GPRS remote access

[daw13]

Hello all

I have a cFP-2010 which will be located on a remote site (100km away). It will be controlling a system, and is required to send emails with logged data attachments once daily. The GPRS modem will be externally attached to the serial port.

I understand that to send an email via GPRS network a TCP/IP connection is required.

To save complexity of programming, I am looking at buying a modem with EASY GPRS. Easy GPRS modems feature a built in TCP/IP stack, controlling required protocol layers and giving the appearance of a straight through serial connection.

Is this an easy way to achieve what I'm after? Does anyone have experience with this? If so, can I have some hints on how to go about it?

There is also an GSM toolbox available through a LabVIEW alliance member. This would do the trick, but is a far more expensive option when all that is required is to send an email.

Thanks
David Williamson

[Salvador_Santolucito]

Hi David,

If I am understanding you correctly, you want a wireless transmission of the e-mail? And you want to do it with GPRS (general packet radio service)?

The simplest solution would be to run a LAN cable out to the device to connect it to the TCP/IP network. However this may not be feasable. Have you considered using a wireless LAN network hub? I'm not sure what the distances that it can achieve are, but it would be a much simplier setup since you wouldn't have to worry about programming the protocol The cFP controller would just appear to be another computer on the network and you could simply send e-mails from it.

Depending on the cost, a wireless LAN solution may be cheaper and easier to implement.

-Sal

[daw13]

I didn't think ranges of 100km could be acieved with wireless LAN. This also means we will need two wireless units as opposed to one GPRS modem interfaced to the web.

I planned on using the EASY GPRS modem prvided by Round Solutions Ltd, which features built in TCP/IP control. Unfortunately I have not been able to make much sense of the information they have provided:(

[TomDooley]

Hi,

I make almost the same and I have good experience withe the sitem GSM toolbox, beacuse all the AT commands which you need for the GSM/GPRS connection are encapsulated in vi's. The guys from sintem (http://www.sitemnet.it) did also the same like you want to do.
I send my data one time by day to an FTP server via GPRS. After the transmission the FieldPoint switch to GSM Mode and I can control him by SMS. My first idea was to send datas by email, but this is not a good idea because of the security.
If you buy the new Wismo GPRS/GSM/GPS modem, you have the possibilty to use GSM and GPRS at the same time. Maybe GPS is also usefull for you.

Thomas

[daw13]

Thankyou Thomas for your comments.

Can you please explain the security issues with sending the data as an attachement to email? The data being collected will be of no use to anyone else, but do you mean problems with hacking etc? All I am really concerned with at the moment is reliability.

(Unfortunately?) I have already purchased the Round Solutions modem. it is the TER-GX-101K.
This has a built in TCP/IP stack, and user-friendly GPRS connection. I don't think the functions of the SITEM vi's are particulary complicated (or are they?), so I will just have to replicate the ones I need. It is only a matter of sending AT commands to the serial port.

Thanks

David

[TomDooley]

Hi,

yes that's what I mean "hacking the email". But I you are don't worried about taht. It's o.k.
Sitme is simple because the encapsulate everthing in Vi's so that you don't have to fight with AT command and serial communication.

Thomas

[ian81]

Hi Tom,

I need some assistance since you have some experience using the GPRS.

I do happen to have a Fargo Maestro modem based on the Wismo Chipset. My customer wants to have the ability to FTP files in and out of the serial port of a Fieldpoint 20XX controller. So far I have had not much success for this.

Did you use the sintem toolbox to send data to the FTP server? The brochure for the the software does not seem to mention much about using GPRS to FTP data.

What intrigues me is when you say you managed to send your data, What kind of data are you sending out?

What I know from experimenting with the modem, Once the modem is set into ftp upload mode, its expecting binary data, So i'm curious as to what kind of data and how are you getting out from your fieldpoint serial port.

Thanks

[TomDooley]

Hi,

Yes I use the Sintem toolbox to send data (ASCII and binary) to my FTP server and it works fine. If you have the toolbox you can use the attached example. But take care if you want to send binary datas you have to switch the DLE mode to binary. The receiving functionallity is not implemented in this code, because I don't use it. But there are a spec. VI's inside the toolbox to do this.

For further questions don't hestitate to contact me.

[alysko]

One of the options for you, might have been the Fargo Maestro 100 modem (which has Wavecome Wismo module but adds extra functionality for automation like automatically establishes TCP/IP connection).

The other option could be to request development for your GSM, GPRS, EDGE and 3G needs (if it is a reasonably small function, it might be cheaper than buying a complete library, see www.lysko.com).