It’s really difficult to make a blind debugging. So with the posted info, I suggest you try this mods:
Don’t try to reconnect GSM unless it’s disconnected. Put this in setup() to set
connectionStatus = true;
to avoid reconnection in loop()
void setup()
{
....
SerialMon.print("Waiting for network...");
if (!modem.waitForNetwork(240000L)) {
SerialMon.println(" fail");
delay(10000);
return;
}
SerialMon.println(" OK");
if (modem.isNetworkConnected()) {
SerialMon.println("Network connected");
}
SerialMon.print(F("Connecting to APN: "));
SerialMon.print(apn);
if (!modem.gprsConnect(apn, gprsUser, gprsPass)) {
SerialMon.println(" fail");
delay(10000);
return;
}
// Add this
connectionStatus = true;
SerialMon.println(" OK");
if (BLYNK_ONLY) {
Blynk.begin(auth, modem, apn, gprsUser, gprsPass);
}
timer.setInterval(1000L, blinkLedWidget);
}
From the stalling, the return code is HTTP_ERROR_TIMED_OUT (-3), which means we spent too long time waiting for a reply (timeout is default 30s). But we still don’t know what it’s doing while stalling, unless we put more debugging msgs in the library code.
I suggest to use direct client access code to send HTTP GET request, in which we have more control by adding debug / longer timeout later in the debugging process
void HTTPClientHandle(void)
{
if (!connectionStatus)
{
SerialMon.print(F("One time connection. Waiting for network..."));
if (!modem.waitForNetwork())
{
SerialMon.println(F(" fail"));
connectionStatus = false;
//delay(3000);
return;
}
SerialMon.println(F(" OK"));
SerialMon.print(F("Connecting to "));
SerialMon.print(apn);
if (!modem.gprsConnect(apn, gprsUser, gprsPass))
{
SerialMon.println(F(" fail"));
connectionStatus = false;
//delay(3000);
return;
}
SerialMon.println(F(" OK"));
connectionStatus = true;
}
// Test client directly, see Arduino_TinyGSM.ino
// Just added
SerialMon.print(F("Connecting to "));
SerialMon.print(server);
if (!client.connect(server, port))
{
SerialMon.println(F(" fail"));
//delay(10000);
return;
}
SerialMon.println(" OK");
// Make a HTTP GET request:
SerialMon.println("Performing HTTP GET request...");
client.print(String("GET ") + resource + " HTTP/1.1\r\n");
client.print(String("Host: ") + server + "\r\n");
client.print("Connection: close\r\n\r\n");
client.println();
unsigned long timeout = millis();
// We can increase the timeout to test, current 10s, and have more control here
while (client.connected() && millis() - timeout < 10000L)
{
// Print available data
while (client.available())
{
char c = client.read();
SerialMon.print(c);
timeout = millis();
}
}
SerialMon.println();
// Shutdown
client.stop();
SerialMon.println(F("Server disconnected"));
///modem.gprsDisconnect(); /// leave GPRS connected ///
///SerialMon.println(F("GPRS disconnected"));
SerialMon.println(F("GPRS is NOT disconnected"));
}
Later, if you’d like to use the original HTTP code, you can increase the timeout to test if HTTP_ERROR_TIMED_OUT error can be avoid by using function
setHttpResponseTimeout(uint32_t timeout);
(timeout in ms, currently 30000L = 30s)
I also recognized your GSM network speed is too slow, and certainly will have certain role in HTTP_ERROR_TIMED_OUT
23:25:41.007 -> [33401] Ready (ping: 347ms).
Here, they are shutting down the 2G network on which the SIM800L is relying on. I don’t know if there is enough time to buy and test that hardware. I guess in your place as well.
Will you think to update to new generation such as 4G?
Would you still be interested to try some more and post results?
Dear @khoih,
thanks for your help and appreciate your efforts to help me.
I will try your suggestion and I will report back the results to you later on. Regarding the speed of my GPS/GPRS connection and the ping value, I think that is ok for GPRS and without the Bkynk, the file getting is performed just fine as you can see from my testing above. Also, when I use just Blynk, even complicated, all are running just fine…
P.S. I am glad to send you a free TTGO T-Call device to have for debugging testing and development. If you interested in please send me in PM your full address to buy and send you one, of course as a gift.
Thanks a lot for your offer, but I’ll not take it.
Don’t worry, I’m very financially healthy. I just ordered several SIM800L shields from Amazon and will order TTGO T-Call (ESP-32 + SIM800L) from AliExpress and Amazon (if found) just to satisfy my curiosity.
I’m always open to learn new things (sadly still zillions and zillions of them) or something I haven’t got chance to do. Whenever dealing with and solving problems, isn’t it exciting and worth to spend time and effort? I believe the harder the situation is, the more we’ll learn in the process.
From this experience, I’m currently writing / modifying / creating (done 80-90%) a new so-called BlynkGSM_Manager for ESP32/ESP8266 and MegaWiFiR3. Just hope to help in this situation.
The APN, GPRS_User, GPRS_PW, SIM PIN, Blynk Server / Port / token will be stored in SPIFFS / EEPROM to avoid being hardcoded. This is very similar to those previous Blynk_WM library using WiFi Config Portal (you can access by Cellphone / Computer / Tablet)
If config data already stored in SPIFFS/ EEPROM and valid, init GSM modem, then connect to Blynk. If not connected to Blynk, go to 2)
If no config data stored in SPIFFS/EEPROM or invalid, or to start config portal
init wifi,
start config portal,
let user to input GSM/Blynk credentials,
store in SPIFFS/EEPROM (for other boards such as Mega, just use EEPROM),
finally restart. Repeat step 1.
The Blynk.begin() will not be blocking
The Blynk.run() will take care of reconnecting, restarting, reconfig, etc. and will not be blocking to allow other critical tasks working normally (similar features to the Blynk_WM library).
Thanks. Just place order. Hope will get it within a week.
I hope I still can use the LTE/4G SIM, and the 2G/2+G network here in Canada still not shutdown yet.
They have the plan to shutdown it for many years, just recently extend and close sometime in 2020.
Dear @khoih
I made the changes proposed in your message, I tested timeout 10000L & 20000L but no satisfactory result. See the serial log:
09:08:02.166 -> IP5306 KeepOn OK
09:08:08.171 -> Initializing modem...
09:08:13.330 -> Modem: SIM800 R14.18
09:08:13.330 -> Waiting for network... OK
09:08:21.206 -> Network connected
09:08:21.206 -> Connecting to APN: myq OK
09:08:29.663 -> [27517]
09:08:29.663 -> ___ __ __
09:08:29.663 -> / _ )/ /_ _____ / /__
09:08:29.663 -> / _ / / // / _ \/ '_/
09:08:29.663 -> /____/_/\_, /_//_/_/\_\
09:08:29.663 -> /___/ v0.6.1 on ESP32
09:08:29.663 ->
09:08:29.663 -> [27519] Modem init...
09:08:29.808 -> [27641] Connecting to network...
09:08:29.808 -> [27651] Network: TIM
09:08:29.808 -> [27652] Connecting to myq ...
09:08:36.892 -> [34759] Connected to GPRS
09:08:36.927 -> [34770] Connecting to blynk-cloud.com:80
09:08:38.304 -> [36175] Ready (ping: 424ms).
09:08:38.398 -> Connecting to vsh.pp.ua OK
09:08:39.192 -> Performing HTTP GET request...
09:08:59.219 ->
09:08:59.253 -> Server disconnected
09:08:59.253 -> GPRS is NOT disconnected
After the above last serial log { 09:08:59.253 → GPRS is NOT disconnected } there is nothing more and from the beginning there is not Blynk operation ( LED flashing at Blynk App ).
It seems that something is not “compatible” when the BlynkSimpleTinyGSM.h and/or TinyGsmClient.h is used …
direct_modem fo HTTP
so that we can bypass Blynk and send HTTP-related commands directly, not via hungry BlynkProtocol.h because we don’t need Blynk for that HTTP purpose.
If not working, we might have to modify TinyGSM library a little bit to simultaneously support 2 instances.
The code is as follows
....
#ifdef DUMP_AT_COMMANDS
#include <StreamDebugger.h>
StreamDebugger debugger(SerialAT, SerialMon);
TinyGsm modem(debugger);
#else
TinyGsm modem(SerialAT);
// Creating Second instance direct_modem
TinyGsm direct_modem(SerialAT);
#endif
TinyGsmClient client(modem);
// Using Second instance direct_modem
TinyGsmClient direct_client(direct_modem);
HttpClient http(direct_client, server, port);
....
void HTTPClientHandle(void)
{
if (!connectionStatus)
{
SerialMon.print(F("One time connection. Waiting for network..."));
if (!modem.waitForNetwork())
{
SerialMon.println(F(" fail"));
connectionStatus = false;
//delay(3000);
return;
}
SerialMon.println(F(" OK"));
SerialMon.print(F("Connecting to "));
SerialMon.print(apn);
if (!modem.gprsConnect(apn, gprsUser, gprsPass))
{
SerialMon.println(F(" fail"));
connectionStatus = false;
//delay(3000);
return;
}
SerialMon.println(F(" OK"));
connectionStatus = true;
}
#if 1
// Test client directly, using direct_modem, bypassing Blynk, see Arduino_TinyGSM.ino
// Using Second instance direct_modem
SerialMon.print(F("Connecting to "));
SerialMon.print(server);
if (!direct_client.connect(server, port))
{
SerialMon.println(F(" fail"));
//delay(10000);
return;
}
SerialMon.println(" OK");
// Make a HTTP GET request:
SerialMon.println("Performing HTTP GET request...");
direct_client.print(String("GET ") + resource + " HTTP/1.1\r\n");
direct_client.print(String("Host: ") + server + "\r\n");
direct_client.print("Connection: close\r\n\r\n");
direct_client.println();
unsigned long timeout = millis();
while (direct_client.connected() && millis() - timeout < 10000L)
{
// Print available data
while (direct_client.available())
{
char c = direct_client.read();
SerialMon.print(c);
timeout = millis();
}
}
SerialMon.println();
// Shutdown
direct_client.stop();
#else
// Using Second instance direct_modem
SerialMon.print(F("Performing HTTP GET request... "));
int err = http.get(resource);
if (err != 0)
{
SerialMon.println(F("failed to connect"));
//delay(5000);
return;
}
int status = http.responseStatusCode();
SerialMon.println(status);
if (!status)
{
//delay(5000);
return;
}
/* /// this is for informational reasons only not needed ///
while (http.headerAvailable()) {
String headerName = http.readHeaderName();
String headerValue = http.readHeaderValue();
//SerialMon.println(headerName + " : " + headerValue);
}
*/
int length = http.contentLength();
if (length >= 0)
{
SerialMon.print(F("Content length is: "));
SerialMon.println(length);
}
if (http.isResponseChunked())
{
SerialMon.println(F("The response is chunked"));
}
String body = http.responseBody();
SerialMon.println(F("Response:"));
SerialMon.println(body);
SerialMon.print(F("Body length is: "));
SerialMon.println(body.length());
// Shutdown
http.stop();
#endif
SerialMon.println(F("Server disconnected"));
///modem.gprsDisconnect(); /// leave GPRS connected ///
///SerialMon.println(F("GPRS disconnected"));
SerialMon.println(F("GPRS is NOT disconnected"));
}
void check_status()
{
///static unsigned long checkstatus_timeout = 0;
// Send status report every STATUS_REPORT_INTERVAL (60) seconds: we don't need to send updates frequently if there is no status change.
if ((millis() > checkstatus_timeout) || (checkstatus_timeout == 0))
{
HTTPClientHandle();
checkstatus_timeout = millis() + STATUS_CHECK_INTERVAL;
///SerialMon.printf("Now millis are:%d \nThe new checkstatus_timeout is: %d\n",millis(),checkstatus_timeout);
}
}
void loop() {
check_status();
Blynk.run();
timer.run();
}
Use Blynk Webhook for HTTP
Another way to try is to use Blynk WebHook (with just one instance of modem)
Dear @khoih,
you are a non stop fantastic supporter and I would like to thank you one more time!
When at home, I will test the first proposed solution and I will let you know.
The second one, the WebHook is a working way, I have test it but I prefer general solutions not tightly bounded to Blynk…
Dear @khoih
YES YOU DID IT !!! You are genius !
I followed your Nr 1 solution.
You need just at the end of your HTTPClientHandle function, you need to reinitialize Blynk.begin( … ) because when the function is started the Blynk is stop working… See:
///modem.gprsDisconnect(); /// leave GPRS connected ///
///SerialMon.println(F("GPRS disconnected"));
SerialMon.println(F("GPRS is NOT disconnected"));
SerialMon.println(F("Reconnecting Blynk..."));
Blynk.begin(auth, modem, apn, gprsUser, gprsPass);
}
That’s nice.
Could you post the serial log as I’m still curious to see why Blynk is stop working.
I don’t like that and later when I have the board, I will try to find out the root cause and fix if possible as it’s always better to have both working independently.
Dear @khoih
thanks a lot for your support in this. Did you receive your TTGO T-Call ?
I will test your new release when I have a little time, I am having hard time in my job because my company will be participated in a very big exchibition in the London / UK and I have lot of things to take care …