes UART connection. So if the module is communicating that it's not connecting to the network, then it shouldn't need UART to be established again, unless somehow the AT commands are hanging and comm needs to be reset.

[mduiop]

Nothing seems to be freezing or hanging up. I say that because I'll see a new "Failed to connect to cell network, retrying..." message generated every approx. 2 seconds. If that answers your question?

[botletics]

But does it show the actual response to the command AT+CGREG? when it says it can't connect?

[mduiop]

Yes, please see below:

Failed to post data, retrying... Waiting for 10 seconds

---> AT+CGREG?

<--- 

Network status 0: Not registered

Failed to connect to cell network, retrying... ---> AT+CGREG? <--- AT+CGREG? Network status 0: Not registered

Failed to connect to cell network, retrying... ---> AT+CGREG? <--- AT+CGREG? Network status 0: Not registered Failed to connect to cell network, retrying... ---> AT+CGREG?

<--- AT+CGREG?

Network status 0: Not registered

Failed to connect to cell network, retrying...

[botletics]

Ahh OK. It's the moduleSetup() that's re-establishing the UART connection when it hangs. In that case, you could simply put a counter that increments each time it fails to receive a response, then call moduleSetup() when the counter reaches a certain value.