FONA-1 Project Details

[last updated: 2018-08-01]
go to: FONA home page
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This version (FONA-1) uses the Adafruit 2636 shield on top of a rev-3 Arduino Uno. Indicator LED's and a pushbutton are mounted on a breadboard.

• Current Status:
• successfully sent and received SMS text messages, under program control (ie. as opposed to just through serial monitor as in the example sketch).
• successfully retrieved my GPS coordinates
• I did not attempt audio cell calls, though have no reason to believe they wouldn't work.
• However, I've broken the uFl antenna connector on the shield for the GPS antenna. I've received a replacement from Adafruit, but have yet to attempt the microscopic SMT soldering necessary to install it...
• Project is set aside on hold for now...
• Unresolved issues:
• ntp time sink
• Something glitchy going on: I have the sketch set up to send two texts to my cellphone when it finishes setup routine after reset or power-up. It works, but later I will get two more texts as if it again went through setup, however power was never interrupted.(FONA-2 does not have this problem)
• need to re-attach GPS antenna

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Here is the breadboard for FONA-1:

breadboard

schematic

Startup Procedure:

• Check/verify wiring
• Verify Arduino program - these instructions are written for FONA16.ino
• For Uno, softwareSerial requires Rx=2 & Tx=3
• Connect GSM antenna
• currently using Slim Sticker GSM/Cellular Quad-Band Antenna - 3dBi (Adafruit: 1991)
• however, I have also used the Mini GSM/Cellular Quad-Band Antenna - 2dBi (Adafruit: 1859). It has an SMA connector, and requires an adapter (Adafruit: 851) to fit onto the uFl connector on the FONA board.
• MUST connect LiPo battery (be sure it's fully charged)
• Switch battery toggle on FONA board to "Run" (not strictly necessary?)
• Breadboard setup red LED should come on
• FONA power-on green LED should come on
• FONA network blue LED will start fast blink as it searches for network
• FONA blue LED will blink slowly when network acquired
• Breadboard blue LED will come on indicating first end-of-setup text is being sent
• Breadboard blue LED goes off
• First text should be received
• Breadboard blue LED comes on indicating second end-of-setup text is being sent
• Breadboard blue LED goes off
• Second text is received
• Breadboard setup LED switches to green indicating setup is completed
• Breadboard setup LED stays green but blinks red 1/sec as heartbeat

Run/Operation:

• If a text is sent to the FONA, the breadboard text-rcvd red LED will come on while text is evaluated
• If text received is a valid command, action will be taken
• See program for commands that are defined and their responses
• If action involves sending response text, breadboard blue text-send LED will come on while message is sent
• If PB is pressed, yellow alarm LED will light momentarily, and text "triggered" will be sent. When pressing PB, it must be held down for one HB cycle in order to be "seen."

Software:
I'm continuing to refine the software, and at any given time there may still be bugs and things that don't work, but current version is FONA16, available on programs-all

Here's what it does:

• sends two SMS text messages to my cell phone upon completion of setup routine.
• receives SMS text messages:
  • check to see if they're valid commands.
  • responds to received command.
• reads PB and, if pressed, responds by sending SMS text "triggered"

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