We currently use Electrons 2G/3G (U270) and are very happy with the performance. Now we are comparing them to the Boron 2G/3G (U201) and are surprised by the cellular connecting time. Here are measurements from 10 samples:
It might be slightly off topic, but I see a very similar behaviour with Photon vs. Argon.
The WiFi connection time is waaaaay longer on the Argon than on the Photon.
But the underlying cause Gen2 vs. Gen3 might be similar for both cellular and WiFi (just a guess).
Obviously I'm not the only one noticing this - but radio silence from Particle
I was developing under 1.4 and had connect times of 38 secs. The connect time seemed to blow out considerably when I ‘upgraded’ to 1.5, so much so that I have reverted to using an argon for development before testing on a boron. I did not conduct any systematic test but gIven your observations I will run some tests. You may also care to check using 1.4
Interestingly I have way faster connection with the argon. However I am sitting within a couple of metres of my router so that may not be a fair comparison with my photon experience where I was often at the other end of the house.
Given the coming closure of 3G in Australia I want to avoid reverting to Electrons. However I am beginning to wonder whether Borons are the right solution. If I could use BT for the client to set the SSID and Password I would probably revert to using Photons or possibly Argons.
I am having the same cellular connection time issue with 3G (USA) Boron using 1.5.2. I have Electrons (0.6.0) and Boron (1.5.2) sitting side by side - the Electrons connect in less than 30 seconds while the Boron take 2+ minutes. Is there some firmware trick to improving this?
Does Boron LTE have the same cellular connection time issues?
The Electron 3G can use either AT&T or T-Mobile in the United States.
The Boron 2G/3G can only use T-Mobile.
The Boron LTE can only use AT&T LTE Cat M1. In theory, all areas with AT&T LTE coverage should also have LTE Cat M1. The exception is areas that use roaming partners, and any areas that have older HSPA+ (pre-LTE) coverage only.
thank you @rickkas7 - much appreciated
AH - Local coverage by carrier can cause the device’s cellular connection to react differently - explain everything. Back to Electrons for me as I require the widest possible coverage.
Is there a Device V’s carriers table some place in the documentation?
In particle what carriers does Tracker One support?
AT&T is shutting down their 3G network in early 2022, so we recommend migrating to LTE Cat M1 (Boron LTE, E Series LTE, B402 SoM) in the United States in areas where there is coverage.
The Tracker SoM T402 (and the corresponding Tracker One) is LTE Cat M1 and uses AT&T in the United States, and same carriers at the Boron LTE in Canada and Mexico. There is no 2G/3G version of the Tracker for the Americas at this time.
@rickkas7 thank you. I had to Boron/LTE on hand. Went through the setup process and it came on line in about the same time as an Electron. Will use Boron/LTE for a new application. The setup process have gotten slicker over time - well done. My plan is to cut over to Tacker One for my yacht racing application.
I know this is an old thread but I'm having this same problem . I've been very happy with Electrons (E-series) but in 2024 working on switching to Borons. Both connect to ATT LTE but the Borons take about 30 seconds to 2 minutes while the E-series takes about 5 seconds. Being solar powered in remote forested locations, I'm very jealous of my battery power so I'd like to connect as quickly as possible. The Boron trying to connect for a minute or 2 is hard on my battery. Any insights on how to get the Boron to connect more quickly?
Borons are OS 5.5.0
E-series are OS 3.3.0
You should get a cloud debug log over USB. You can do it with your code by adding:
SerialLogHandler logHandler(LOG_LEVEL_TRACE);
It shouldn't take that long with current versions of Device OS and the log will indicate what it's doing. Whether it's a warm or cold boot may also make a difference.