Important Notice for Verizon approved LTE Category M1, Category 4 and Category 1 Models


MultiTech Products Impacted:  

MultiConnect® Cell 100 Series Cellular Modems
(models MTC-MNA1-B01-xx, MTC-MNA1-B03-xx, MTC-MVW1-B01-xx, and MTC-MVW1-B03-xx, MTC-LNA4-B01-xx and MTC-LNA4-B03-xx)

MultiConnect® microCell USB Cellular Modems
(MTCM-LNA3 series)

MultiConnect® Conduit® AP Access Point
(MTCAP-LNA3 series)

Dragonfly™ Embedded Cellular Modems and SoMs 
(models MTQ-LVW3-B01 and MTQ-LVW3-B02)

SocketModem® Cell Embedded Cellular Modems
(models MTSMC-MNA1, MTSMC-MNA1-U, MTSMC-MVW1, MTSMC-MVW1-U, MTSMC-LVW3, MTSMC-LVW3-U)


Cellular Radio Modules:
For -MVW1 (Cat M1): ME910C1-NV
For -MNA1 (Cat M1): ME910C1-NA
For -LNA4 (Cat 4): LE910-NA V2
For -LNA3 (Cat 1): LE910-NA1
For -LVW3 (Cat 1): LE910-SV1


At times, your device may require a critical update to radio firmware for devices connecting to the network. To stay compliant to Verizon’s LTE requirements you must implement FOTA. Failure to perform a critical update could result in losing access to the Verizon network.

MultiTech has developed a script for customers to use in order to initiate a FOTA update from the (the customer’s) local host processor (pull FOTA).

MultiTech LTE Category M1, Category 1, and Category 4 devices for Verizon, will allow the customer to initiate a FOTA update from a remote server (push FOTA) as required and communicated by Verizon.

If your device does not include local processing capabilities, you will be required to upgrade when that release becomes available.

Below is an example of a FOTA process for an LTE cellular module (the same steps would work for other LTE devices just using different file names) you could implement in your host system. You may implement the process below or implement your own FOTA solution.
 
In the example below, your host system application periodically accesses a file placed on an FTP server of your choosing and reads file contents to determine if a firmware update is required. Contact MultiTech at support.multitech.com for test delta files and to review your process prior to deployment.
 
Please contact MultiTech for test delta files and for review of your process prior to deployment.
Support Portal
 
Cellular Module FOTA Script Example Process
1. Set up an FTP server to contain a folder for future module firmware files.
 
2. Assign a unique username/password to access the FTP server.
 
3. Create and place a file on your FTP server named firmwarecheck.csv to be downloaded and read by your cellular radio module FTP client host application. Include the following types of information in the file. You can include additional information as needed.
 
a) The firmware version and build your LTE device should currently be using.
b) Path on current FTP server where firmware update file resides.
c) The date/time interval at which the host application should next perform a FOTA check in.
d) FTP server IP address which the host application should access during next FOTA check in.
e) Credentials for the FTP server where host application should next perform a FOTA check in.
 
4. Before deploying devices with your Telit cellular radio module, create code in the host system code to perform the following sequence at a defined interval (nightly, weekly, daily, monthly).
 
a) Issue following command to your cellular radio module to configure socket connection settings:
AT#SCFG=1,3,300,90,600,50
 
b) If data APN has not previously been programmed, issue the following command:
AT+CGDCONT=3,"IPV4V6","CorrectAPNForAccount"
If the data APN has been previously programmed, go to Step 4.c.
 
c) Issue the following command to check for signal presence:
AT+CSQ
 
d) Issue the following command to check for registration presence:
AT+CEREG?
 
e) If signal and registration are present, issue the following command to establish data connection:
AT#SGACT=3,1
If signal and registration are not present, check antenna for proper connection and SIM for correct orientation.
 
f) Issue following command to create FTP session:
AT#FTPOPEN="204.26.122.49","username","password",1,3
 
g) Have the host application issue the following command to download the firmwarecheck.csv file, read its contents, and
take actions based on those contents:
AT#FTPGET="firmwarecheck.csv
 
h) Have host system issue the following command to Telit radio module to determine current firmware file version
and firmware build:
AT+GMR
 
i) If version/build indicated in responses are the same as indicated in firmwarecheck.csv:
Go to Step 4.s.
 
j) If current firmware version is older than version indicated in firmwarecheck.csv:
Continue to next step.
 
k) Issue the following command to Telit radio module to download the file indicated in the firmwarecheck.csv file
and wait for OK response (which indicates the file has been downloaded):
AT#FTPGETOTA="Name-Of-Firmware-File-Here.bin",0
 
l) After file is downloaded issue following command to close FTP session:
AT#FTPCLOSE
 
m) After closing FTP, issue following command to disconnect data session: 
AT#SGACT=3,0
 
n) After closing data session, issue following command to apply downloaded file:
AT#OTAUP=0
 
o) Before continuing, wait for ME910C1-NA to reset a total of three times and/or wait a fixed period of time to ensure
module has enough time to apply downloaded firmware. The time needed varies depending on the size of your firmware file.
 
p) Issue the following command to determine current firmware version.
AT+GMR
 
q) If version matches value indicated in firmwarecheck.csv:
Go to Step 4.t.
 
If version does not match value indicated in firmwarecheck.csv issue, appropriate commands listed earlier as needed
in order to attempt to download and process the firmware file again.
 
r) Issue following command to close FTP session:
AT#FTPCLOSE
 
s) Issue following command to close data session:
AT#SGACT=3,0
 
t) End Process
 
Notes:
  • Before deploying the device, thoroughly test your chosen FOTA implementation for functionality.
  • Before performing any module firmware update to devices in the field, first thoroughly test the new module firmware to ensure compatibility with your existing application.
  • In the above example you might consider placing on the FTP server one file for every IMEI you deploy. Then have host application read module IMEI to determine which IMEI file on the FTP server to read. This would allow you to control which specific IMEIs you want to update by changing the contents of the file on server for the device IMEI.

FOTA Client Example Session Log
Example of updated from firmware version 30.00.001-B026 to version 30.00.001-B026_FOTA
 
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:18.344 2018] AT+GMM
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:18.437 2018] ME910C1-NA
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:18.437 2018]
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:18.437 2018] OK
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:18.952 2018] AT+GMR
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:19.046 2018] 30.00.001-B026
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:19.046 2018]
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:19.046 2018] OK
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:19.560 2018] AT#SCFG=1,3,300,90,600,50
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:19.950 2018] OK
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:20.465 2018] AT+CGDCONT=3,"IPV4V6","VZWINTERNET"
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:21.120 2018] OK
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:21.635 2018] AT+CSQ
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:21.729 2018] +CSQ: 25,3
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:21.729 2018]
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:21.729 2018] OK
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:22.243 2018] AT+CEREG?
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:22.384 2018] +CEREG: 0,1
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:22.384 2018]
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:22.384 2018] OK
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:22.899 2018] AT#SGACT=3,1
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:23.101 2018] #SGACT:
100.82.36.41,38.0.16.20.176.102.243.25.0.0.0.2.116.124.129.1
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:23.101 2018]
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:23.101 2018] OK
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:23.616 2018]
AT#FTPOPEN="204.26.122.49","USERNAME","PASSWORD",1,3
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:24.942 2018] OK
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:25.457 2018] AT#FTPGET="firmwarecheck.csv"
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:26.159 2018] CONNECT
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:26.237 2018] 30.00.001-B026_FOTA,30.00.001-B026_FOTA.bin,2017-01-31,204.26.122.49,USERNAME,PASSWORD
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:26.253 2018] NO CARRIER
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:26.767 2018] AT+GMR
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:26.861 2018] 30.00.001-B026
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:26.861 2018]
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:26.861 2018] OK
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:32.430 2018] AT#FTPGETOTA="30.00.001-B026_to_B026-FOTA.bin",0
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:37.001 2018] OK
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:37.516 2018] AT#FTPCLOSE
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:37.843 2018] OK
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:38.358 2018] AT#SGACT=3,0
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:38.545 2018] OK
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:39.060 2018] AT#OTAUP=0
[Tue Jan 09 13:18:39.388 2018] OK
[Tue Jan 09 13:21:23.977 2018] AT+GMR
[Tue Jan 09 13:21:27.456 2018] 30.00.001-B026_FOTA
[Tue Jan 09 13:21:27.456 2018]