Click here for Cellular overview
1. Introduction
This wiki page contains information to help the user navigate ST Cellular software. When the information is already present in a databrief or a user manual, this wiki redirects to those reference documents. While this wiki does not contain all of the information, it helps you to find it.
2. X-CUBE-CELLULAR versions
Since the initial version V1.0.0 in mid-2018, the software content and hardware support have increased continuously.
From 1.0.0 to 5.2.0 versions, we continuously add features, applications, hardware and the Cellular middleware was part of the X-CUBE but not an independent enough middleware.
So with V6.0.0 we made a rework to provide a standalone Cellular middleware easier to integrate in existing applications. Therefore the boot menu has been removed but command line calls are still available. We also redesigned Cellular middleware API to ease/clarify usage by application. Furthermore V6.0.0 is the first delivery that introduce modem Low Power features for some modems (BG96 and Murata).
The current version V6.0.0 supports the following hardware configurations:
- P-L496G-CELL02 (Pack with a screenless 32L496GDISCOVERY associated with a STMod+ BG96 Quectel modem)
- B-L4S5I-IOT01A (STM32L4+ Discovery kit IoT node)
- 32L496GDISCOVERY (Discovery kit with STM32L496AG MCU)
- STEVAL-STWINKT1 (STWIN SensorTile Wireless Industrial Node development kit and reference design for industrial IoT applications)
- B-L462E-CELL1 (Discovery board with T1SE Murata module (STM32 L462, ST4SIM, ALT1250 modem))
- X-NUCLEO-STMODA1 (STMod+ connector expansion board for Arduino connectors)
- STEVAL-STMODLTE (LTE connectivity expansion board for STMod+ connector compatible evaluation boards, based on Quectel BG96 modem, same board as modem board in P-L496G-CELL02 above described pack)
- GM01Q-STMOD or GMS01Q-STMOD (Monarch from Sequans, GMS01Q is a GM01Q that also contains an internal SIM with Prepaid Dataplan)
P-L496G-CELL02 and B-L462E-CELL1 are standalone setup.
For other STM32 boards (B-L4S5I-IOT01A, 32L496GDISCOVERY, STEVAL-STWINKT1), just plug the STEVAL-STMODLTE or GM01Q-STMOD modem boards.
Note for B-L4S5I-IOT01A, X-NUCLEO-STMODA1 (Arduino / STMod+ adapter) must be used in between.
For the complete description of deliveries (software and supported hardware), refer to the release notes included in the X-CUBE package.
3. What is X-CUBE-CELLULAR?
X-CUBE-CELLULAR used for? It is used to allow applications to send and receive data on the cellular network using BSD API sockets.
Remember that through the official web page on X-CUBE-CELLULAR on st.com you have access to multiple resources (software, documents, and so on).
X-CUBE-CELLULAR consists of a set of libraries and application examples for STM32L4 Series MCUs acting as hosts for cellular connectivity applications.
The colors help to understand the different parts, Green for applications, light Blue for Middlewares, dark Blue for HAL, Purple for hardware.
Currently supported STM32 MCU are from L4 family, in the future more families will be added. However it is easy to port the Cellular middleware on other STM32 MCU families.
4. Applications provided
One single application is provided, named Cellular App, for all the supported Hardware configurations, as examples, it allows to test the Cellular middleware and contains the following features:
- ECHO to provide an example of connection and data exchanges using the TCP or UDP (connected or not-connected mode) socket protocols. By default one instance of ECHO is started but a second one can be started to test multiple sockets configurations.
- PING to test the access to a remote machine
- Performance to test throughput.
At boot, after Hardware initialization, Cellular App is started and this latter starts the Cellular middleware.
X-CUBE-CELLULAR also contains a Command tool (to interact with the firmware through a terminal on connected PC)
The following hardware setup (B-L462E-CELL1) embeds more than the others. It also brings BSP for sensors and display and a complete IoT application : displays information on the screen, reads humidity, pressure, temperature sensors, and use Cellular middleware to exchange with the network (Echo, Ping).
5. BSP
The X-CUBE-CELLULAR targets 2 goals, the first is to demonstrate the Cellular middleware based on multiple hardware setups. The second is to demonstrate the B-L462E-CELL1. So in the X-CUBE-CELLULAR the BSP is only available for B-L462E-CELL1 boards. For people who need to develop an application that use sensors on all hardware setups supported but B-L462E-CELL1 please refer to Cube FW deliveries to copy/paste/adapt for cellular usage.
The B-L462E-CELL1 BSP is composed of 2 parts, the board part (Drivers/BSP/B-L462E-CELL1) and the components part (Drivers/Components/).
Here is the list of all needed component drivers:
- hts221 (Capacitive digital sensor for relative humidity and temperature) from STMicroelectronics
- lps22hh (260-1260 hPa absolute digital output barometer) from STMicroelectronics
- lsm303agr (Ultra-low-power 3D accelerometer and 3D magnetometer) from STMicroelectronics
- ssd1315 (display driver for 0.96-inch 128 x 64 OLED / SPI Ref=9OL9935701000)
- M24128 (128-Kbit serial I²C bus EEPROM) from STMicroelectronics
- w25q80ew (8M-bit 1.8V Serial Flash Memory with uniform 4KB sectors and Dual/Quad SPI) from Winbond
- mt25qu512 (MT25Q Serial NOR Flash) from Micron
Notes:
- Driver for EEprom is not needed because the board BSP use directly HAL
- The w25q80ew QSPI is internal flash located into Murata module
- The mt25qu512 QSPI is a external flash soldered on the board outside the module
- The 2 QSPI are exclusive and the default one the the internal one. To use external QSPI soldering is needed, information are available in the board User Manual.
QSPI drivers will be provided with X-CUBE-CELLULAR V6.1.0
6. What are the available documents
1st is the Data Brief (DB) it is what is displayed on the st.com X-CUBE-CELLULAR web page
2nd is the Getting started User Manual (UM) a simple and short document to read first.
It explains the basics to: connect the hardware, program the on-board firmware and to run it; all this information in few pages.
3rd is the main User Manual, that provide all the needed information.
All those documents can be downloaded on X-CUBE-CELLULAR web page (among others)
7. How to ...
This part is a guideline that describes how to perform the main activities with X-CUBE-CELLULAR. All the information is merged in the X-CUBE-CELLULAR How To Wiki page
8. FAQ
All the frequently-asked questions are listed in the dedicated X-CUBE-CELLULAR F.A.Q page
9. STMicroelectronics resources
| Doc Number | Title |
|---|---|
| DB3582 | Cellular connectivity software expansion for STM32Cube |
| UM2567 | Getting started with the X-CUBE-CELLULAR cellular connectivity Expansion Package for STM32Cube |
| UL2426 | X-CUBE-CELLULAR cellular connectivity Expansion Package for STM32Cube |