We have just deployed a device with a customer. The device was working in cell and ntn mode on a desktop.
This device was placed in cell-ntn preference connection mode. Since the device has been deployed in a remote location, we have not heard from the device.
What could be happening here?
Device is in an area with very poor or no cellular service.
How long will the device try to send data via cell before swapping to ntn?
When will the device attempt to get a location for ntn purposes?
It is possible due to where the gps antenna is placed that the starnote has not gotten a GPS fix.
If I instruct the user to place the electronics in an area that may allow easier gps fixing, will the device automatically try and find a gps location?
Whats the behaviour while in “cell-ntn” mode with trying to get a GPS fix? Also how accurate does the location need to be?
I would like to rule out the location/gps issue as being the problem. To rule this out I will need the customer to move the electronics box to an area outside of our physical device. How long should they keep the box out to ensure that the starnote attempts to get a GPS location?
Specific to the fallback behavior from cell to NTN, we have a relatively new doc here that helps to explain exactly how those work: Connection Retry and Fallback Behaviors
Some other thoughts:
Did the device ever sync with Notehub over cellular (or Wi-Fi)? This is a hard requirement, as the Notecard MUST perform a full sync with Notehub before it’s able to fallback to NTN. This just has to happen once though so I’m guessing that’s not the problem.
When will the device attempt to get a location for ntn purposes?
Are you using the GPS on the Notecard or on Starnote (default)? Antenna positioning could definitely be an issue, so I like your idea of checking that first. Starnote will request GPS data as soon as it needs to make a connection.
How long should they keep the box out to ensure that the starnote attempts to get a GPS location?
15 minutes should be plenty of time, provided that it’s at that moment where Notecard is trying to sync data of course. Ideally you’d get a trace log to diagnose the issue, but I understand how difficult/impossible this can be in the field, especially with limited connectivity.