Cellular IoT
A Practical Guide for Software Developers, Electrical Engineers, and Project Managers
By:Â Matthew A. Brenner
Hardcover | 25 November 2025 | Edition Number 1
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480 Pages
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Detailed, practical guidance for implementing IoT cellular network connectivity solutions for software developers and electrical engineers, and project managers.
Focusing exclusively on using cellular connectivity for IoT devices, Cellular IoT presents a flexible approach, using algorithms and software designs, to drastically reduce the complexity of interacting with a wide variety of Cellular Communication Modules (CCMs) which lie at the heart of cellular modems. Written in an accessible style, this book is one of the first to cover all practical aspects of cellular network connectivity, from network and SIM selection through to custom algorithms for detecting and recovering from a wide variety of connectivity problems, and an innovative approach to reliably manage AT commands in modern cellular modems.
This book explains the factors related to establishing and maintaining cellular connectivity including geography and topology, population density, SIM card (and connectivity provider) selection, antenna choice and placement, and CCM selection. The book also provides detailed examples and troubleshooting advice, showing how to transfer data using low-level sockets and also using a high-level protocol (HTTP), creating a brief, temporary connection for a primitive IoT device to send a small amount of data, and also establishing and maintaining a continuous cellular connection with full Internet access on powerful IoT devices running Linux.
Written by an author with considerable professional expertise and experience with cellular connectivity, Cellular IoT includes information on:
- Platforms, tools, and debugging, covering tool-chain selection, computing/OS platforms, programming language choices, and running IoT connectivity code in a debugger
- Cellular network basics, covering base stations, range, cell towers, tracking areas and paging, frequency and modulation, bandwidth and latency, frequency bands, and SIM cards
- Similarities and differences across CCMs, frequency, band, Radio Access Technology (RAT), protocol and data representation, selection and consequences
- Low-level communication protocols including transmission control protocol (TCP), user datagram protocol (UDP), point-to-point protocol (PPP), and custom hybrids for cellular IoT
- Full coverage, for the first time, of SMS, GNSS (available in most CCMs), obtaining precise time, and utilizing the power saving functionality of Extended Discontinuous Reception (eDRX) and Power Saving Mode (PSM) available in NB-IoT, LTE Cat M and LTE Cat 1 bis CCMs
- Entirely new and innovative software approach, Command Independent Processing (CIP), to systematically manage and execute AT commands across families of CCMs and integrating standardized (3GPP) AT commands with vendor specific ones to achieve greater software portability across CCMs.
Cellular IoT is an essential resource for software developers, hardware engineers, and project managers seeking to avoid connectivity pitfalls and be better able to diagnose and resolve newly encountered challenges in the field while drastically reducing the time required to produce reliable, IoT connectivity solutions.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 – Introduction
               1.1 Wireless Connectivity Alternatives
               1.2 Goals
               1.3 The Fundamental Problem
               1.4 Audience
               1.5 Recommended Reading
               1.6 Can One Size Fit All?
               1.7 Hardware History                      Â
               1.8 On-the-Move Connectivity Problems
               1.9 Reference Implementations
               1.10 Reference Microcontroller/OS Platform
               1.11 Reference Cellular Communication Modules (CCMs) Family
               1.12 A Few Words on Advice, Practices and Efficiency
                               1.12.1 Best Practice or Good Practice
                               1.12.2 Efficiency Is a Large Umbrella
                                               1.12.2.1 Spatial and Temporal Efficiency
                                               1.12.2.2 Data Efficiency
               1.12.2.3 Developmental Efficiency
               1.13 3G, 4G, 5G, 6G
Chapter 2 - Platforms, Tools and Debugging
               2.1 Importance of Tool-Chain Selection
               2.2 An Expanded View of the Tool Chain
               2.3 Computing/OS Platforms
               2.4 Programming Language Choices
               2.5 Running the Same Code on Development Computer and IoT Device
               2.6 Running IoT Connectivity Code in a Debugger
Chapter 3 - Cellular Network Basics
               3.1 Standards
               3.2 What do Cellular Networks do?
               3.3 Are Cellular Networks Wireless?
               3.4 What is a Cell? What is a Sector?
               3.5 Omnidirectional Cellular Coverage
               3.6 Cell Towers
               3.7 How are Cellular Networks Identified?
               3.8 How Are IoT Devices Identified
               3.9 eNodeB IDs, and Cell IDs
               3.10 Tracking Areas and Paging
               3.11 Frequency and Modulation
                               3.11.1 Modulation
                                               3.11.1.1 Radio Telegraphy
                                               3.11.1.2 Amplitude Modulation (AM Radio)
                                               3.11.1.3 Frequency Modulation (FM Radio)
                                               3.11.1.4 Phase Modulation
               3.12 Spectral Efficiency
               3.13 Error Detection
                               3.13.1 Luhn Algorithm
               3.14 Error Correction
               3.15 LTE Modulation Techniques
                               3.15.1 Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK)
                               3.15.2 Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK)
                               3.15.3 Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM)
               3.16 Bandwidth and Latency
               3.17 Range
               3.18 Frequency Bands
                               3.18.1 Frequency Affects Range
               3.19 Radio Access Technologies (RAT) and Categories
               3.20 SIM Cards
               3.21 What Happens When a Cellular Modem Switches On?
                               3.21.1 Network Selection, Cell Selection, Camping, and Cell Reselection
                               3.21.2 Network Registration
               3.22 Handoff (also called Handover)
                               3.22.1 Maintaining Connectivity
                               3.22.2 Load Balancing
               3.23 Sharing the Air
               3.24 Timing Advance
                               3.24.1 Why is Timing Advance Useful?
                               3.24.2 How Accurate are Distance Estimates Using Timing Advance?
                               3.24.3 Timing Advance Band Depth and Maximum Range
               3.25 Expressing Power
Chapter 4 - SIM Card Basics
               4.1 Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs)
               4.2 Size
               4.3 Native Versus Multi-SIMs or MNO Versus MVNO
               4.4 Home Versus Roaming Access
               4.5 SIM Factors Affecting Price and Coverage
                               4.5.1 How Much Do SIM Cards Cost?
                               4.5.2 Is there a Monthly Activation Fee?
                               4.5.3 Are There Fees for Activating and/or Deactivating SIM Cards?
                               4.5.4 How Much Does Data Cost
                               4.5.5 Is the Monthly Data FPooled”?
                               4.5.6 Are There Fees for Deactivated (but not Terminated) SIMS Cards?
                               4.5.7 Is There a Not-Yet-Activated Fee?
               4.6 Text Messages (SMS)
               4.7 Usage Limits
               4.8 Firewalls
               4.9 Replacing SIMs and/or Network Providers
               4.10 Access Point Name (APN)
Chapter 5 - Verify Cellular Connectivity
               5.1 Preparation
                               5.1.1 Adequate Power
                               5.1.2 Activated SIM Card
                               5.1.3 Base Station in Range
                               5.1.4 SIM Card Authorization
                               5.1.5 Band Configuration
                               5.1.6 RAT Configuration
                               5.1.7 Automatic Registration
               5.2 Try to Auto-Register
               5.3 What Can Go Wrong?
                               5.3.1 Operating System Interference
                               5.3.2 Communicating With Modem
                               5.3.3 Malformed AT commands
                               5.3.4 Parsing Responses to AT Commands
                               5.3.5 Timing Problems
                               5.3.6 Unset or Incorrect Access Point Name (APN)
               5.4 Modem Configuration for Auto-Registration
Chapter 6 - Let’s Move Some Data
               6.1 Low-level Sockets or High Level Protocols
               6.2 Verify ServerServer is Running
               6.3 Verify EchoServer is Running
               6.4 USB or UART?
               6.5 AT Commands — a Troubled Past
               6.6 Unsolicited Response Codes (URCs)
               6.7 A Handy Modem Program
               6.8 AT Commands Manuals
               6.9 Communicating with the Cellular Modem
               6.10 Getting EchoServer Information from ServerServer
               6.11 Bouncing Data off EchoServer
               6.12 No Problems is Bad Luck
Chapter 7 - Cellular Connectivity Regions
               7.1 How Geography, Topology and Population Density Affect Connectivity
                               7.1.1 Geography and Topology
                               7.1.2 Population Density
               7.2 Region Categories
                               7.2.1 Rural
                               7.2.2 Rural Town
                               7.2.3 Flat Farmland/Flat Arid
                               7.2.4 Mountainous
                               7.2.5 Suburban
                               7.2.6 Dense City
                               7.2.7 Interstate Highway
                               7.2.8 Uninhabited
Chapter 8 - Cellular Communication Modules (CCMs)
               8.1 CCM Worldwide Market Share
               8.2 Frequency Band Usage
               8.3 Protocol Implementation
               8.4 Similarities and Differences Across CCMs
                               8.4.1 Single or Dual AT Command Channels
                               8.4.2 Different AT command Sets
                               8.4.3 Different Response Times for Similar or Identical Commands
                               8.4.4 Differing Response Formats
                               8.4.5 Differing Responses For Compound Statements
                               8.4.6 Different Timing Requirements
                               8.4.7 AT Command are not Thread-Safe
                               8.4.8 Support For Different Protocols
               8.5 Consider the Whole CCM Family
               8.6 CCM Firmware Bugs
               8.7 CCMs, Are a Lot Like Sensors: Imprecise and not Entirely Reliable
Chapter 9 - AT Commands (a New Approach)
               9.1 Purpose of AT Commands
               9.2 Problems of AT Commands
                               9.2.1 Maximum Response Time for an AT Command
               9.3 Traditional Solution to Executing AT Commands and Extracting Responses
               9.4 Command Independent Processing (CIP)
                               9.4.1 The Central Observation Underlying CIP
                               9.4.2 Fundamental Elements of CIP
                                               9.4.2.1 AtParams
                                               9.4.2.2 AtCommand
                               9.4.3 AT Command in CIP
                                               9.4.3.1 Step 1 – Define a Name for a Command
                                               9.4.3.2 Step 2 - Create a Set of Parameters for Each Command             Â
                                               9.4.3.3 Step 3 - Store the Command Name and AtParams Object in a Map
                                               9.4.3.4 Step 4 - Create a Command Object
                                               9.4.3.5 Step 5 - Pass Arguments to the Command Object (if necessary)
                                               9.4.3.6 Step 6 - Perform the Command
                                               9.4.3.7 Step 7 – Verify Success or Failure
                                               9.4.3.8 Step 8 - Extract Response Information
                                               9.4.3.9 AT Commands with Parameters
                                               9.4.3.10 Timing Out
                               9.4.4 Using CIP Across CCM Families and Across Manufacturers
Chapter 10 - CIP Design and Details
               10.1 Pseudocode Conventions
                               10.1.1 Identifier Names
                               10.1.2 Angle Brackets
                               10.1.3 Constructors
                               10.1.4 Dot Operator
                               10.1.5 Unified Modeling Language (UML)
               10.2 A Note on Objected-Orientation and Threads
               10.3 AT Command Basics
                               10.3.1 Echoing
                               10.3.2 Enable/Disable Response Codes
                               10.3.3 Short or Long Response Codes
                               10.3.4 Line Terminators
                               10.3.5 Housekeeping
               10.4 Categories of Responses to AT Commands
                               10.4.1 OK_ONLY
                               10.4.2 TEXT_OK
                               10.4.3 AFTER_COLON
                               10.4.3 OK_PLUS_AFTER_COLON
                               10.4.5 MULTI_RECEIVE
                               10.4.6 MULTI_SEND
                               10.4.7 MULTI_AFTER_COLON
               10.5 Details of Command Independent Processing (CIP)
                               10.5.1 AtStep Purpose
                               10.5.2 AtStep Attributes
               10.6 A “Factory Method” for Creating AtCommand Objects
               10.7 Performing AT Commands
                               10.7.1 Why AT Commands Fail
                               10.7.2 Timing Out
                               10.7.3 Details of the Execute Method
                               10.7.4 Response Length
                               10.7.5 Hardware Timing
                               10.7.6 Combining Parameter Settings - Method Chaining
                               10.7.7 Assessing Success, and Multiple Tries
                               10.7.8 Multi-Line AT Commands - AtStep
                               10.7.9 A Second Example With a Regular Expressions
                               10.7.10 Integrating AtStep Into the execute Methods
               10.8 AT Commands For Multiple Modems
                               10.8.1 The Simplest Case
                               10.8.2 Connectors
                                               10.13.2.1 All Connectors Are Also Threads
                                               10.13.2.2 Connectors Are Created Using a Factory Method
                                               10.13.2.3 Custom AT Commands are Added In Static Blocks of Connectors
                                               10.13.2.4 Where to Override Methods or Parts of Methods
                               10.8.3 An Asymmetrical Case – AtParamsNoOp
Chapter 11 - Geographical Coverage, Signal Strength and Quality
               11.1 Radio Technologies (RATs)
               11.2 Cellular Network Coverage Maps
               11.3 Signal Strength and Quality: RSSI, RSRP, RSRQ, SINR
                               11.3.1 RSSI and RSRP
                               11.3.2 RSRQ
                               11.3.3 SINR
                               11.3.4 Using Modem For to Report Signal Strength and Quality
               11.4 Antenna Selection and Performance
                               11.4.1 Antenna Size
                               11.4.2 Passive Versus Active Antennas
                               11.4.3 Antenna Connectors
                               11.4.4 Antenna Placement
               11.5 Antenna Testing
               11.6 Geography and Signal Strength Must Be Considered Together
Chapter 12 - Network Selection and Registration
               12.1 Network Registration
               12.2 Radio Access Technology (RAT)
               12.3 Network Frequency Band Selection
               12.4 PLMN Selection
                               12.4.1 Manual PLMN Selection
                               12.4.2 Automatic PLMN Selection
               12.5 How to Create Your Own User Preference List
                               12.5.1 Reading the UPL and OPL
                               12.5.2 Modifying the UPL
               12.6 Once a PLMN is Auto-Selected, Is it Always Selected?
               12.7 Forcing the CCM Back to the PLMN Preference List
               12.8 A Mysterious PLMN Selection Behavior
               12.9 Troubleshooting Registration Problems
                               12.9.1 New Modem, Never Registered
                               12.9.2 Old Modem, Previously Registered
               12.10 Anomalous Behavior
Chapter 13 - Communication Protocols: TCP, UDP, PPP and Hybrids
               13.1 Internet Protocol (IP)
               13.2 Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)
               13.3 Considering Data Consumption
               13.4 User Datagram Protocol (UDP)
               13.5 TCP Pros and Cons
               13.6 Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP)
               13.7 AT Commands for Data Transfer are Completely Unstandardized
               13.8 PPP on Linux
                               13.8.1 Debugging PPP
               13.9 Alternatives to PPP
Chapter 14 - Thin Air
               14.1 A Most Dramatic Case
                               14.1.1 Watching the Server
                               14.1.2 Packets Not Getting to the Server
               14.2 What Was Going On? Thin Air
               14.3 Why Did Thin Air Persist Over Hundreds of Miles?
               14.4 How to Detect Thin Air
               14.5 What to Do About Thin Air
               14.6 Minimizing the Size of a Thin Air Region
               14.7 A Hybrid UDP Protocol For Detecting Thin Air
               14.8 Reducing (or Eliminating) Thin Air by PLMN or Band Selection
                               14.8.1 The Most Direct Approach
               14.9 Putting the Hybrid Protocol to a Second Use
Chapter 15 - Time and Location (GNSS)
               15.1 Clarifying Terminology
               15.2 Time
               15.3 Location
               15.4 Obtaining Time information
                               15.4.1 Real-Time Clock (RTC)
                               15.4.2 Cellular Modem
                                               15.4.2.1 Additional Configuration
                                               15.4.2.2 Local Time or UTC
                                               15.4.2.3 Daylight Saving Time
                                               15.4.2.4 Using Modem to Read the Clock
                               15.4.3 Get Time From a GNSS Receiver
                               15.4.4 Get Time From a Server
               15.5 Sources of Location Information
               15.6 Pros and Cons of CCM’s GNSS Receiver Versus Stand-Alone GNSS Receiver
               15.7 Cold Start, Warm Start, Hot Start
               15.8 Assisted GPS (A-GPS)
               15.9 GNSS Antenna Selection       Â
               15.10 GNSS Receiver Placement
               15.11 GNSS Accuracy and Precision
                               15.11.1 Improving Accuracy
               15.12 NMEA Sentences
                               15.12.1 Using Modem to Read GNSS Sentences
               15.13 Three Ways to Obtain Location Information
               15.13.1 Simple AT Command Request for Location
               15.13.2 Read Streaming Data From gpsd Daemon
               15.13.2.1 For a Stand-Alone GNSS Receiver
               15.13.2.2 For a CCM’s GNSS Receiver
               15.13.3 Read Streaming Data Directly From CCM’s GNSS receiver
               15.14 Understanding gpsd JSON Output
               15.15 Writing Software To Capture and Process gpsd Output
               15.16 GNSS Data Streamed From a CCM
               15.17 NMEA 0183
                               15.17.1 Talker Sentence Format
                                               15.17.1.2 RMC Sentence Format
                                               15.17.1.3 GSV Sentence Format
                               15.17.2 NMEA Checksums
                               15.17.3 CCM GNSS Receivers Only Stream Some NMEA Sentences
               15.18 Some Additional gpsd Utilities
               15.19 Setting System Time From Cellular Network, GNSS Time, or Server
Chapter 16 - Establishing and Maintaining a Cellular Connection
               16.1 Modem Selection
               16.2 Foundational Tasks
                               16.2.1 State 1 - Detecting CCM
                                               16.2.1.1 Using Modem to Detect a CCM
                               16.2.2 State 2a - Initializing CMM
                                               16.2.2.1 Viewing Modem’s Initializations
                               16.2.3 State 2b - Waiting to Retry
                               16.2.4 State 3 - Set MNO
                               16.2.5 State 4 - Checking Registration Status
                                               16.2.5.1 Using Modem to Check Registration Status
                               16.2.6 State 5 - Connecting
                               16.2.7 State 6 - Manage Connection
Chapter 17 - Sending and Receiving Text Messages (SMS)
               17.1 Why Send/Receive Text Messages?
                               17.1.1 Need to “Push” Information to an IoT Device
                               17.1.2 Serverless IoT Devices That Interact With End-Users
               17.2 Cost of Text Messaging via Cellular Modem
               17.3 Application-to-Person (A2P) Messaging is Often Regulated
               17.4 Overview of Sending/Receiving Text Messages
               17.5 Sending Text Messages
                               17.5.1 Set the Message Format
                               17.5.2 Set Parameters for Sending
                               17.5.3 Specify the Destination Phone Number and the Text to Send
                               17.5.4 What if Sending an SM Fails?
                               17.5.5 Using Modem to Send a Text Message
               17.6 Receiving and Reading a Text Messages
                               17.6.1 Configure the CCM             Â
                                               17.6.1.1 Set the Message Format
                                               17.6.1.2 Configure SMS Storage
                                                               Pitfall: Don’t Forget to Align Memory Blocks
                                               17.6.1.3 Check for a Received Text Messages
                                               17.6.1.4 Using Modem to List Text Messages
                                               17.6.1.5 Delete a Text Messages
                                               17.6.1.6 Using Modem to Delete a Text Message
               17.7 SMS with Constrained Devices
                               17.7.1 Set the Message Format
                               17.7.2 Set Parameters for Writing to mem-2
                               17.7.3 Specify the Destination Phone Number and Text to Store
                               17.7.4 Send a Text Message Already Stored in mem-2
                               17.7.5 Verifying a Text Message Was Sent From mem-2
               17.8 Integrating SMS into CIP
Chapter 18 - Power Saving Modes and Techniques
               18.1 What are Low-Power CCMs (LP-CCMs)
               18.2 Plenty of Power, Most of the Time
               18.3 Low-Power IoT Devices
                               18.3.1 Microcontroller Energy Consumption
                               18.3.2 Temperature Sensor Energy Consumption
               18.4  Battery Capacity
               18.5 Transmitter Power
               18.6 Legacy (GSM) Power Consumption
               18.7 Cellular Modem Energy Consumption
                               18.7.1 Additional Energy Consumption
               18.8 Network Registration States – RRC_CONNECTED and RRC_IDLE
                               18.8.1 RRC_CONNECTED (without DRX)
                                               18.8.1.1 Scenario 1 – Sending a Location Packet
                                               18.8.1.2 Scenario 2 – Fetching an Over the Air Update
                               18.8.2 RRC_IDLE (without DRX)
                               18.8.3 Discontinuous Reception (DRX)
                                               18.8.3.1 Discontinuous Reception in RRC_IDLE (iDRX)
                                               18.8.3.2 Discontinuous Reception in RRC_CONNECTED (cDRX)
                               18.8.4 Registration Characteristics Summary
               18.9 Latency
               18.10 Using Low-Power CCM – Cat M and NB-IoT and Cat 1 bis
               18.11 Power Saving Mode (PSM)
                               18.11.1 How to Enable PSM
                                               18.11.1.1 Using Modem to Enter PSM
                               18.11.2 Verifying PSM and Possible Problems or Surprises
                                               18.11.2.1 Using Modem to Check PSM Status
                               18.11.3 Actual PSM Cycle Length
                               18.11.4 Exiting PSM
                                               18.11.4.1 Using Modem to Exit PSM
                               18.11.5 Sending Data From PSM Inactive
                               18.11.6 PSM Effectiveness
                               18.11.7 Integrating PSM into CIP
               18.12 Extended Discontinuous Reception (eDRX)
                               18.12.1 How to Enable eDRX
                                               18.12.1.1 Using Modem to Enable eDRX
                               18.12.2 Verifying eDRX Cycle Length
                                               18.12.2.1 Using Modem to Check eDRX Status
                               18.12.3 Disabling eDRX
                                               18.12.3.1 Using Modem to Disable eDRX
                               18.12.4 Integrating eDRX into CIP
               18.13 When to Use PSM, eDRX or Both
               18.14 Don't Trust the Numbers
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Appendix A - A UML Primer
               A.1 Assumptions
               A.2 UML Syntax
               A.3 Visibility (private, protected, public)
               A.4 Attribute/Parameter/Method Names and Types
               A.5 Class Attributes and Methods
               A.6 Aggregation
               A.7 Multiplicities
               A.8 Inheritance
               A.9 Interfaces
               A.10 Hidden Attributes
               A.11 LayoutÂ
Closing Notes
Appendix B - 3GPP AT Commands Used in This Book
Appendix C - The Modem Utility
Glossary
ISBN: 9781394329656
ISBN-10: 1394329652
Published: 25th November 2025
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Number of Pages: 480
Audience: Professional and Scholarly
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc (US)
Country of Publication: GB
Edition Number: 1
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