AT Commands
Everything you need to know about AT Commands
AT Commands (abbreviated from Attention Commands) are the way to control cellular modems. It provides a standardized way to instruct modems on how to behave and where to connect to.
Even though the commands are standardized by the 3GPP, different modems adhere to different versions of the specifications and manufacturers may provide additional vendor-specific AT Commands. Hence we recommend to keep the AT Commands manual of your modem manufacturer close when configuring your cellular modem.
AT Commands usually start with
AT, followed by a <command> and in some cases a <value>.There are 4 types of AT Commands: Set, Read, Test and Execute.
- Set
AT+<command>=<value>Instruct the modem to perform an action, such as activating the modem or enabling roaming. For example, the command to set the modem to active is:AT+CFUN=1 - Read
AT+<command>?AT+COPS? - Test
AT+<command>=?AT+CFUN=? - Execute
AT+<x>Some commands can be simply executed. For example, the command to check and return the signal quality:AT+CSQ
Pro tip: It is possible to send multiple AT Commands to the modem at the same time. To do so, list the commands in one line separated by a semi column
;, only write AT at the start of the first command. For examples:
AT+CMEE=2;+CPIN?;+CIMIIn order to send AT Commands, you need to connect to the modem first. You may need a program which provides the interface between your computer and the modem. You can use minicom, screen or miniterm for Linux/MacOS or PuTTY for Windows. When using Windows, you might need to install a driver to establish a connection. Have a look at the modem manufacturer's website for details about a possible driver.
To test if the connection with the cellular modem has been established, enter
AT. When the modem responds with OK you're set.Not all modems support the AT Commands listed in the examples in this page. For details, always check the AT Command manual of your specific cellular modem.
Before starting the configuration process, reset the modem to its default configuration and activate the modem:
AT Command | AT+CFUN=1,1 |
Response | OK |
Set the error reporting to verbose, resulting in more descriptive error messages:
AT Command | AT+CMEE=2 |
Response | OK |
Check the status of the SIM card. If you receive an error, the SIM may not be inserted well, or the SIM is locked with a PIN. By default, Monogoto SIMs are not PIN protected.
AT Command | AT+CPIN? |
Expected response | +CPIN: READYOK |
Request the modem hardware version
AT Command | AT+CGMM |
Example response | SARA-R412M-02BOK |
Request the modem firmware version
AT Command | AT+CGMR |
Example response | M0.12.00 [Dec 01 2030 12:00:00]OK |
Make sure you run the latest modem firmware version possible. Compare the response with the latest version published by your modem manufacturer.
Request the IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity):
AT Command | AT+CIMI |
Example response | XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXOK |
Request the ICCID (Integrated Circuit Card ID), which is the identification number of the SIM card:
AT Command | AT+CCID |
Example response | +CCID: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXOK |
The AT Command related to the Network Provider and cellular technology:
AT+COPSSyntax:
AT+COPS=<mode>,<format>,<oper>,<AcT>mode | Network Selection Mode. Use 0 for automatic, 1 for manual |
format | 0 for long alphanumeric (e.g. vodafone NL), 1 for short alphanumeric (e.g. voda NL), 2 for numeric/MCCMNC codes (e.g. 20404) |
oper | Operator, to be defined as long alphanumeric, short alphanumeric or numeric |
AcT | Access Technology. It depends on the modem which value represent which technology, usually the values are: 0 for GSM, 3 for GSM/GPRS/EDGE, 7 for LTE/LTE Cat-M1, 9 for NB-IoT |
Read the operator and access technology:
AT Command | AT+COPS? |
Example response | +COPS: 0,0,"vodafone NL",7OK |
The test command lets the modem perform a network scan:
AT Command | AT+COPS=? |
Example response | +COPS: (1,"NL KPN","NL KPN","20408",7),(1,"vodafone NL","voda NL","20404",0),(1,"T-Mobile NL","TMO NL","20416",0),(1,"T-Mobile NL","TMO NL","20416",7),(1,"vodafone NL","voda NL","20404",7),(1,"NL KPN","NL KPN","20408",0),,(0,1,2,3,4),(0,1,2)OK |
Be patient, it may take several minutes before the modem responds, you cannot send any AT Commands in the meantime.
Set the network and technology parameters
Automatic operator and AcT selection: | AT+COPS=0 |
Automatic operator and manual AcT selection: | AT+COPS=0,0,<AcT>
Example: AT+COPS=0,0,7 |
Manual operator selection, automatic AcT selection: | T+COPS=1,2,<MMCMNC>
Example: AT+COPS=1,2,20404 |
Manual operator and AcT selection: | AT+COPS=1,2,<MMCMNC>,<AcT>
Example: AT+COPS=1,2,20404,7 |
Response | OK |
AT Command | AT+CSQ |
Example response | +CSQ: 25,5OK |
+CSQ returns 2 values separated by a comma. The first value represents the signal strength and provides a value between 0 and 31; higher numbers indicate better signal strength. The second value represents the signal quality indicated by a value between 0 and 7. If AT+CSQ returns 99, the signal is undetectable or unknown.AT Command | AT+CGDCONT=1,"IP","data.mono" |
Response | OK |
Read the APN configuration:
AT Command | AT+CGDCONT? |
Expected response | +CGDCONT: 1,"IP","data.mono","0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0,0,0 |
AT Command | AT+CGACT=1,1 |
Response | OK |
Read if the PDP context is set correctly:
AT Command | AT+CGACT? |
Expected response | +CGACT: 1,1OK |
AT Command | AT+CEREG? |
Expected response | +CEREG: 0,5OK |
The second variable indicates the status:
0: Not registered
1: Registered, home network
2: Not registered, but the modem is trying to connect
3: Registration denied
4: Unknown (for example, out of coverage)
5: Registered, roaming
90: Not registered due to UICC failureAT Command | AT+CGPADDR |
Example response | +CGPADDR: 1,10.XXX.XX.XXXOK |
Do you see an IP address? Congratulations! 🎉 You’ve successfully connected your cellular modem to Monogoto. Have a look at the Things logs in the Monogoto Console to find more details about the established connection.
Last modified 1yr ago