Communication with the remote terminal via GSM,GPRS or CDMA

[DavidLee]

Hi

How to communicate with the remote terminal via an existed GSM,GPRS or CDMA channel ? What device is necessary ? What software tool package is needed? Thanks.

David

[Jeremy_L]

Hi David,

To communicate via GSM, GPRS, or CDMA, your would need a device that can listen on any of these protocols and can hook up to your computer. If you can find a device that can communicate to your computer via serial (RS-232), USB, or TCP/IP, you can then send commands and data to this device from LabVIEW. I know a while back there used to be a way to connect Nokia phones via serial to your computer. If you can do that and you know how to send data to the phone in a way that it can understand, then you can communicate to it easily in LabVIEW.

Take a look at this thread, which talks about Nokia phones
.

Jeremy L.
National Instruments

[rolfk]

davidLee wrote:

> How to communicate with the remote terminal via an existed GSM,GPRS or
> CDMA channel ? What device is necessary ? What software tool package
> is needed? Thanks.

Well, we do use Wavecom (or Maestro 20, same GSM engine) GSM modems
installed as a normal modem in Windows. They do support normal 9600 baud
as well as GPRS mode. If you then bind the TCP/IP stack to this "network
adapter" you can simply use the TCP/IP functions to communicate with the
remote side as if it would be a normal (although slow) network connection.

We also use a in-house developed LabVIEW library to interface to the
Windows RAS service to connect and disconnect the connection
programmatecially whenever needed, but I couldn't send this library out.
There have been howev
er some discussions in the past on Info-LabVIEW to
use the command line options of the dialer application to actually do
that as well.

Rolf Kalbermatter

[hamza]

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@DavidLee wrote:
Hi

How to communicate with the remote terminal via an existed GSM,GPRS or CDMA channel ? What device is necessary ? What software tool package is needed? Thanks.

David

---

we are a utility company - we have a requirement to acquire data ( gasflow , temperature, pressure )from our remote distribution points.Using local cellular mobile service and GPRS/GSM technology how can we achieve this AT site we have standard 4-20mA pressure and temperature signals - Gas flow signal is avaliabe in standard protocals - serial port - Kindy suggest a solution

[tst]

There are two problems here: You have to convert the raw electrical signal into computer data and you have to use a modem to transmit the data. Then you also have to recieve the data and do whatever you want with it (presumably with LabVIEW).
There are several methods you can use:
1. Use Fieldpoint hardware to read the data and operate the modem. This has the advantage of being programmed with LabVIEW.
2. Use a standard PLC to do the same thing.
3. Use a dedicated remote monitoring unit. Try searching Google for "remote monitoring". I know specifically of a company called Remmon which makes these kinds of products.

[alysko]

Yet another way is to use a ethernet-GSM/GPRS router, so you can have full TCP/IP path without any programming (but the hardware costs more).

Wavecom modems are a popular choice. On the other hand, you can try something like Fargo Maestro 100, which adds extra functionality for automation (e.g. automatically establish a connection etc.). These would normally be connected via serial or USB. Once you have connected to PC, you  should be able to communicate with the modem via serial port (through VISA, for example). For testing purposes, I would  advice using MAX (Devices&Interfaces -> Ports -> COMx (select the right one), ensure the communication parameters are  correct -> Validate them -> Open VISA test panel.

The modems are usually AT-compatible. For example, you can send "AT\r" (by \r I mean you need to add carriage return to  the string "AT") and you will get an "\r\nOK\r\n" back. There are many commands tha are standard (refer to GSM 07.07 or go to http://www.3gpp.org/, for example), and some that are manufacturer-specific (e.g. embedded TCP/IP stack).

In practical terms, GSM (which is a dial-up connection) might be expensive if you need to transfer a lot of data (you pay per minute for 9600 bps). GPRS, E-GPRS (EGPRS), EDGE, 3G, HSDPA are better options in this respect, as you pay per MB (regardless of the time used). They also provide better performance through higher speed (HSDPA might even exceed ADSL's; details at http://www.lysko.com/ -> products -> Quick info). The SMS service is the economically the best for small amounts of data sent infrequently.

If you do not have the time for making a library of your own, there are also libraries exist. They do some or most of the job for you, but they are not free.

[Ramecatronica]

Hi all

I´m trying to do a field point communication from the serial port RS-232 with a modem (GSM/GPRS) based in a Motorola celular similar to the link: http://www.sitemnet.it/pages_eng/e-comm/e-comm_eng.htm

 I need to do a program, in Lab View, That makes the modem send data packages, stored in the field point, to a host computer in especifc times.

Could Anybody help me hou to solve this problem?

I´ve already tried the tool VISA from Lab View. And it didn´t work.

I was looking GSM toolbox up. Does anybody have any experience with it?

[Jesse_O]

Hello,

VISA can be used to communicate over serial with on your FieldPoint controller.  In order to access the serial port on a Real-Time FieldPoint controller, you must target your application on the controller.  Typically, the com resource name you need to specify is com1.  To see how standard serial port communication is completed on a FieldPoint controller, you can open the shipping example called Basic Serial Write and Read from within NI Example Finder.  This example is very straight forward, however it shows how to send and receive data through serial.

If you know the command set for the device you are trying to communicate with you can build upon this.  Unfortunately I do not have a GSM serial toolkit.  All of the instrument drivers NI is aware of are located at www.ni.com/idnet. 

Regards,

Jesse O.
Applications Engineering
National Instruments

[Ramecatronica]

thanks

but I don't know to use serial port of the field point. how can I implement with a peripheral ? for example an agilent multimeter equipment.

[Jesse_O]

Hello,

Can you please give a little more information on which part you are having problems with?  Also, what controller do you have (i.e cFP-2120, cFP-2000), and do you have LabVIEW Real-Time (and what version)?

You program the serial port on the FieldPoint controller the same way you would from if you were using the serial port on your computer from LabVIEW.  However to use the serial port on your controller you must embed that VI on your controller.  To do this in LabVIEW 8 (or 8.2) you would need to add the FieldPoint controller to your project.  To do this you would right click on your project name and select New >> Targets and Devices.  After you have the FieldPoint controller in your project you place your VI under your controller and run it.  This will download your application to the controller and execute it. 

The VI you embed on the controller could also be ran on your PC if your multimeter was attached to your PC.  The code in LabVIEW is the same.  Finally, you might want to look at the instrument driver network (www.ni.com/idnet) to see if a LabVIEW driver is already written for your device.

Finally, is your problem with targeting your controller or is it more how to communicate with your device through serial?

Regards,

Jesse O.
Applications Engineering
National Instruments