I apologize is this topic is covered in the documentation, but I can’t find it and would appreciate pointers.
I have an Americas-model Electron set up with an Asset Tracker and it’s working perfectly. I am headed to Iceland next month, so I purchased an EverywhereElse-model Electron to slot into the Asset Tracker. Is there a way to pre-activate the European Electron on my account for billing and flash code into it before I leave? I hadn’t intended to take a laptop with me for the trip so I could do it while I’m there.
You can flash firmware over USB (which is the suggested method anyhow) using the CLI. That should save on data, as well as make it more reliable. I’m not sure on the SIM card, but it should follow the same procedure as the other one you’ve got, with the catch that you probably can’t connect it to the internet (yet).
You could potentially also activate the sim using your cellphone while abroad since it doesn’t require a hardware connection. Although uncomfortable and highly frustrating, you can also use the Web IDE from a mobile device, allowing you to OTA software from there
Since SIM cards are not tied to a particular device, you can either take your US SIM with you or already activate your new SIM with your US Electron.
The only thing you’d need to do once your new device got online abroad is to claim it to your account, which you can do with Particle Build once the device is online. Just make sure, you’ve got the device ID with you to do the claiming.
Thanks! I wasn’t sure if the Electron would accept firmware without being set up with a SIM, and didn’t want to risk locking it into some “I’m sorry, I’m not activated, so you’re hosed” state. I’ll flash the code onto it via USB, then take my US SIM as well as the SIM that came with it.
