RG500Q-GL no NR or 5G supported

Dear All,

I have a RM500Q-GL sample and tried to connect but somehow it always use LTE.
When is check the supported modes it doesn’t show NR or 5G.

    --------------------------------
      General  |            dbus path: /org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/Modem/0
               |            device id: 9e9139afb5143e01e5ac5447131e577b03479829
      --------------------------------
      Hardware |         manufacturer: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
               |                model: 0
               |    firmware revision: RM500QGLAAR01A01M4G_BETA_20191220F  1  [Dec 15 2019 11:00:00]
               |       carrier config: default
               |         h/w revision: 20000
               |            supported: gsm-umts, lte
               |              current: gsm-umts, lte
               |         equipment id: 863305040010794
      --------------------------------
      System   |               device: /sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:15.0/usb2/2-2
               |              drivers: qmi_wwan, option
               |               plugin: Quectel
               |         primary port: cdc-wdm0
               |                ports: ttyUSB0 (qcdm), ttyUSB2 (at), ttyUSB3 (at), cdc-wdm0 (qmi),
               |                       wwan0 (net)
      --------------------------------
      Numbers  |                  own: 971xxxxxxx
      --------------------------------
      Status   |                 lock: sim-pin2
               |       unlock retries: sim-pin (3), sim-pin2 (3), sim-puk (10), sim-puk2 (10)
               |                state: disabled
               |          power state: on
               |       signal quality: 0% (cached)
      --------------------------------
      Modes    |            supported: allowed: 3g; preferred: none
               |                       allowed: 4g; preferred: none
               |                       allowed: 3g, 4g; preferred: 3g
               |                       allowed: 3g, 4g; preferred: 4g
               |              current: allowed: 3g, 4g; preferred: 4g
      --------------------------------
      Bands    |            supported: utran-1, utran-3, utran-4, utran-6, utran-5, utran-8,
               |                       utran-9, utran-2, eutran-1, eutran-2, eutran-3, eutran-4, eutran-5,
               |                       eutran-7, eutran-8, eutran-12, eutran-13, eutran-14, eutran-17,
               |                       eutran-18, eutran-19, eutran-20, eutran-25, eutran-26, eutran-28,
               |                       eutran-29, eutran-30, eutran-32, eutran-34, eutran-38, eutran-39,
               |                       eutran-40, eutran-41, eutran-42, eutran-46, eutran-48, eutran-66,
               |                       eutran-71, utran-19
               |              current: utran-1, utran-3, utran-4, utran-6, utran-5, utran-8,
               |                       utran-9, utran-2, eutran-1, eutran-2, eutran-3, eutran-4, eutran-5,
               |                       eutran-7, eutran-8, eutran-12, eutran-13, eutran-14, eutran-17,
               |                       eutran-18, eutran-19, eutran-20, eutran-25, eutran-26, eutran-28,
               |                       eutran-29, eutran-30, eutran-32, eutran-34, eutran-38, eutran-39,
               |                       eutran-40, eutran-41, eutran-42, eutran-66, eutran-71, utran-19
      --------------------------------
      IP       |            supported: ipv4, ipv6, ipv4v6
      --------------------------------
      3GPP     |                 imei: 863305040010794
      --------------------------------
      3GPP EPS | ue mode of operation: csps-2
      --------------------------------
      SIM      |            dbus path: /org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/SIM/0

Is there a way to configure in AT command manual? and if so please send me the link.
Thanks for you help.

Danny

Even if the module supports it, no current version of ModemManager is able to report 5G capabilities yet.

You may be able to query the current signal info and see 5G reported using plain qmicli commands, e.g. running:
$ sudo qmicli -d /dev/cdc-wdm0 -p --nas-get-system-info
$ sudo qmicli -d /dev/cdc-wdm0 -p --nas-get-signal-info

But needs to be libqmi from git master, as the latest 5G related symbols haven’t been released yet in any stable version.

1 Like

ModemManager git master is now able to handle 5G capabilities. The next stable 1.14 version of ModemManager will include these changes.

1 Like

Hey Aleksander,

I am on git master modemmanager and libqmi 1.25.900. My RM500Q-GL is showing LTE, but not 5gnr as an available access technology. I’m also not seeing any 5G bands in --dms-get-band-capabilities.

I see the same problem with my R500Q-GL, the issue seems to be that at+ws46=? does not have the NG-RAN bit set so modem manager thinks it’s not a 5G capable modem.

WS46=? is irrelevant when using QMI; are you all using QMI?

I’m having the same issue with an RM500Q-GL
MM version: 1.14.2

mmcli -m any
  -----------------------------------
  General  |               dbus path: /org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/Modem/0
           |               device id: a3e908bd7918e22d8142e72f50494268fee117ed
  -----------------------------------
  Hardware |            manufacturer: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
           |                   model: RM500QGL_VF
           |       firmware revision: RM500QGLAAR01A01M4G_BETA_20200517F
           |          carrier config: Telstra_Australia_Commercial
           | carrier config revision: 0A010F00
           |            h/w revision: 20000
           |               supported: gsm-umts, lte, 5gnr
           |                 current: gsm-umts, lte, 5gnr
           |            equipment id: redacted
  -----------------------------------
  System   |                  device: /sys/devices/platform/soc/8af8800.usb3/8a00000.dwc3/xhci-hcd.0.auto/usb2/2-1
           |                 drivers: qmi_wwan, option
           |                  plugin: quectel
           |            primary port: cdc-wdm0
           |                   ports: cdc-wdm0 (qmi), ttyUSB0 (qcdm), ttyUSB2 (at), wwan0 (net), 
           |                          ttyUSB1 (gps), ttyUSB3 (at)
  -----------------------------------
  Status   |                    lock: sim-pin2
           |          unlock retries: sim-pin (3), sim-puk (10), sim-pin2 (3), sim-puk2 (10)
           |                   state: connected
           |             power state: on
           |             access tech: lte
           |          signal quality: 92% (recent)
  -----------------------------------
  Modes    |               supported: allowed: 3g; preferred: none
           |                          allowed: 4g; preferred: none
           |                          allowed: 3g, 4g; preferred: 4g
           |                          allowed: 3g, 4g; preferred: 3g
           |                          allowed: 5g; preferred: none
           |                          allowed: 3g, 5g; preferred: 5g
           |                          allowed: 3g, 5g; preferred: 3g
           |                          allowed: 4g, 5g; preferred: 5g
           |                          allowed: 4g, 5g; preferred: 4g
           |                          allowed: 3g, 4g, 5g; preferred: 5g
           |                          allowed: 3g, 4g, 5g; preferred: 4g
           |                          allowed: 3g, 4g, 5g; preferred: 3g
           |                 current: allowed: 4g, 5g; preferred: 5g
  -----------------------------------
  Bands    |               supported: utran-1, utran-3, utran-4, utran-6, utran-5, utran-8, 
           |                          utran-2, eutran-1, eutran-2, eutran-3, eutran-4, eutran-5, eutran-7, 
           |                          eutran-8, eutran-12, eutran-13, eutran-14, eutran-17, eutran-18, 
           |                          eutran-19, eutran-20, eutran-25, eutran-26, eutran-28, eutran-29, 
           |                          eutran-30, eutran-32, eutran-34, eutran-38, eutran-39, eutran-40, 
           |                          eutran-41, eutran-42, eutran-46, eutran-48, eutran-66, eutran-71, 
           |                          utran-19
           |                 current: utran-1, utran-3, utran-4, utran-6, utran-5, utran-8, 
           |                          utran-2, eutran-1, eutran-2, eutran-3, eutran-4, eutran-5, eutran-7, 
           |                          eutran-8, eutran-12, eutran-13, eutran-14, eutran-17, eutran-18, 
           |                          eutran-19, eutran-20, eutran-25, eutran-26, eutran-28, eutran-29, 
           |                          eutran-30, eutran-32, eutran-34, eutran-38, eutran-39, eutran-40, 
           |                          eutran-41, eutran-42, eutran-46, eutran-48, eutran-66, eutran-71, 
           |                          utran-19
  -----------------------------------
  IP       |               supported: ipv4, ipv6, ipv4v6
  -----------------------------------
  3GPP     |                    imei: redacted
           |             operator id: 50501
           |           operator name: Telstra
           |            registration: home
  -----------------------------------
  3GPP EPS |    ue mode of operation: csps-1
  -----------------------------------
  SIM      |               dbus path: /org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/SIM/0
  -----------------------------------
  Bearer   |               dbus path: /org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/Bearer/0

It’s definitely picking up a 5G signal

AT+QENG="Servingcell"
    +QENG: "servingcell","NOCONN"
    +QENG: "LTE","FDD",505,01,8C76D02,497,1300,3,5,5,700B,-86,-15,-48,18,-
    +QENG:"NR5G-NSA",505,01,475,-105,130,-11

yes, it means the module was working in 5G nr state.

you also get more formation from the link file.Quectel_RG50xQ&RM5xxQ_Series_AT_Commands_Manual_V1.1.1_Preliminary_20201009.pdf (1.7 MB)

5G connectivity depends on several factors, so before wasting a bunch of time trying to connect to 5G, make sure that all the following criterias are met.

  1. The modem variant has to match the carrier you’re using in your country (ex. RM500Q-AE for NSA bands in the US / RM500Q-GL for SA/NSA bands in most other countries).
    RM500Q-GL 5G-NR Behaviour

  2. While carriers might offer 5G, it’s not always available on all their plans. Check with them to make sure that your plan includes 5G access at no additional cost or might have to pay extra for it. In fact AT+QENG=“Servingcell” could be showing 5G connectivity, yet the carrier/plan won’t actually allow an active data channel.

  3. In 5G NSA mode, the modem normally idles in LTE mode, and will only connect to 5G during large data transfers controlled exclusively by the carrier’s tower.

1 Like

Hi, just getting back here
@BillA I think you did not understand the root problem.
The firmware has an issue that does not report correctly
a response for AT+WS46=? which makes the ModemManager test for 5G fail.
I was able to connect to a 5G network and still WS46 would not return bit 36, which indicates 5G RAN connectivity.
Example:
AT+WS46=?
OK
+WS46: (12,22,25,28,29,30,31)

See? it only reports bit 31. Is there a newer firmware which fixes this issue?