I have successfully registered 3 of 4 Electrons. However, this last one is not cooperating. It remains in “listening mode” (blue blinking). I successfully registered the SIM (from Particle) and it shows up in the console. From the CLI, I can do a “particle serial identify” and it returns the Device ID and IMEI, but when I do a "particle device add " it says “Failed to claim device: Device is not connected.” I’ve tried the various suggestions on the forum, such as “particle update” and also “particles keys doctor” - both of which worked successfully. But the device remains in “listening mode”. I’ve sent in a support request several days ago, but there’s apparently a backlog so haven’t heard back from them. Considering how simple the registration process was with the first three, I’m staring to think that this is just a bad device.
Blinking dark blue, listening mode, typically occurs if there is a problem with the SIM card or a loose connection to the Electron.
You won’t be able to claim a device (particle device add) in listening mode; it must be online and breathing cyan to be claimed.
Unplug the USB power and battery from the Electron. If it’s installed in a breadboard, carefully remove it. Be sure to lift it from both sides; if you pull up from one side only you can bend the pins on the other side.
Flip the Electron over and remove the SIM card. Gently push down on the metal band to make sure it’s tight. In rare cases you may want to use a pin to lift up the tiny metal prongs on the Electron, but this is not typically necessary.
Put the SIM card back in. The metal contacts on the card face the Electron, and the cut corner goes on the inside. Make sure it’s pushed all the way in.
Thanks for the quick reply. Having done all of the above before, I nevertheless ran through it again - just to be sure. Same result.
I also swapped a known-good SIM from another Electron into the new Electron - with the same result.
I then put the new SIM card in the known-good Electron and it wouldn’t connect either. I gave them each around 10 minutes to blink “listening”.
There’s also something else that’s odd.
When I use the known-good SIM in the known-good Electron, it goes from white to green to flashing blue to breathing cyan. Normal behavior.
But when I swap the SIM cards, both Electrons, at startup get the white LED and then breathing Blue for maybe 10 seconds and then flashing blue - never green and never breathing cyan.
UPDATE: After writing this (and swapping the SIM cards 2-3 times), I again swapped them and this time the unit I’m having trouble with went into breathing cyan mode with the known-good SIM card and I was finally able to “claim” the device. So something reset itself somewhere. However, I still get nowhere using the new SIM card.
In that case, I think the new SIM card is just a bad SIM. It can be replaced with a support request. Be sure to include a link to this post so they know what has been tried.
Will do, thanks Rick