Communication Module

General

The Communication module is a GOcontroll Moduline II compatible expansion card to add 2G and 2.5G functionality to your modular controller. The Communication module enables you to connect to the cellular network or internet on places where no other acces to the internet is available. Beside a C library, the module can also be configured and controlled with an available Matlab Simulink function block1.

Applications

  • Send SMS message caused by an event

  • Remote control and or monitoring of the modular controller

  • Send IoT data package using the MQTT protocol

  • Machine to Machine (M2M) connections

Features

  • Embedded TCP/IP stack

  • Quad – band GSM – GPRS (2G/2.5G)

Schematic representation

Local processing of GSM, TCP/IP, MQTT etc. functionality

Communication with processor board

Communication with network

GSM - GPRS communication chip

Pinout controller connector

The Communication module does not use any pin of the controller connector. When using a Communication module for you application, an extra antenna connection will be added to the aluminium housing.

Model based software development

The GOcontroll Moduline II controller can be programmed with Matlab Simulink. By easily drag and drop function blocks into your Simulink model, no knowledge about any programming language is needed to build a control system. Inside the model, you can use a function block that is designed for the Communication module. This function block enables you to configure the Communication module according to you demands using a graphic interface. The explanation of each configuration can be found inside the function block.

If SMS functionality is selected, the value to this input will be send

Module name

The module connector on the processor board where the module is connected to

Module article number

By double clicking the function block, the mask will open. Here you can configure your Communication module according your demands

The sample time determines the function block execution frequency. -1 is deafult and doesn't have to be changed

Select the module connector on the processor board on which the module is plugged in to

Select functionality of the module

Set parameters for a specific functionality

In case of sending a SMS text message, the phone number the message has to be send to

Apply the configuration of the module

If you’re using the MQTT functionality, you can configure your module as follow

The IP adress of the Broker to connect to

The port on which the Broker accepts the published messages

Your client identification

Apply the configuration of the module

Internet of Things using MQTT

If you want to use the Internet of Things (IoT) MQTT functionality of the Communication module, you have to add one ore more extra function blocks from the library to your model. These extra function blocks need the standard Communication function block configured for MQTT to work. The function blocks enables you to subscribe on topics and to publish to topics. If you wan’t to subscribe or publish to more topics, simply add extra function blocks to you project. For more information about the MQTT protocol, please visit mqtt.org

Subscribe

Values received from the topic this block is subscribed to. These values can be used in your model.

Functionality of this block

The topic where this block subscribes to

By double clicking the function block, the mask will open. Here you can configure on which topic your function block has to subscribe

The sample time determines the function block execution frequency. -1 is deafult and doesn't have to be changed

Enter the topic this block has to subscribe to.

Select the number of values to send

Apply the configuration of the module

Publish

A rising edge in the Trigger input will start a publish event

Input value to publish to the Broker

Topic to publish the values to

Quality of service

Retain the message

Block functionality

By double clicking the function block, the mask will open. Here you can configure to which topic your function block has to publish the values

Enter the topic where this block publishes the values to

Select the number of values to send

Select the quality of service

Check if you want to retain the message

Apply the configuration of the module

1  The function blocks are designed on top of the available, open source blockset of HAN Automotive Research. More information and downloads can be found on: www.openMBD.com