SMS Commands
Written by Matthew Clark-Massera
Updated at February 1st, 2023
SMS commands can be sent to the device to get the device on-air. Any other configuration is done over the air.
SMS’s will only be received when the GSM modem is powered on. When the device is in its low power “sleep” mode the GSM modem is off. Cycle the external power or toggle the ignition line to initiate a wakeup and server connection attempt.
NB – the older G50 device uses a different format. This applies to all other DM devices.
Digital Matter SMS App:
The commands below can easily be sent from a common cellular phone to the SIM card in the device. The Digital Matter SMS App provides an alternative to using your phone. The app is a windows based executable. Users will need to create a Clickatell account.
Format:
The SMS text must start with the following symbols (pound, asterisk, comma)
#*,The SMS text command takes the following generic form of a command followed by a variable list of comma separated parameters:
#*,<command>String values are not contained in quotation marks. Example:
#*,RESET2G/3G Devices
This command allows you to set the APN name and optionally the user name and password to use in order to allow the device to connect on to the network. The format is:
#*,APN,<apn name>,<user name>,<password>If the APN details are omitted then the APN will be erased and the device will use auto-APN.
Examples:
#*,APN,telstra.internet
#*,APN,custom.APN,user1,pwd1
#*,APN
4G/LTE Devices
The format for the SMS is: (hash Asterisk comma 4GINIT comma APN comma RAT)
#*,4GINIT,<apn name>,<RAT number>Where RAT stands for Radio Access Technology. The RAT is set using the following key:
| 0 - Automatic | (use Cat-M1 and NB-IoT). This is the default setting, but doesn't work in some cases. |
| 1 - Cat-M1 only | Restricts 4G bands to only CAT-M1(recommended) |
| 2 - NB-IoT only | Restricts 4G bands to only NB-IoT |
If the APN details are omitted then the default APN and RAT will be saved to the SIM card. The default APN is a blank APN. And the default RAT is 0 (M1 and NB1)
In the Device Logs it will show the command has been received, understood and saved. You can also check your SIM portal to see if it has been saved.
Examples of 4G APN commands
#*,4GINIT,telstra.internet
#*,4GINIT,APN,RAT
#*,4GINIT,apnOnly
#*,4GINITSERVER:
This command allows you to set the details of the server that the device will connect to. The format is:
#*,SERVER,<server URL>,<port number>If <server URL>,<port number> are omitted then the default OEM Server details will be used.
Examples:
#*,SERVER
#*,SERVER,s0.oemserver.com,8964
DSERVER:
This command allows you to set the details of the third party ('data') server that the device will connect to. The format is:
#*,DSERVER,<server URL>,<port number>If <server URL>,<port number> are omitted, then the third party server will be cleared.
Examples:
#*,DSERVER
#*,DSERVER,remora.my.server.com,8966
OEM:
If the device is using a third party ('data') server, then this SMS will trigger a connection to OEM for configuration, after completing a session with the 'data server'. If the device is not using a third party server, this command does nothing.
#*,OEMRESET:
this command will cause the device to restart as soon as it is disconnected from the server. This does not cause any parameter changes. The format is:
#*,RESETPOSITION:
This command will cause the device to SMS the last recorded GPS location.
Dart
The format is:
#*,<number to reply to>,POSITIONExample:
#*,+278212345678,POSITIONDart2
#*,POSITION,<number to reply to>Example:
#*,POSITION,+27821234567Please note:
- This function is currently only available on Darts with Firmware version 1.17 and above and Dart2 2G with Firmware version 3.11 and above.
- The device will only read the SMS when the modem is switched off usually at the end of an upload.
- The SIM card in your unit must be able send and receive text messages.
- Include the country code in the cellphone number - eg +27 for South Africa
Result:
