Clipper LTE 4G Breakout firmware

Support
1

Has anyone been able to update the firmware on this board. I have spent hours trying to troubleshoot why I can’t use it to create HTTP/HTTPS sockets for iot cloud connection and it all seems to come down to a bug in firmware revision 11.0.01 which is what’s on these boards. I’ve tried multiple sims, all with the same base issue. I’ve discovered any SIM which enforces IMS / VoLTE does not work. Any that don’t such as 1NCE get past the first IMS/VoLTE hurdle but then hit the second bug with this firmware in that apparently the A7683E‑LBXS firmware V11.0.01 has a broken socket stack.

Output from my test code.

>> AT+CGDCONT?

AT+CGDCONT?

+CGDCONT: 1,"IP","iot.1nce.net","100.82.41.25",0,0,,,,

OK

AT+CGATT=1

OK

Activating PDP context...

>> AT+CGACT=1,1

AT+CGACT=1,1

OK

>> AT+CGACT?

AT+CGACT?

+CGACT: 1,1

OK

Opening NET...

>> AT+NETOPEN

AT+NETOPEN

OK

+NETOPEN: 0

>> AT+NETOPEN?

AT+NETOPEN?

+NETOPEN: 1

OK

>> AT+CSOC=1,1,1

AT+CSOC=1,1,1

ERROR

Copilot summarised the issue as this.

Use the A7683E but accept that sockets will never work on V11.0.01

You can still:

  • Read SMS

  • Make calls

  • Query network info

  • Use GNSS (if your variant supports it)

But you will never get:

  • HTTP

  • HTTPS

  • MQTT

  • TCP/UDP sockets

  • NETOPEN stability

Not on this firmware

For me, this makes this board utterly useless and not delivering on what the description on the shop page claims. Anyone trying to get it to work with Giffgaff, it doesn’t.

Any comments, suggestions, solutions gratefully accepted.

2

Someone else brought this up already some time ago. What you could do: write directly to support and ask about the role of the testpads on the backside. And please tell them to update the product page. It might be possible to update the firmware if the testpads expose the correct pins.

3

Thanks for the info. I did wonder if any of those pads were D+/D- but as we know, none of them are labelled. Waiting for a response from Pimoroni to the ticket I raised.