Likely Causes
Occasionally, you may find that a Solo+ unit has gone offline and is reporting out-of-date information, as described in Why Monitoring Data May Become Outdated on the Software Platform.
The most likely causes of a field unit being offline are:
The Solo+ field unit has multi-color LEDs to provide information on the power level and charging state of its battery packs as well as its cellular radio's communication status.
Check Battery Status
You can determine the battery pack's status by comparing the color and number of flashes of the battery LED to the following table.
Table 1.
A low voltage state of charge on a unit's battery is often caused by inadequate, solar-panel charging conditions. See this article for more details.
Check Network Connection Status
The network status LED shows whether the modem is connected to the cellular network. As before compare the color and number of flashes to the table below.
Table 2.
Check SIM Card
Make sure the SIM card hasn't become loose.
Power Cycle Unit
Turn the field unit off and then back on. To turn it off, remove all power sources from the unit (plug pack or solar panel input). Tap the power button once and release, then immediately tap again and hold until you here a long beep. For step by step instructions, see How to Power Down a Solo+.
Check Site Radio Coverage
To test the field units, move the unit to a location with known good LTE CAT-M1 coverage, this is also known as 'LTE-M' coverage. Contact our Support Team for more information.
To improve reception
- Raise the antenna as high as possible, by mounting on a pole.
- Upgrade the antenna to a higher gain one (eg. yagi antenna).
Check for Physical Damage
Finally, inspect the field unit for any signs of physical damage to the enclosure, cabling, antenna, or the field unit itself. Check that:
- The antenna is undamaged.
- The antenna is properly connected to the Solo+ and there is no damage to the antenna cable.
- The unit itself has not been damaged by water, farm machinery, or insects.
- All cabling is undamaged.
You can take the following steps :
- Unplug all cables and clean connectors, ideally using a water displacing lubricant.
- Test it with a known working antenna, either purchased new, or from another Field Unit that is online.