Upgraded Modem Failing To Register On UBPorts Edition

[DingDangDoong]

I ordered an upgrade board to swap into a UBPorts edition I have. Swap was successful and the phone could detect all hardware when using factory test but I experienced odd behavior when I put a SIM in it.

The phone would detect the SIM was inserted and even show signal strength and type ("bar meter" and 2G/3G/4G notifications in top left of phosh) but the modem would never register with the network. Specifically the modem details would show signal type as "lte" and provide a signal strength metric but the network status would be "unregistered."

I swapped the 2GB ram board back in and the phone works now...

Really at a loss here, has anyone ever seen this behavior? Was I supposed to do something with the modem after swapping the board in? I was so close to USB-C!!! 

Some things:

• No, the SIM doesn't have a pin
  
• Yes, the SIM is activated
  
• SIM is an AT&T BYOD straight talk
  

[mouffa]

I don't use UBports but if it utilises the D-Bus like all the Linux distributions then this is the best way to research it, have a look at my thread on modem configuration

https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=14007

[mouffa]

excluding the case of bad modem firmware and that the operator rejects the specific IMEI for some reason, then you can test the commands under the "Network Registration" section at the end of the thread, if you achieve manual registration then you have to check the OS settings and inspect further DBus commands to see if the settings allow automatic registration

[DingDangDoong]

Tried messing around with ofono some to see if send-sms would work and it would just get hung up. I'll stick with the old mobo since thats working for now, flashing firmware on the modem is a bit too spooky for my skill level in that regard. Thanks for the reply!

[mouffa]

the firmware would be the very last thing you would do, did you try the "Register" command ? those commands should be tested first, after you register you can try other commands, since you use ofono and the SIM has no PIN just give `ofonoctl online`, it should do the job, this problem must be assessed, the next step would be to try AT commands, it is crucial to test another OS to be sure you don't have a hardware issue

[DingDangDoong]

the firmware would be the very last thing you would do, did you try the "Register" command ? those commands should be tested first, after you register you can try other commands, since you use ofono and the SIM has no PIN just give `ofonoctl online`, it should do the job, this problem must be assessed, the next step would be to try AT commands, it is crucial to test another OS to be sure you don't have a hardware issue

Come to think of it, I did not try that using the register command. I'll give that a shot once I find time to swap the upgrade board back in, I'm currently messing around with managing sms messages with bash since the 2GB board is working.

[bcnaz]

Recently I read somewhere on this forum that a module on the "replacement mainboard"  does need to have the firmware flashed...

It was not the modem.
   but the post did say the phone will not operate until this module has the firmware flashed.

Since I do not remember any specifics,  I am not certain how to even find that post again.

I did buy the upgrade mainboard for my Brave Heart phone, 
  but I do have 4 other Pine phones that have kinda kept me busy,  so the ole Brave Heart has been waiting for me to get back to it,
     it has been sitting on the sidelines.

***  SO  I wonder if that could be causing your problem  ?
          The video on changing the mainboard does not mention needing to flash anything.

---

@Luke
  Any information on a module needing the firmware flashed on replacement mainboards ?

[mouffa]

I think it is the chip that converts the HDMI to USB for connecting a monitor but this doesn't interfere with the modem, in this case the modem works but it doesn't register, some kind of setting must be the problem

[8bit]

ANX7688
https://wiki.pine64.org/index.php/PinePh...X_firmware

[bcnaz]

Thank you @8bit for that link !

Although that may not affect the modem, it will help with getting full function from a new 'upgrade mainboard' !